Bengaluru, Nov 4 Karnataka Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Wednesday stressed the importance of skill development alongside formal education, saying skills should pave the way for employment, income and earning respect.
Speaking at the ‘Bengaluru Skill Summit-2026’ here, he said the state was aiming to become a one-trillion-dollar economy by 2032 and that a skilled workforce was essential to achieving the goal.
“In life, one needs both ‘Rajayoga’ and skills. Along with an academic degree, skills are of paramount importance. Skills should pave the way for employment, income, and earning respect,” he said.
He observed that education provides knowledge, while skills transform that knowledge into opportunities, income, and earn respect.
“If we equip the youth of today with skills, the future of Karnataka will rest in their hands,” he added.
Shivakumar said 65 per cent of Karnataka’s population was below 35 years of age, describing the young population as both an advantage and a responsibility.
“1.3 million IT professionals are working in the ‘Silicon Valley’, and a total of 2.6 million people are employed in Bengaluru. This is Karnataka’s strength,” he said.
He said around 550 Global Capability Centres (GCCs) were currently operational in Karnataka and the government was targeting the establishment of another 500 centres by 2029, creating 3.5 lakh jobs.
“We are not just preparing our youth for jobs; we are preparing them for the world of tomorrow,” he said.
The chief minister said the Karnataka State Skill Development Policy 2025-32 aimed to reach around 30 lakh beneficiaries over the next seven years, with a proposed investment of approximately Rs 5,000 crore.
According to him, the policy seeks to strengthen institutions, promote vocational education, preserve traditional skills, encourage lifelong learning and equip young people with future-ready skills.
“Vocational skill education should be the first choice for our youth, not merely a fallback option chosen when no other path remains,” he said.
Shivakumar recalled the government had constituted a Skill Development Vision Group to guide the state’s future skill development initiatives, with Subroto Bagchi, co-founder of Mindtree, agreeing to chair it.
He said several eminent personalities from industry, education and skill development had joined the committee.
Bagchi had led skill development initiatives in Odisha, built institutions and empowered the youth there, he said.
“We are not here to merely replicate an existing model. Instead, we aim to build a unique ‘Karnataka Model’, one that others might wish to study,” he added.
Under the Chief Minister’s Skill Karnataka Scheme 2.0, the government has integrated training, Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL), special schemes, job placement assistance and digital governance into a unified framework.
“The objective is to train seven lakh candidates over a period of seven years, with approximately 75,000 candidates receiving short-term training annually,” he said.
Shivakumar also announced an incentive of Rs 2,500 per month for every job created by enterprises outside Bengaluru.
“Talent exists in every village; it is our duty to identify and foster it,” he said, adding that the ‘My Career, My Choice’ scheme was helping students understand career options and make informed decisions.
Pointing to the gap between formal education and employment, Shivakumar said 30,000 engineering seats had remained vacant in Karnataka this year, while medical seats had also gone unfilled. The state has more than 250 engineering colleges, he said.
“There are ITI and GTTC colleges. Over one lakh paramedical students graduate in the state. Many engineering graduates come to me seeking employment; even at Infosys, many are unable to secure jobs. Skill development must be the solution to this,” he said.
The CM said the government’s objective was to help young people acquire industry-relevant skills alongside formal education and prepare them for opportunities in Karnataka, across the country and globally.
(PTI News)
