Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has instructed education officials to include vocational education in the school curriculum.

He has suggested the inclusion of trades related to One District One Product (ODOP) - the flagship scheme of the Yogi government -at every level of school education.

According to the government spokesman, the chief minister insisted that a skilled workforce is an asset and a prerequisite for sustainable economic development.

"Schools should shortlist trades based on local needs. The focus should be on the service, manufacturing, and agriculture sector," he said during a NEP review meeting.

This will serve a dual purpose. First, the state will have a skilled resources. Secondly, the indigenous products under ODOP will get a major boost with better quality and innovation for youth to take up the profession.

For this, students will be given the training to make them job-ready through a joint project under the Skill Development Mission Program, and the secondary education department. Free certification courses would be conducted every working day during school hours.

The chief minister further said that NEP has marked a revolutionary change in the education industry, shifting the focus from certificate and degree-based to learning and skill-based education. Through vocational education at the school level, elaborate efforts will be made to fill skill gaps.

The government is focused on equipping youth with employable and entrepreneurial skills so that they can cope with a changing world and also become active agents of positive changes.

Along with schools, Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) too will introduce courses as per the requirement of the ODOP.

Through this, the youth will be trained based on the product industry of the district. Students will be able to get jobs by doing apprenticeships in the same industry and will also be able to start their work. (AA/IANS)