Challenges

Maharashtra makes second largest contribution to India’s population – thus becoming a large contributor to the India’s demographic dividend. To contribute to the Honorable Prime Minister’s vision of making India the human resource capital of the world, Government of Maharashtra has set itself up a target of generating 4.5 crore skilled manpower by 2022. In order to achieve this target, 45 lakhs skilled manpower shall need to be produced every year by the state for 10 years.

Job creation and entrepreneurship promotion became crucial to absorb the skilled workforce in Maharashtra. Entrepreneurs not only contribute to economic growth, but they provide a source of income and employment for themselves, create employment opportunities for others, and produce new and innovative products/services through cost-effective methods. Given the fact that India is labour rich economy, it cannot only fulfill its own requirement but also cater to labour shortages in other countries, there is a clear opportunity to train India’s labour force in globally competitive skills. Therefore, accelerating entrepreneurship for job creation and skill development became crucial for the state of Maharashtra.

Toward a Solution

To leverage India’s demographic dividend more substantially and meaningfully and to facilitate employment and provide self-employment guidance for the youth, the government launched the “Skill India” campaign, which aims to provide a job-ready workforce to the industry to ramp up productivity and ultimately propel economic growth. To achieve this Skill Development Mission in the state of Maharashtra, Maharashtra State Skill Development Society has been registered on 15th February 2011 under the Societies Registration Act 1860. The society is functioning under the Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Department, Government of Maharashtra. All the Skill Development schemes of various departments of Government of Maharashtra are integrated and implemented through the active coordination under the single umbrella of this society.

Mahaswayam portal integrates skilling, employment and entrepreneurship in an effort to make this a go to portal for various stakeholders involved in Skill India Mission. It is an effort by the State Government to bring together students, youth, job seekers, employers, trainers and entrepreneurs all under one umbrella. Mahaswayam portal has been developed by the Skill Development & Entrepreneurship Department to integrate the skill related activities in Maharashtra with Jobs and Entrepreneurship for providing a unique platform to all the stakeholders. This portal will provide single interface to all the stakeholders to obtain information related to Skill Training, Job vacancies and Entrepreneurship development programs.

The portal is not only aiming towards providing information on employment opportunities, skill enhancement and empowering youth of the state but is also leaving no stone unturned in bringing together the job seekers, job providers and other stakeholders on one common platform.

To facilitate employment and provide self-employment guidance for the youth to enhance their incomes, thus promoting inclusive growth, Directorate of Skill Development, Employment and Entrepreneurship (DSDE&E) was set up. The directorate brings together around 33 lakh job aspirants and employer database of more than 67000 public and private establishments every year.

Job fairs are regularly conducted since 2007 for job seekers and employers by the DSDE&E. Registered candidates and employers with DSDE&E can participate in these job fairs with job seeker getting on the spot employment and employer getting suitable work force immediately through these job fairs. This scheme is applicable in all the districts of Maharashtra.

Employment Promotion Programme (EPP) by the State Government is a scheme to provide on-job training to Job Seekers for acquisition and up gradation of skill & experience in private sector for experienced as well as un-experienced Job Seekers. Employment Promotion Programme (EPP) aims to enhance skills of the youth and make them employable as per the market requirement. EPP is a stipendiary scheme. 

To support the economically backward communities in terms of providing entrepreneurship and self-employment opportunities Annasaheb Patil Arthik-magas Vikas Mahamandal Maryadit was set up in 1998. In the year 2000, Government of Maharashtra announced scheme for self-employment and employment which was completely a state funded scheme.