Sixty eight lakh unemployed youths have got jobs, while 15 lakh boys and girls received skill training over the past four years in West Bengal, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said here on Tuesday.Launching 'Utkarsh Bangla' - a vocational training scheme for school dropouts, Banerjee said her government would ensure campus placements for 75 percent of the students who passed out of the polytechnics and Industrial Training Institutes."Sixty eight lakh youth have been given jobs in the last four years. Two lakh more jobs are under process. During this period, we have trained 15 lakh boys and girls. Out of them, 10 lakh have secured jobs," she said, adding six lakh more school drop outs will be trained every year. "So, a total of 30 lakh youth will receive training in the next five years.
"We will ensure at least 75 percent of the students get campus placements. The companies that will take part in the campus placement drives have signed memoranda of understanding with us. Companies like Samsung, Raymond, Berger Paints, Maruti Suzuki, ASSOCHAM (in gems and jewellery sector), Confederation of Real Estate Developers Associations of India (for construction-related jobs) will provide the employment."An MoU has also been inked with the Agriculture Skill Council of India and CREDAI," she said.The state now has 250 ITIs and 186 polytechnic colleges. "When we came to power in 2011, the total number of seats in these training institutes was 25,000. Now they have increased to 75,000, said Banerjee, who also released a book on Utkarsh Bangla, which aims to provide school dropouts free of charge vocational training ranging from 400 to 1,200 hours in tailoring, driving, repairing television and other electronic equipment. Certificates would be given to those completing the courses. The vocational education department would be in charge of implementing the scheme.