VIJAYAWADA: In a major push to boost employment, Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has directed officials to prioritise skill development programmes with a clear target of creating 20 lakh jobs for youth.

He emphasised that skill training must align with emerging technological advancements and global industry requirements to ensure employability.

During a comprehensive review of the Skill Development Department on Tuesday, he outlined measures to modernize workforce training. He instructed officials to leverage Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the State's Skill Portal Naipunyam to identify and consolidate job openings not just within Andhra Pradesh but across India and international markets.

The portal will also feature an automated resume builder, generating professional profiles for registered candidates based on their qualifications.

To directly link job seekers with employers, the government will organise large-scale job fairs, with an immediate target of facilitating 1,500 placements per constituency this year. The State government has already secured commitments for Rs 9.5 lakh crore in industrial investments, which are projected to create 8.5 lakh jobs.

To maximise these opportunities, Naidu stressed the importance of conducting skill gap analyses for IT graduates to better align training with industry needs, expanding apprenticeship programmes across all sectors to provide hands-on experience, and incorporating soft skills training alongside technical education to enhance employability.

As part of the Swarnandhra 2047 development plan, the government is rolling out a comprehensive skill development framework aimed at nurturing a future-ready workforce. This initiative begins with the introduction of vocational training from Class 6, helping students build foundational competencies from an early age.

To ensure that skills education is practical and industry-relevant, the government is strengthening collaborations between educational institutions and industry partners.

Additionally, the adoption of the National Skill Qualification Framework (NSQF) will help standardise training quality across AP, ensuring consistency, credibility, and alignment with national benchmarks.

Skill Development Minister Nara Lokesh detailed the State's innovative cluster-based training model, which tailors programmes to regional economic strengths. To support this initiative, the government has established partnerships with 162 industries for ITI training, and signed 63 MoUs with polytechnic institutes.