"Skilling Must Be Aligned With Industry Needs, Job Market", Jayant Chaudhary

Union Minister Jayant Chaudhary emphasised the need for skilling activities to be closely aligned with industry and job market demands during the inauguration of the Airbus-Tata Strive skill development centre. The Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Minister also encouraged deeper collaborations between companies and higher education institutions.

"Skilling must be fully aligned with industry needs, job market requirements, and the labor market. It should build upon what is already established in India," Chaudhary stated.

Addressing reporters, he discussed the increasing migration from rural to urban areas, noting that not everyone finds employment. In light of this, the minister advocated for fostering entrepreneurial skills among the youth.

The newly launched centres in Delhi and Bengaluru will offer courses in Information Technology (IT) sectors such as cybersecurity, ethical hacking, web design, and cloud computing, in addition to youth development modules aimed at improving soft skills and enhancing employability in IT and related fields. Tata Strive will design the curriculum, aiming to prepare a future-ready workforce with both national and global demand.

According to Airbus, the Airbus-Tata Strive centres aim to upskill more than 900 youths from economically disadvantaged backgrounds over the next three years. As part of Airbus' efforts to bolster India's aerospace ecosystem, Rmi Maillard, President and Managing Director of Airbus India and South Asia, said, “Airbus is deeply committed to nurturing talent and equipping them with the right skills.”

He added that Airbus is also collaborating with top Indian universities and engineering schools to ensure a continuous supply of qualified professionals for the country’s economy. The partnership began in 2022 with a pilot project that successfully trained 199 youths, 60 per cent of whom are now employed. Due to the pilot’s success, the two organisations extended their collaboration to address the urgent need for youth skilling in India, focusing on employment, entrepreneurship and community enterprise.

Tata Strive is a skill development initiative of the Tata Community Initiatives Trust, established in 2014.