BANGALORE: With hopes and dreams of making a decent living in the State capital, hundreds of youngsters from rural areas appeared for the trainees selection camp under the Suvarna Kayaka Udyoga Shikshana Yojane on Saturday.

Organised by the State Government in collaboration with the Peenya Industries Association, the job mela succeeded in attracting over 1,000 candidates, mainly from the rural areas of Kolar, Tumkur, Mandya and Bangalore Rural districts.

The opportunity benefited those who have just passed the seventh standard, graduates, those with technical qualification from ITI as well as diploma holders and engineers. They queued up for selection to various posts available in the industries coming under Peenya Industrial Area.

Earlier, Katta Subramanya Naidu, Minister for Medium and Large Industries, said the State Government would hike the stipend for the trainees from Rs. 750 to Rs. 1,250 next year. At present, he said, they were paid Rs. 750 by the Government and a similar amount is matched by the industries.

He said: "The amount should not bother the trainees as they get employment opportunity under the Suvarna Kayaka scheme which facilitates honing of skill sets. We do not expect the candidates to stick to the same job and it is only a platform for further growth."

Thirty centres to impart skills to youngsters will be started shortly and each will train 2,000 candidates a year. Some 173 organisations have come forward to set up such centres, of which the 30 will be short-listed. A matching grant of Rs. 2 crore would be given to the centres apart from Rs. 15 lakh towards training expenditure, he added.

R. Ashok, Minister for Health and Family Welfare, Rajkumar Khathri, Commissioner, Department of Industries and Commerce, KASSIA President R. Prithviraj and Peenya Industries Association President P.S. Srikanta Dutta were present.

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