OMCAP to Generate One Lakh Blue-Collar Jobs in Five Years: AP Minister Nara Lokesh

Amaravati: Minister for Education, IT, and Electronics Nara Lokesh said that the government aims to generate one lakh blue-collar jobs over the next five years through Overseas Manpower Company Andhra Pradesh Limited (OMCAP). He directed officials of the Skill Development Corporation to prepare a detailed roadmap and move forward in a planned manner to achieve this goal.

The Minister held a review meeting with officials of the Skill Development Corporation at his Undavalli residence on Thursday. He noted that there is strong demand in Europe, Germany, and Italy for professions such as nursing, welding, trucking, and construction work. He urged officials to provide language training to students who have completed nursing, ITI, and polytechnic courses so that they can secure employment abroad.

The Minister suggested studying the Kerala model for nursing placements and focusing on job opportunities available in Europe and GCC countries. He advised that skill training should be aligned with this demand. Officials informed him that 2,774 nursing candidates across the state are currently undergoing foreign language training under OMCAP. They also said that an MoU has been signed with DEFA and TELC (The European Language Certification) to establish a German Language Assessment Centre in the state.

He reviewed the Skill Portal and said data from 23 departments had been integrated. He directed officials to align the workforce with the requirements of 4,639 large and medium-scale industries currently operating in the state. He emphasized that when the portal is launched next month, all employment-related information must be made fully accessible to youth.

He instructed officials to initiate mission-mode actions for the development of 83 government is across the state. Officials informed him that proposals worth Rs. 322 crore had been prepared for upgrading infrastructure and modernization works. While admissions in it is have increased, there is a shortage of staff, they said. He stated that Andhra Pradesh should emerge as the number one state under the PM Viksit Bharat Rojgar Yojana and PM Internship schemes. He also directed officials to improve curriculum, testing, internships, certifications, and placements in it is.

Discussions were held on the possibilities of ITI upgradation under the PM Setu scheme. Officials brought to the minister’s notice that 646 teaching and 2,183 non-teaching posts in 87 polytechnics remain vacant. He instructed that successful models from across the country be studied to enhance the functioning of polytechnic colleges.

He further said that under the hub-and-spoke model, plans should be quickly prepared to develop three hubs in Visakhapatnam, Anantapur, and Chittoor districts, connecting 13 spokes with it is. He added that ArcelorMittal Nippon Steel’s subsidiary, NAMTECH (New Age Makers’ Institute of Technology), has come forward to set up a skill training center in Andhra Pradesh.