In a written reply to the Lok Sabha, Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Minister Jayant Chaudhary said placement tracking was undertaken during the first three phases of PMKVY, between 2015 and 2022. However, the latest phase of the programme, PMKVY 4.0, is designed to support more diversified career outcomes beyond direct job placements.
“PMKVY 4.0 is oriented towards empowering the candidates to pursue diverse career paths through a multi-pronged approach, including support for placements, self-employment, and entrepreneurship,” said Chaudhary.
The minister added that platforms like the Skill India Digital Hub are being leveraged to connect trained candidates with employers and apprenticeship opportunities. Rozgar Melas and National Apprenticeship Melas are also being held regularly to boost hiring.
Still, employment outcomes remain uneven. Of the 56.89 lakh candidates certified under the Short-Term Training (STT) component between 2015 and 2022, only 24.3 lakh were reported placed — amounting to about 43% placement rate under that segment alone.
Experts, as per TOI, are pointing to a continued mismatch between training curricula and market needs. Acknowledging this, the government has initiated district-level skill gap studies and is rolling out state-specific training programmes.To widen employment avenues, the government has also linked skilling schemes with financial assistance programmes like the PM Mudra Yojana, under which Rs 35.13 lakh crore has been sanctioned, and PM Vishwakarma, which has an allocation of Rs 3,920 crore. Nearly 9.8 lakh urban poor have also benefited under the DAY-NULM, with a total outlay of Rs 8,775 crore.Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh currently lead in both training enrolment and loan disbursal under these schemes.
Chaudhary said, “Training under PMKVY is being conducted through empanelled and accredited Training Centres. It includes on-the-job training, and incorporates the National Credit Framework to provide creditisation of learning.”
He also added, “Regular monitoring and third-party evaluation of the scheme are undertaken to ensure quality outcomes.”
A third-party assessment of PMKVY 4.0 is currently in progress, and its findings are expected to inform future policy directions.
(With inputs from Times of India)