CHENNAI: During the third anniversary celebrations of the Naan Mudhalvan scheme on Tuesday, Chief Minister M K Stalin launched a new initiative, the Vetri Nichayam (sure success) scheme, aimed at providing free short-term skill training for unemployed youth aged 18 to 35.
The state government has allocated Rs 100 crore for the first phase, which targets training 75,000 youngsters in the coming year in collaboration with top training institutes and companies to help them get jobs.
Under the initiative, skill training will be offered across 38 industrial sectors through 165 courses, delivered via over 500 training institutes. A dedicated mobile application, Skill Wallet, has been launched for the scheme to help youth access information on training programmes and employment opportunities.
Apart from covering all the training costs, special focus will be provided to youth from socially and economically-backward communities, including disabled persons, tribals, Sri Lankan Tamils, those from fisher community, minorities, youth from Tamil Nadu Urban Habitat Development Board tenements and sanitary workers.
Youngsters, whose families are already covered under various other government schemes, will also be identified and enlisted for the training session under Vetri Nichayam.
3 lakh placed in top companies through Naan Mudhalvan: CM
Industry partners for the scheme include ZF Rane TVS Supply Chain, MRF, Saint Gobain, TI Murugappa Groups, Brakes India, Tech Mahindra Foundation, Tata Electronics, LG, Ashok Leyland, Apollo, Amazon Web Services and Tally. The scheme includes foreign language training, including German, for international employment opportunities.
The CM had launched the Naan Mudhalvan scheme on March 1, 2022, which trained 1.3 million students in its first year. Speaking at the event, Stalin said that 41 lakh students have benefitted through the programme. The scheme has also helped more than three lakh youth to get placed in companies, including Infosys, HCLTech, LTI Mindtree, Valeo RDC Concrete, Tech Mahindra, ADP, Embed UR, HL Mando, FastenX, Adroit Tech and Stellantis, said a press release.
Initially launched in engineering colleges, Naan Mudhalvan was expanded to arts, science colleges, polytechnics and industrial training institutes. Training was provided to youth to help them upskill through leading private companies. The SCOUT component provides professional training opportunities in the UK, Japan and South Korea.
He also distributed appointment orders to scheme graduates who secured employment.
The CM also launched the registration for the TN Skills Competitions 2025 through which participants to the WorldSkills Shanghai 2026 will be selected.