The government's Skill Development Initiative to give vocational training to 10 lakh people in the next five years has taken off well and close to two and a half lakh people have been trained so far under the scheme,Home Minister P Chidambaram said in New Delhi on Thursday. In 2007,the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs had approved the scheme with an outlay of Rs 550 crore to train 10 lakh people in five years and 10 lakh more every year thereafter. Under the scheme,about 4,093 high quality vocational training providers have been empanelled across the country. Chidambaram,who then held the finance portfolio,said the CCEA had been informed that "the skill development scheme has taken off well and about 2,40,650 persons have been trained so far under the scheme." The minister was speaking on the basis of a compliance report presented to the CCEA. As per the report,around 450 'Modular Employable Skill' courses have been designed in the last two years. Out of the 450 courses,28 relates to Information and Communication Technology.
