'Skills on Wheels' Initiative Launched by Dharmendra Pradhan & Om Birla for Rural Development by Digital Skill Training

Shri Dharmendra Pradhan (Union Minister of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship) and (Lok Sabha Speaker), Shri Om Birla, have launched the 'Skills on Wheels' initiative with NSDC and IndusInd Bank. The partnership aims to empower 60,000 youth over five years, improving the livelihood of rural households by providing relevant skills training. The initiative will use a customised bus with retrofitted tools to promote the Skill India Mission. The "Skills on Wheels" bus is designed to go around India's underdeveloped and aspirational areas, serving as a mobile information center for free skill development initiatives. Through extensive skill training, the project hopes to significantly change the course of the youths' lives by introducing them to these options. The partnership with IndusInd Bank is evidence of the common goal of empowering youth to promote nationalism.

Joint Public & Private Initiative for Skill Development

The Ministry of Skills Development intends to work with the private sector in the first phase, using corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives to spread skills.

The CEO of the National Skills Development Corporation (NSDC), Ved Mani Tiwari, disclosed that talks are in progress with several business entities to include the initiative in their corporate social responsibility budget, with the goal of quickly broadening the program's scope.

Basic Digital Skill Training

• Essential digital skills, with a focus on using digital public infrastructure like Aadhaar, digilocker, and UPI, will be covered in the foundational skills program.
• The program also intends to instruct participants on how to apply for a driver's license.
• As well as, financial skills will be covered, along with information and access to loans, credit, insurance, Cibil, and EMIs.

Increasing Involvement in the Developing Economy

• The effort aims to improve governance and job prospects by providing these skills to rural populations, thereby equipping them for the future.
• Enabling people to actively engage in the emerging economy is the main objective of the "Skills on Wheels" initiative.
• Although specifics on potential corporate partners are still being withheld, the project has the potential to significantly alter digital literacy and skill development in rural areas.

Systematically Digital Literacy

• The initiative's digital skills component will cover a range of topics, including using mobile phones to share multimedia material and locations, instant chatting, downloading apps, and making movies.
• Training sessions will help people determine which government benefits they qualify for and will help them apply for or use those benefits.