Mahbubnagar: Social activist Khalid Naveed has urged unemployed Muslim youth to take full advantage of government skill development schemes to secure livelihoods and contribute to community progress.

Highlighting how youth are being deprived of employment due to lack of proper skills, Naveed said particularly youth from Muslim community, despite constituting over 200 million citizens, continues to face economic exclusion due to limited access to vocational training, unorganized manufacturing sectors, and social stigmas. “Skill development is the key to breaking this cycle,” he stressed.

Government initiatives such as Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY), Jan Shikshan Sansthan (JSS), and Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Grameen Kaushalya Yojana (DDU-GKY) are offering free courses with placement assistance in trades like mobile repair, digital marketing, electrical work, refrigeration servicing, and para-medical services. “These certifications enhance employability and restore dignity, especially for young men who might otherwise remain unemployed or in low-paying jobs,” Naveed noted.

He highlighted the growing participation of Muslim women, with JSS centres training them in fashion design, office management, beautician work, and soft skills. “Women once confined to domestic roles are now becoming income earners and even employers,” he said, citing Hyderabad’s cooperatives of women supplying garments to e-commerce platforms.

Naveed emphasized that skilled youth are also emerging as entrepreneurs, aligning with Start-up India and Make in India missions. However, he cautioned that language barriers, digital illiteracy, and social biases must be addressed through culturally relevant outreach.

“Government schemes are opportunities waiting to be seized,” stressed Naveed, urging youth to take advantage of various state and Central government skill development schemes.