Kerala to participate in IndiaSkills 2021 Regional Competition

KOCHI:
National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC), under the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE), Government of India, will organise the last phase of IndiaSkills 2021 Regional Competition for South in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh.

The two-day competition will gather more than 400 participants from five states—Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Telangana—who will compete in over 50 skills. From Kerala, 78 participants will showcase their talent in the competition. IndiaSkills is the country’s biggest skill competition that enables the youth to showcase their skills, prepares them for a global platform, and gives them an opportunity to participate in the WorldSkills International Competition.

Today, the Southern chapter of IndiaSkills 2021 Regional Competition was announced by Shri Challa Madhusudhan Reddy, Advisor to Government (APSSDC – Skill Development & Training). Shri Konduru Ajay Reddy, Chairman, Andhra Pradesh State Skill Development Corporation (APSSDC), Shri N. Bangara Raju, Managing Director, APSSDC, and Col. Arun Chandel, Senior Head, SMIS Division, Central Ministries and WorldSkills India also graced the event.

The young participants, aged between 19 and 24 years, will compete in a range of skills including painting and decorating, mobile robotics, patisserie and confectionery, health and social care, automobile technology, plumbing and heating, beauty therapy, renewable energy, visual merchandising, cyber security, welding, among others. The skill competitions will be held at 11 Partner Institutes (PIs) situated at various locations in Visakhapatnam.

The opening ceremony of the competition will be held on 1 December at Andhra University Convention Centre, Visakhaptanam and the event will conclude on 4 December with a closing ceremony at the same venue, where the winners of the competition will be felicitated. Following this, the winners of all four Regional Competitions will get an opportunity to exhibit their skills at IndiaSkills Nationals that is scheduled for January 2022. The IndiaSkills Nationals gold and silver medalists in each skill will represent the country at the WorldSkills Competition to be held in Shanghai, China (October 2022).

Challa Madhusudhan Reddy, Advisor to Government (APSSDC – Skill Development & Training), said, “IndiaSkills Competition is a unique platform that provides the youth an opportunity to get exposure to the highest standard of skilling in today’s progressively competitive and rapidly evolving world. I would like to wish success to all the participants and congratulate National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) and the Andhra Pradesh Government for organising this event. I am sure the Southern chapter of IndiaSkills will spur competitiveness among the youth, which is vital for raising skilling standard, improving the country’s skill ecosystem, and making India the skill capital of the world.”

Col. Arun Chandel, Senior Head, SMIS Division, Central Ministries and WorldSkills India said, “We are delighted to witness the last leg of the regional competitions in Visakhapatnam. But this is just the start of the journey of WorldSkills Competition. The determination and perseverance displayed by the candidates from other regions have been inspiring, and I expect the same level of dedication and passion from the participants of South. I wish all the luck to the participating candidates and their respective states.”

Participants for regionals have been selected through competitions organised at the district/cluster and state levels in August-September 2021, which recorded over 250,000 registrations. This year, IndiaSkills Regional Competitions brought 1,500 participants from 26 states/union territories across four regions. Patna, Gandhinagar and Chandigarh successfully completed the Eastern, Western and Northern chapters of IndiaSkills Regionals. Visakhapatnam is ready to host the IndiaSkills Regional Competition – South.

During these competitions, participants get multi-level industry training through boot camps and programs such as project-based training, industry and corporate training, exposure visits to industries, mind coaching, and personality development. NSDC, through its Sector Skill Councils (SSCs) and Partner Institutes, trains the candidates for the competitions and for future endeavors as well.

NSDC has been leading India’s participation at the WorldSkills Competitions. WorldSkills, the gold standard of skill excellence, is a biennial event that records participation from over 80 nations. Skilled and talented youth from across the world compete on the global platform in multiple skills. In the previous edition of WorldSkills held in Kazan, Russia in 2019, India ranked 13 of 63 participating countries. More than 1,350 candidates participated in 56 skills, and team India gave its best-ever performance by winning four medals—one gold, one silver, two bronze medals—along with 15 Medallions of Excellence.