Set up career guidance centre of excellence, recommends Karnataka task force

Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], December 1(ANI): The task force formed under 'Mission Yuva Samruddhi' which is to create 1 crore employments in 5 years has recommended on Wednesday to set up 'Karnataka Career Guidance Center of Excellence' akin to KDEM (Karnataka Digital Economy Mission).
In a meeting chaired by C N Ashwatha Narayana, Minister for IT/BT and Skill Development, the task force submitted the interim report and stated, the final report will be ready in ten days.
This independent body has the objective of improving the employability and skillsets of youth.
The task force has felt the need for 'Karnataka Career Guidance Center of Excellence's, there is no systematic career guidance in state as of now. Multiple models are in existence and there is a need to create a common framework for career guidance from school to college to employment, it has pointed out.
The task force has recommended focusing on imparting digital Skills and creating entrepreneurial mindsets, providing career Information and guidance, youth incubation, creating entrepreneurial ecosystems @ Districts, agriculture and agri-Tech, Minister Narayana has told.
"To impart digital skills and 21st-century skills framework at the stage of Class 6-12, it has suggested to launch YW NXT & YuWaah Skills, a national level initiative across the state and to facilitate this, Department of Education/ PU Board/ ITIs should sign MOUs with UNICEF. Digital Skills for PUC/Vocational Students should be piloted in Kalika Kendras set up by RDPR at Gram Panchayats", he explained.
An eight-credit course on entrepreneurship development at the graduation level under NEP should be introduced and VTU/KSHEC should create a working group to create a curriculum and institutionalize this across all Universities.
Minister further told, "With regard to creating Entrepreneurial Ecosystems @ Districts Enterprise Facilitation Centers(EFC) will be set up in 5 districts of Bengaluru Rural, Raichur, Dakshina Kannada, Mysuru and Koppala. Enterprise Facilitation Center (EFC) and the advisory committee should be constituted in all 5 districts where CEDOK (Center for Entrepreneurship Development of Karnakata) will be the host of the EFCs supported by UNDP."
To promote Agriculture and Agri-Tech, it has been told to link FPOs to agri-tech companies to boost the demand. It has also suggested to leveraging SHGs to create market linkage and launch a state-wide Agripreneurship Challenge for youth and to provide incubation support. The task has felt 650 FPOs need to be analysed by deploying local MBA students to do an internship (of 3-6 months) and to build the capacity of these FPOs through structured interventions.
Madan Padaki, Associate Coordinator of the task force, Selva Kumar, Chief of the task force, Ashwin Gowda, MD, KSDC, Prashanth Prakash, Chairperson, State Vision Group for Startups and P.Pradeep, Associate Coordinator of the task force and Commissioner, DCTE were present. (ANI)