Thiruvanthapuram, March 5 : Four lakh youth in Kerala will be skilled in the next three years under the Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY) 4.0, Union Minister of State for Electronics and IT, Rajeev Chandrasekhar, said on Tuesday.

The aim of the PMKVY 4.0 is to focus on future skills, in areas such as additive manufacturing (3D Printing), AI-data quality analyst, drone manufacturing and assembly technician, and electronic hardware assembly operator, among others.

During his address at the Mar Ivanios College here, the minister said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government will ensure that "every young Malayali in Thiruvananthapuram is empowered with future-ready skills".

The minister, who is contesting as the BJP candidate from Thiruvananthapuram in the Lok Sabha elections, also distributed certificates to the students who completed the German Certificate Course designed by the National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC).

"Skills, particularly future skills, have the potential to expand opportunities for young Indians. The 'FutureSkills' programme was devised to provide opportunities to all. As a Malayali, it is disheartening to witness the lack of opportunities in Kerala ' the absence of factories, tech hubs, and investments," Chandrasekhar told the gathering.

"However, we will ensure that there are opportunities for all, to ensure that there are more skills and newer ways to earn for all."

Highlighting how Apple has increased its manufacturing base in India, the minister said: "Apple has set up plants in India and is making iPhones for India and the world. Around 1.3 lakh direct jobs have been created. These plants have come up in states like Karnataka, Tamil Nadu. Why not Kerala?"

Pointing towards the industry leaders from IBM and NXP, he noted: "I am confident, soon you will come to Trivandrum as Young Malayalis will show you what talent they bring to bear in fields of cyber security, AI, semiconductor and electronics design, etc."

Sandeep Patel, Managing Director, IBM India, and South Asia, said that technology is an enabler as well as an equaliser.

'This whole focus on skill development that the minister and our PM Modi have put together is very critical to India today. Skill will make the youth a lot more capable and with our demographic dividend we can truly make India a net exporter of talent to the world," he said.

/IANS