The Ministry of Railways has launched a skill development programme with a focus on railway-related jobs. Over the next three years, the Rail Kaushal Vikas Yojana, a programme run by the Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY), aims to train 50,000 candidates. The training will initially be provided to 1,000 candidates, according to an official statement. The training will be provided in four trades: electrician, welder, machinist, and fitter, with an initial basic training of 100 hours. On the basis of regional demands and needs assessments, zonal railways and production units will add training programmes in other trades. It went on to say that the training would be free of charge and that participants would be chosen from online applications using a transparent system based on matriculation marks. Candidates who have completed the 10th grade and are between the ages of 18 and 35 are eligible to apply. Participants in the scheme, on the other hand, will not be able to apply for jobs in the railways based on their training. The goal of this initiative, according to Minister of Railways Ashwini Vaishnaw, is to provide youth with training skills in various trades in order to improve their quality of life. This programme, he added, will include training in remote areas. Banaras Locomotive Works, which will also streamline assessments and maintain a centralised database of participants, has developed the programme curriculum. The scheme will start with 1,000 people and will go above and beyond the training provided to apprentices under the 1961 Apprentice Act. Upon completion of their programme, trainees will be required to undergo a standardised assessment and will be awarded a certificate in the allotted trade by the National Rail & Transportation Institute. They will also be given Toolkits that are relevant to their trade, which will assist these trainees in putting their knowledge to good use and enhancing their capacity for self-employment as well as employability in a variety of industries. Image Source