Speaking at an industry interaction organised by FICCI, Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Chief Minister, Madhya Pradesh, informed that the Government of Madhya Pradesh's 'Mukhya Mantri Seekho Kamao Yojana (MMSKY)' is a win-win for both job seekers and the industry.  

The Government of Madhya Pradesh has launched the 'Mukhya Mantri Seekho Kamao Yojana (MMSKY)' to create jobs and address the skills gap industries face.  

"We want the youth of Madhya Pradesh to learn and work at your enterprises," said Shri Chouhan as he urged the industry to create opportunities for the youth to work as student trainees. The government will provide up to 75 per cent of the stipend to student-trainees, Shri Chouhan added. 

Smt Yashodhara Raje Scindia, Minister for Sports & Youth Welfare and Technical Education, Skill Development & Employment, announced today that the Government of Madhya Pradesh is on track to inaugurate a vast Global Skills Park in Bhopal in September this year. The educational complex spread over 34 acres and boasting nearly 90,000 square feet of building space, will significantly enhance the region's technical education and employment sectors. 

The Global Skills Park, situated in the heart of Bhopal, will initially comprise academic buildings and centres of excellence dedicated to nine different trades. These centres will play a pivotal role in equipping the youth with employable skills and competencies to meet the growing demands of the dynamic global and local industries. The first year alone will see 6,000 students graduate, Minister Smt Scindia added.  

Shri Manu Srivastava, Additional Chief Secretary, Department of Technical Education, Skill Development, and Employment, alluded to the features of the Mukhyamantri Seekho Kamao Yojana (MMSKY) scheme.  

The scheme, designed to facilitate on-the-job training, aims to empower young individuals by providing them with more than 750 courses spanning sectors from manufacturing to retail. The primary objective is to prepare the youth for better job opportunities through training, backed by government-supported stipends, making it the most generous state-led initiative of its kind. 

The youth of the state will gain an ability to earn while they learn, readying themselves for better jobs, said Srivastava. "We have a target of around one lakh, but funds are available to go beyond this," he added. 

The MMSKY stands unique in its structure. It provides apprentices, referred to as 'student trainees', with the opportunity to learn on the job without any classroom component. Stipends for student trainees are determined based on the minimum prescribed qualification for the course, not individual qualifications. Businesses have the flexibility to participate from inside or outside the state, with their student apprentice workforce capped at 15% of their total employees, based on EPFO data. Shri Srivastava emphasised, "Any company, any form of proprietorship or company trust, anything from the state or outside the state, can participate in the scheme." 

The scheme is also a boon for businesses, allowing them to save 75 per cent of the stipend per month on on-the-job training, with annual savings potentially reaching up to Rs 90,000 per student trainee. Further, their expenditure on the scheme can be classified as Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). 

The robust platform MMSKY offers has already seen over 11,000 applications from establishments, with more than 6,000 vacancies created, and over 50,000 students have registered within just a day and a half of opening student registrations.