Chandigarh (Balwinder Singh): — Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini on Wednesday directed the Department of Youth Empowerment and Entrepreneurship to modernize all Industrial Training Institute (ITI) workshops across the state by equipping them with contemporary tools. Reviewing the department’s next five-year roadmap under the Haryana Vision-2047 initiative at the Haryana Civil Secretariat, the Chief Minister emphasized updating educational curricula to match current industrial requirements, ensuring immediate employment for graduates and a steady supply of skilled labour for businesses.
Chief Minister Saini noted that while market demands have evolved rapidly, many training institutes continue to follow outdated teaching methodologies, creating a gap between industry needs and graduate skills. To rectify this mismatch, Principal Secretary of the Department of Youth Empowerment and Entrepreneurship, Rajiv Ranjan, announced that a comprehensive infrastructure survey is currently underway. In the first phase, procurement orders worth ₹10 crore have already been placed for state-of-the-art laboratory equipment. The Chief Minister instructed officials to establish formal Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) with leading corporate houses and requested a progress report on these industrial partnerships by the next quarter.
The directive also stresses the regular upskilling of vocational instructors. Chief Minister Saini suggested sending ITI teachers on periodic factory attachments to study modern operational ecosystems firsthand, while inviting corporate experts to deliver guest lectures. While plans for a dedicated state-level Instructor Training Centre in Kurukshetra are finalized, the state will collaborate with Shri Vishwakarma Skill University to initiate teacher training cycles this year. Furthermore, to facilitate verified placements, Saini ordered tracking mechanisms for all candidates who received offer letters during previous job fairs to assess long-term retention.
Addressing global employment avenues, Principal Secretary of the Department of the Future, Amneet P. Kumar, revealed plans to set up specialized international training centres in four districts to prepare local youth for overseas positions. Locations in Karnal and Panchkula have already been finalized, with two more districts being selected. As part of this global outreach, the department is currently negotiating an agreement with commercial vehicle manufacturer Ashok Leyland to train and certify youth to fill an estimated vacancy of 80,000 truck drivers in Canada.
