The Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE), Government of India, organised a programme on ‘Skilling for International Mobility & PM-SETU’ in Guwahati today, announcing strategic partnerships with the Government of Assam for setting up of SIIC and signing Letters of Intent (LoIs) for two ITI clusters at Jorhat and Tinsukhia under the Pradhan Mantri Skilling and Employability Transformation through Upgraded ITIs (PM-SETU) scheme.
The LoIs were signed for the Jorhat and Tinsukhia ITI clusters, supported by Numaligarh Refinery Limited (NRL) and Oil India Limited (OIL), respectively. The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship and the Government of Assam was exchanged for setting up of SIIC. These partnerships aim to strengthen industry participation and promote industry-led transformation of the vocational education and training ecosystem in the region.
The programme placed special focus on the Tourism and Hospitality sector and brought together senior representatives of the Central and Assam Governments, industry stakeholders and the skilling ecosystem to deliberate on strengthening the North-Eastern Region’s skilling infrastructure, expanding international employment opportunities for its youth and transforming Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) through industry participation.
Focus on Tourism and Hospitality, Global Employment Opportunities
The programme highlighted the immense potential of the North-Eastern Region in tourism and hospitality, particularly in view of the growing demand for skilled professionals in domestic and international markets.
Discussions focused on aligning skill development programmes with emerging industry requirements, international standards and opportunities for global workforce mobility.
Delivering the keynote address, Jayant Chaudhary, Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship and Minister of State for Education, Government of India, highlighted the importance of aligning India’s skilling architecture with the changing requirements of industry and the global economy.
He emphasised that initiatives such as PM-SETU aim to bring industry closer to skill development and training, ensuring that ITIs evolve into modern, demand-driven institutions capable of preparing young people for emerging opportunities.
“India’s strength lies in the aspirations and capabilities of its youth. Through PM-SETU, we are working towards transforming our ITIs into modern, industry-responsive institutions that equip young people with skills relevant to the future of work. The North-Eastern Region has enormous potential, particularly in tourism and hospitality, and our endeavour is to ensure that its youth are not only prepared for opportunities within the country but are also equipped to participate confidently in the global workforce.”
Assam Highlights Industry-Relevant Skilling
Biswajit Daimary, Minister for Skills, Employment and Entrepreneurship, Sports and Youth Welfare, Handloom, Textile and Sericulture, and Indigenous and Tribal Faith and Culture, Government of Assam, in his special remarks, highlighted the importance of equipping the youth of Assam with industry-relevant skills and creating pathways to employment opportunities within India and internationally.
“Assam and the entire North-Eastern Region have tremendous potential in sectors such as tourism and hospitality. Our priority is to ensure that the youth of the region are equipped with the right skills, exposure and opportunities to participate in the emerging global economy. Through stronger collaboration between the Central Government, the State Government and industry, we can build a robust skilling ecosystem that translates the aspirations of our youth into meaningful employment and entrepreneurship opportunities.”
Manasi Sahay Thakur, IAS, Joint Secretary, MSDE, set the context for the programme and highlighted the importance of strengthening institutional and industry partnerships to create a future-ready workforce.
She emphasised the need to connect the region’s youth with emerging employment opportunities through demand-driven skilling and stronger institutional infrastructure.
The CEO of Tourism and Hospitality Skill Council (THSC) spoke about the potential of tourism and hospitality skilling in the North-Eastern Region and the opportunities emerging from the sector’s growth. The CEO highlighted the importance of developing industry-relevant competencies to enhance the employability of youth and prepare them for opportunities in the global hospitality ecosystem.
PM-SETU and International Mobility in Focus
The programme featured a dedicated session on PM-SETU, highlighting opportunities to strengthen the skilling ecosystem in the North-Eastern Region through industry-responsive transformation of ITIs.
The deliberations also covered international mobility and WorldSkills as avenues for expanding opportunities for young people from the North-Eastern Region.
The Government of Assam presented its CM FLIGHT Scheme and the vision for a Global Skill Center, highlighting the State’s efforts to strengthen skill development and connect its workforce with emerging opportunities.
-PIB inputs
