Visakhapatnam: 'IndiaSkills 2021' regional competition gets underway

Visakhapatnam: IndiaSkills Competition will inspire many young Indians to develop a passion for skills, pursue excellence and look for an opportunity to represent India on the global stage, Minister for Industries and Commerce Mekapati Goutham Reddy said.

Addressing the gathering at the last phase of IndiaSkills 2021 regional competition commenced at Andhra University Convention Centre in Visakhapatnam on Wednesday, he said the competition fulfils the objective of motivating the youth to pursue vocational education and training (VET), creating a robust partnership network along with building a healthy association with WorldSkills International and other member countries.

Organised by the National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC), under the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE), Government of India, the platform enabled the youth to showcase their skills and empower themselves for a global platform.

Bringing 400 contestants together from five states -- Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Telangana across southern India, the two-day competition aims to cover over 50 skills such as visual merchandising, web technologies, bricklaying, bakery, fashion designing, mobile robotics, 3D digital game art, among others.

Speaking on the occasion, director of WorldSkills India Prakash Sharma said that IndiaSkills competition has been boosting confidence of the youth and encouraging them to pursue their passion. It connects people and communities and enables the cause of skilling, he stated.

Participants for regional-level events were selected through competitions organised at the district/cluster and state levels held in August-September 2021 which saw a registration of over 2.50 lakh registrations. This year, IndiaSkills Regional Competitions brought 1,500 participants from 26 states/union territories across four regions -- Patna, Gandhinagar and Chandigarh. Meanwhile, Visakhapatnam is ready to host the IndiaSkills Regional Competition – South.

The winners will enter IndiaSkills Nationals, a gateway to the WorldSkills International Competition to be held in Shanghai, China in October 2022.

G Jaya Lakshmi, Principal Secretary, Information Technology, Electronics and Communication, Skill Development & Training (I/C), A Mallikarjun, District Collector, PVGD Prasad Reddy, Vice-Chancellor, Andhra University, Konduru Ajay Reddy, chairman, APSSDC, N Bangara Raju, managing director, APSSDC, and Col Arun Chandel, senior head, SMIS Division, Central Ministries and WorldSkills India attended the event.