Bengaluru, 25 Sept

The Karnataka Cabinet approved the State’s first-ever Skill Development Policy 2025–2032, which aims to position Karnataka as a premier hub for skilled talent and drive its vision of becoming a $1 trillion economy by 2032.

A key highlight of the policy is the integration of vocational education into schools, colleges, and universities through credit-based programmes.

The policy leverages digital technologies and AI-driven tools for training, assessment, and career guidance through a unified digital portal.  It also aimed to enhance international workforce mobility by facilitating global certifications, migration support, and specialised training.

The State had no formal skill development policy until now.

“The absence of a policy framework meant that skilling efforts were often fragmented across multiple departments.” Dr. Sharanprakash Patil, Minister for Medical Education, Skill Development, Entrepreneurship & Livelihood said in a statement.  “(This) policy addresses this gap by aligning skilling with education, employment, and industry requirements.”

Five per cent of the schemes budget was earmarked for a monitoring and evaluation (M&E) framework.

Other notable features include “strong industry collaboration through apprenticeships, industry-led training, and ITI adoption, special interventions for women, persons with disabilities, marginalised communities, the urban poor, and the informal workforce” and an “expansion of GTTCs, and setting up rural and urban skilling hubs,” a release said.