Ktaka plans to provide skills to 1.88 cr youth: Deshpande

Karnataka Industries Minister R V Deshpande today said the state aspires to provide skills to 1.88 crore youth between 2017 and 2030, with an annual target of 13.4 lakh existing workforce and new entrants.

"It matters for all countries, but especially for us whose demographic dividend offers a great opportunity with 2.12 crore persons in the age group of 16-35 years.

"We aspire to skill 1.88 crore youth during the period 2017-2030, with an annual skill target of 13.4 lakh existing workforce and new entrants," he said addressing Bengaluru Tech Summit 2017 here.

He also said the government's aim was to nurture Karnataka's knowledge and innovation-driven economy and become a state of job creators, instead of being a state of job seekers.

"Therefore, let's learn and build together in Karnataka and enable the entrepreneurial and innovative spirit in each one of us shine," he said.

So far, investing in physical capital has been an important part of Karnataka's growth success, but a new wave of growth could come from investing in what economists call "human capital".

Karnataka has a formidable combination of highly skilled workforce, advanced technical and technological expertise and entrepreneurial mindset driven by innovation and an open confident cultural milieu, he said.

United Nations has ranked Bengaluru as the fourth largest technology cluster in the world after Silicon Valley, Boston, and London, Deshpande noted.

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