Skills to rev up economic growth engine in Andhra

 Amaravati: Andhra Pradesh has placed skill development at the core of its strategy for economic growth, aligning education, industry demand, and global labour markets to position the State as a major reservoir of future-ready talent. With a sharp focus on aspiration-led skilling, industry partnerships, and technology-driven governance, the state government is building what it calls an “end-to-end employability ecosystem”.

In 2024–25, the State trained 4.10 lakh youth across skilling and employability programmes, conducted 2.10 lakh assessments, and issued 1.88 lakh certificates. According to officials, the State facilitated 1.45 lakh placements through job-linked initiatives. More than 1,480 job fairs were held across all 175 Assembly constituencies, featuring nearly one lakh job opportunities, while structured pathways for overseas employment were also rolled out.

The overall strategy covers the entire learning and career lifecycle, from early skill exposure in schools to international mobility. Vocational education has been integrated with curriculum from VI class onwards, involving 1,599 schools and 744 junior colleges that offer NSQF-aligned programmes, supported by on-the-job training and internships. Higher education institutions are being linked more closely to employability through add-on skill courses and industry-backed curricula.

Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) and polytechnics have emerged the pillars of the skills-led movement. Government ITIs are reporting 98 per cent seat utilisation, strong industry partnerships, and near-total placement outcomes through campus drives and apprenticeship melas. Polytechnics have seen a sharp improvement in admissions and placements, with nearly 95 per cent of students placed in 2024- 25, alongside curriculum upgrades in areas such as AI, quantum computing, and automation.

A cluster-based skilling model is aligning training with regional economic strengths, from drones and green energy in Rayalaseema to aquaculture, IT, food processing and port logistics across coastal and urban belts. Short-term, market-driven skilling is being delivered through revived skill hubs in every constituency, with Andhra Pradesh ranking among the top performers nationally under the Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana 4.0 (PMKVY 4.0).

International mobility is another focus area. Nursing and healthcare professionals are being trained for Germany and GCC markets, engineers have secured placements in Japan, and ITI-level centres of excellence are being aligned to global skill shortages. To date, over 22,500 youth have been covered under safe migration and overseas career awareness programmes.

Underpinning the entire framework is Naipunyam, an AI-powered digital platform that integrates skilling, certification, placement and analytics, providing real-time tracking of a candidate’s learning and career lifecycle.

Looking ahead to 2025–26, the State plans to scale quality benchmarks, deepen global partnerships, and expand international placements, reinforcing Andhra Pradesh’s ambition to emerge as a national and global hub for skilled, employable talent.