Dehradun, October 14
Chief Secretary Anand Bardhan chaired a meeting at the Secretariat on Wednesday with concerned departments to discuss providing foreign language training to the youth of the state and creating new employment opportunities. He directed that foreign language training be developed as an extensive skill development program, benefiting school students, ITI trainees, youth from medical and nursing fields, and other interested individuals.
The Chief Secretary instructed the Personnel and Finance Departments to coordinate with relevant departments to prepare a consolidated proposal for the foreign language training program. He emphasized that the initiative should aim to train the youth in line with global employment requirements, thereby enhancing job opportunities.
He further directed that high-quality training programs be designed, accessible both in-person and online. The Education Department was asked to prepare plans for introducing foreign language training, beyond English, in all Atal Utkrisht Vidyalayas and Rajiv Navodaya Vidyalayas.
Currently, foreign language training programs are being run in Dehradun, Almora, and Bageshwar. Bardhan directed that these be expanded across the state, with training centers established in every district. He also instructed that Centers of Excellence under the Skill Development Department be included in the initiative. He stressed the importance of aligning training programs with actual employment demand and maintaining continuous coordination with relevant agencies to connect skilled youth with job opportunities in India and abroad. He also emphasized ensuring recognized certification for trainees.
The Chief Secretary suggested involving students of Doon University who are already studying foreign languages in the training programs. He proposed that such students be incentivized through academic credits or other benefits.
He also directed that foreign languages be incorporated into nursing curricula, noting that approximately 600 students are currently enrolled in government nursing colleges. Providing them with foreign language training would be highly beneficial.
The meeting was attended by Secretary Dilip Jawalkar, Dr. Ranjit Kumar Sinha, Vinay Shankar Pandey, Jyoti Yadav, Doon University Vice-Chancellor Prof. Surekha Dangwal, and Additional Secretary Manuj Goyal.