Dehradun: The state government will prepare a comprehensive action plan to make the youth of Uttarakhand proficient in foreign languages and connect them with employment opportunities both nationally and internationally. Chief Secretary Anand Bardhan held a meeting with concerned departments at the Secretariat on Wednesday and directed that foreign language training be developed as a skill development program. The plan will cover school students, Industrial Training Institute (ITI) students, youth in the medical and nursing sectors, as well as other interested individuals.
The Chief Secretary directed the Personnel and Finance departments to coordinate with concerned departments to prepare a holistic proposal. He instructed the Education Department to formulate a plan to offer training in foreign languages other than English across all Atal Utkrisht Vidyalayas and Rajiv Navodaya Vidyalayas in the state. Emphasis was placed on conducting training through both direct (offline) and online modes.
Foreign language training programs currently run by the Skill Development and Employment Office in Dehradun, Almora, and Bageshwar will be expanded statewide. Under this initiative, training centers are planned in every district, and Skill Development Department Centers of Excellence will also be integrated. The Chief Secretary instructed that training programs be tailored to real employment demand and aligned with relevant agencies to connect trained youth with available opportunities in India and abroad.
Emphasis was also laid on ensuring training quality and providing recognized certificates to the youth. The Chief Secretary suggested utilizing the services of students studying foreign languages at Doon University for these training programs. Directions were also issued to arrange academic credits or other incentives for students imparting training.
Preparations are also underway to involve nursing students in this initiative. Instructing the inclusion of foreign languages in the nursing curriculum, the Chief Secretary noted that around 600 young people are currently receiving training in state government nursing colleges. Knowledge of foreign languages could open up new employment opportunities for them.
The meeting was attended by Secretaries Dilip Jawalkar, Dr. Ranjit Kumar Sinha, Vinay Shankar Pandey, Jyoti Yadav; Vice-Chancellor of Doon University Prof. Surekha Dangwal; Additional Secretary Manuj Goyal; and other concerned officials.
