Union Government set up NSDA for Skilled Work Force

Union government of India set up a National Skill Development Agency (NSDA) to meet the growing need for skilled work force in both the public and private sectors. The NSDA will coordinate and harmonize the efforts of public and private sector to achieve the targets of the 12th Plan and beyond. Under the 12th plan 82 lakh skilled workforce is to be created while the National Policy on Skill Development aims at producing a 500 million skilled workforce by the year 2022.

The NSDA has been formed by integrating the Prime Minister’s National Council on Skill Development, the National Skill Development Coordination Board and the Office of the Adviser to the PM on Skill Development.

The NSDA will endeavour to bridge the social, regional, gender and economic divide by ensuring that the skilling needs of the disadvantaged and marginalised groups like SCs, STs, OBCs, minorities, women and differently-abled persons are taken care of through the various skill development programmes. It will also develop and monitor an overarching framework for skill development, anchor the National Skills Qualifications Framework (NSQF) and facilitate the setting-up of professional certifying bodies in addition to the existing ones. The NSDA will be an autonomous body chaired by a person of the rank and status of a Cabinet Minister supported by a Director General and other staff. The office of the NSDA is located in the Ministry of Finance.