Bengaluru: The state government is looking to provide guaranteed employment through its new skilling scheme, Nipuna Karnataka, DH has learnt from informed sources. The scheme was approved by the Cabinet on Friday.
The total size of the scheme will be Rs 300 crore, said an official statement on Monday. It is understood that Rs 100 crore will be from the Karnataka government and the rest is likely to come from companies as part of their corporate social responsibility (CSR) funds. TCS, Infosys and Wipro are among the major participating companies in this initiative.
“The amount industry players will spend for this initiative will be lesser than what they would spend individually in skilling their workforce. Hence, we are looking at ensuring guaranteed employment to candidates who enroll in this programme,” said an official aware of the deliberations between the IT/BT department and industry representatives.
Apart from the IT majors, companies such as Bosch Global, Tata Technologies and Capgemini have also been part of discussions with the skilling advisory committee, which was formed by the Siddaramaiah government in August 2023. The deliberations in the panel led to the Nipuna Karnataka scheme.
The panel also saw participation from the Federation of Karnataka Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FKCCI) and educational institutions like Bangalore University and Visvesvaraya Technological University, the official said.
“By aligning our training programmes with industry demands and fostering strong public-private partnerships, we aim to position Karnataka as a global leader in the IT sector while ensuring that our youth are equipped to succeed both locally and globally,” said IT/BT minister Priyank Kharge said in the official statement on Monday.
The Cabinet clearance of the scheme came months after a proposed law which promised quotas to locals in the private sector led to a huge backlash by corporates, including in the IT sector, and industry bodies.
The Nipuna Karnataka scheme is aimed at providing youth with industry-relevant skills in emerging technologies like cyber security, cloud computing, artificial intelligence among others.
However, it is yet to be decided if the skilling will be done through an online or offline mode, given that a standardised procedure has to be applied across Karnataka, the official added.
The person added that the scheme will be implemented in cities and district centres and not at a village or panchayat level. The final details are still being worked out.
The skilling scheme will not just be limited to youth but will also be available for women who take maternity break, making them lose out on relevant skills of the industry, the official confirmed.