Goa has launched a state-backed drive to skill and upskill 12,000 young people over the next 12 months, with the government promising free training and 100% placement support through courses offered under the Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Grameen Kaushalya Yojana (DDU-GKY) 2.0.
Chief Minister Pramod Sawant announced the target at the Yuva Kaushal Mahotsav, organised by the Department of Rural Development to promote skill development, career opportunities and employment. He said 24 institutes had been empanelled to conduct three-month and six-month courses for young people who have not completed their education or want to upgrade their existing skills.
The courses will cover tourism, hospitality, banking and retail, with participants receiving Government of India-approved certificates. Training will be available at two locations in each taluka, according to the announcement.
The programme is intended to include young people who have not completed the Secondary School Certificate, those who completed Class VIII and are currently not studying or working, and people who have completed Industrial Training Institute courses. The state government will bear the cost of course fees, uniforms and travel allowances, Sawant said.
The Chief Minister said Goa has employment opportunities in the pharmaceutical, manufacturing, hospitality and shipbuilding sectors. He also urged young people to consider private-sector employment, noting that government jobs would not be available to everyone. “I want to ensure that 100% Goans get employed,” Sawant said, adding that young people should be prepared to work in the private sector.
Sawant said the institutes conducting the programme would ensure 100% job placement. He also encouraged participants to take up available jobs within Goa and said work experience would be considered if they later applied for government positions.
The announcement places the state’s employment effort within a broader rural skilling framework. Through DDU-GKY 2.0, Goa aims to reach 9,000 rural youth during 2026–27 to improve access to employment opportunities. The wider 12,000-person target announced by the Chief Minister covers the coming 12 months.
The programme’s implementation will depend on the 24 empanelled institutes enrolling eligible candidates, delivering the approved courses and connecting trainees with employers. The state has not disclosed in the announcement how many placements have already been secured, the employer-wise demand for trained workers or the mechanism that will be used to verify the promised placement rate.
