PMKVY Scheme Records Only 7% Placements Despite Training 28.5 Lakh Candidates

The government’s flagship skill development programme, Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY), has reported placements for only a small share of candidates trained under the scheme, raising concerns over the link between skill certification and employment generation.

According to a report by Business Standard citing data available on the PMKVY dashboard, only 200,224 candidates out of 2.85 million trained individuals had secured placements as of August 28.

This translates into a placement rate of around 7%, indicating a significant gap between training numbers and job outcomes.

Launched in 2015, PMKVY aims to provide industry-focused skill training to young Indians and improve their employability.

The scheme has undergone several revisions and is currently part of the broader Skill India Programme, which has an approved allocation of around ₹8,800 crore for the 2022-23 to 2025-26 period.

The latest version, PMKVY 4.0, has received an allocation of around ₹6,000 crore.

The dashboard data also shows that of the 3.54 million candidates enrolled under different phases of the scheme, more than 683,000 were classified as dropouts. Around 2.04 million candidates were assessed, while 1.95 million received certification.

Placement performance differed sharply across sectors. Telecom recorded the highest placement rate among major sectors, with 17.5% of trained candidates finding jobs. Handicrafts followed with 14.4%, while apparel reported 13.3%.

However, some sectors saw much lower employment conversion. Management training recorded placements for only 1.1% of candidates, while automotive and media and entertainment reported placement rates of 3.4% and 3.8%, respectively.

Govt shifts focus beyond placements

Dropout rates were also higher in certain sectors. Media and entertainment recorded the highest dropout share at 26.5%, followed by IT and IT-enabled services at 25.9% and tourism and hospitality at 24.9%.

The government has changed the way outcomes are tracked under PMKVY 4.0. Unlike earlier versions, where placements were a key measure, the latest phase focuses on monitoring candidates for a year after certification to assess employment, further education or additional training.