Parliament Question: Skill Gaps and Training Needs in Vellore

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF SKILL DEVELOPMENT AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 115 ANSWERED ON 20.07.2026 SKILL GAPS AND TRAINING NEEDS IN VELLOR 115. THIRU D M KATHIR ANAND: Will the Minister of SKILL DEVELOPMENT AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP be pleased to state: (a) whether the Government subscribes to the view that leather, footwear, manufacturing and allied industries operating in Vellore district of Tamil Nadu require a larger pool of skilled manpower and industry-oriented training programmes to meet emerging workforce demands; (b) if so, the details of assessments undertaken by the Government regarding manpower requirements, skill gaps and training needs of these industries and if not, the reasons therefor; (c) the measures implemented/proposed to be implemented by the Government in collaboration with industry, training providers and educational institutions for enhancing employability, workforce readiness, apprenticeship opportunities and skill upgradation; (d) the details of funds allocated, released and utilised by the Government under such programmes from 2020-21 onwards, year-wise; and (e) the progress achieved by the Government in employment generation, placement outcomes and workforce development and the future expansion plans envisaged by the Government for skill-development activities in Vellore district? ANSWER THE MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) IN THE MINISTRY OF SKILL DEVELOPMENT AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP (SHRI JAYANT CHAUDHARY) (a) to (e): Under the Government of India’s Skill India Mission (SIM), the Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship (MSDE) delivers skill, re-skill and up-skill training through an extensive network of skill development centres under various schemes, viz. Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY), Jan Sikhshan Sansthan (JSS), National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme (NAPS) and Craftsman Training Scheme (CTS) through Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs), to all the sections of the society across the country including the state of Tamil Nadu. The SIM aims to prepare the youth of India for the future by equipping them with industry- relevant skills, thereby enhancing their employability and enabling them to access diverse employment opportunities. Skill Gaps: Sector Skill Councils (SSCs), led by industry experts, regularly conduct skill gap studies to assess sector-wise skill needs to meet the industry requirements including for the leather, footwear, manufacturing and allied industries. Further, District Skill Committees (DSCs), established across all States/UTs are also mandated to formulate District Skill Development Plans (DSDPs) to support decentralized, grassroots-level skill planning by identifying local employment opportunities, skilling demand, and available training infrastructure. Under the SANKALP (Skill Acquisition and Knowledge Awareness for Livelihood Promotion)World Bank assisted scheme also, a National Skill Gap Study by National Council of Applied Economic Research (NCAER) was undertaken in 2025, which provided a standardized, data- driven framework to assess skill gaps across a few high-growth sectors in the economy including the leather and leather products under the retail sector. The skill gap studies help the Government to align the skilling initiatives with industry demand and future workforce needs across the country including for the Vellore district of Tamil Nadu. Based on the District Skill Development Plan (DSDP) 2024-25 for Vellore, Tamil Nadu, a comprehensive skill gap assessment reveals that the district, which contributes 3.4% to the state's GDP, faces a critical demand for roughly one lakh skilled and semi-skilled laborers over the next six years, particularly driven by the upcoming leather, hospitality, and healthcare sectors. As a major global hub accounting for over 37% of India's leather exports and hosting around 1,200 micro and small units alongside a planned 100-acre MSME park, Vellore's highly labor-intensive manufacturing sector relies heavily on a female-dominated workforce, including numerous women homeworkers engaged by factories through intermediaries to stitch shoe uppers. However, industrial associations have highlighted challenges such as shop-floor worker shortages, absenteeism, and high attrition among major players like the Florind Group, Florence and KH Group. To address these gaps and leverage strong youth aspirations, the district has mapped out targeted, one-year employment-linked training interventions aligned with National Skills Qualification Framework (NSQF) linked Qualification Packs (QPs) based on secondary research and district-level consultations to ensure a sustainable pipeline of skilled youth. Funding: Financial Year wise funds released under major schemes of MSDE in the last six years and current year in Tamil Nadu are as below: (In crores) Financial Year PMKVY NAPS JSS 2020-21 31.66 12.03 3.36 2021-22 11.04 13.44 3.19 2022-23 5.40 40.71 4.06 2023-24 41.48 63.54 4.32 2024-25 63.08 67.36 4.27 2025-26 4.96 64.98 4.52 2026-27* 0.41 19.43 1.00 * As on 30.06.2026 Under PMKVY 4.0, funds are released to the implementing agencies to cover training costs on the basis of pre-approved parameters. PMKVY 4.0 being a Central Sector Scheme has no State Component. Under JSS scheme also, funds are released to Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) directly. Under NAPS, stipend support up to Rs. 1500/- per month is released to apprentices through DBT. Day to day administration as well as financial control in respect of CTS scheme implemented through ITIs lies with the respective State Government/UT Administration. Initiatives for enhancing employability, workforce readiness, apprenticeship opportunities and skill upgradation: In order to meet skilling requirement for future workforce, improve the quality of skilling, to align the training programs to market needs and improve the employability of trainees, some of the steps taken by the Government include: i. The training programs offered under the schemes of the Ministry are developed in collaboration with industries, keeping in view the market demands. ii. Courses aligned to National Skills Qualification Framework (NSQF) also have components of On Job Training (OJT) and employability skills. iii. The National Council for Vocational Education and Training (NCVET) has been set up as an overarching regulator establishing regulations and standards to ensure quality in the Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) space. The Awarding Bodiesrecognized by NCVET are required to develop the qualifications as per the industry demand and obtain industry validations. iv. Future ready job-roles addressing the requirement of Industry 4.0, emerging sectors like Drone, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Robotics, Mechatronics, etc., have been prioritized under Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY) 4.0. v. Under Craftsmen Training Scheme (CTS) in ITIs, new age courses have been developed to meet the demand of futuristic job roles in emerging technologies. vi. Directorate General of Training (DGT) is strengthening industry-linked training for ITI students through the Flexi MoU Scheme and Dual System of Training, and by partnering with leading tech companies like IBM, CISCO, Future Skill Rights Network, AWS, and Microsoft under CSR initiatives to enhance industry exposure and relevant skill development. vii. Trainings of Trainers through National Skill Training Institutes (NSTIs) and Institutes of Training of Trainers (IToTs). viii. Under NAPS, apprenticeship training and increasing engagement with industrial establishments for undertaking apprenticeship programs is promoted. ix. Government has launched PM-SETU (Pradhan Mantri Skilling and Employability Transformation through Upgraded ITIs), a centrally sponsored scheme with an investment of Rs.60,000 crore. The scheme envisages the upgradation of 1,000 Government ITIs across the country in a hub-and-spoke model comprising 200 hub ITIs and 800 spoke ITIs. PM-SETU focuses on improving employability outcomes through industry-led governance, and indirectly supports self-employment and entrepreneurship by enabling learners (including early-stage enterprises and first-time entrepreneurs) to acquire industry-relevant skills, gain exposure to real work environments, and access career guidance, placement support, and self-employment support through strengthened institutional systems and industry linkages. x. Skill India Digital Hub (SIDH) Portal has been established as a Digital Public Infrastructure for skilling, employment, and entrepreneurship ecosystems. These initiatives have resulted in skilling more than 1.52 crore youths through Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs)/National Skill Training Institutes, trained over 1.60 crore youths under PMKVY, about 26.51 lakh youths through JSS and engaged over 54.42 lakhs youths under NAPS since 2014. *****