Environment ministry launches programme to train 5.5 lakh green skilled workers by 2021

New Delhi: The Union Environment Ministry has launched a training programme “Green Skill Development Programme (GSDP)” to train 5.5 lakh green skilled workers by 2021. The training programme will include 30 courses which will train workers in environment and forest sectors in the country.

Environment Minister Harsh Vardhan also launched an app ‘GSDP-ENVIS’ which will help workers throughout the training programme. Vardhan considered this as an ambitious programme that will provide employment and entrepreneurship to the youth of the country.

Last year the project was run on pilot basis in 10 districts of the country in which 154 youths were trained as par taxonomists and biodiversity conservationists and most of them were school dropouts.

“After the pilot project, now we are going to launch GSPD on a large scale and 80,000 youths in the country will be trained at 80 institutions in next one year. The number will be raised to over 2 lakh in the following year and by 2021 a total over 5.5 lakh youths will be trained as green skilled workers,” the minister said

He said that GSDP was likely to become an important programme in the area of skill development in the coming days

“This is our prestigious and ambitious programme that will serve manifold purposes and achieve the aim of skill development campaign that is close to the heart of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi,” he said

The ministry has started 30 courses in environment and forest sectors for the skill development of youth through its Environment Information System (ENVIS) hubs and resource partners as well as other institutions across the country. The admissions in these certified courses will start from July and courses are with the time duration of 80 hours to 560 hours. The app ‘GSDP-ENVIS’ have all the information regarding admissions and further process.

The courses include river Dolphin conservator, water budgeting and auditing, forest fire management, management of small botanical gardens, propagation and management of bamboo, bird identification and basic ornithology, and city environment surveyors among others. The courses are also open for 10th and 12th dropouts.