A dedicated Skill Connect unit embedded within Invest UP - the state's nodal mechanism to translate investor demand into structured talent pipelines.
Status: Active - Phase 2 (Pilot & Validate, Months 4–12)
6-step operating model:
The KCC operates as a closed-loop feedback system ensuring skilling interventions are driven by real market intelligence.
An independent, credible assessment system that works for both industry and candidates — delivered through NCVET-accredited Centres of Excellence.
Assessments-on-Demand: Any candidate. Any trade. Any NSQF level. Preferred location. No mandatory training enrolment required.
Gold Certificate: Issued by the CoE, not the training institution. Nationally recognised mark of competence. Tells employers what a candidate can do, not where they studied.
End-to-end process: CoE Recognition → Assessor Verification → Candidate Books AoD via SIDH Portal → Independent Assessment → Gold Certificate Issued → Industry verifies digitally → Hired with confidence, no additional trade test needed.
Status: Pilot design and implementation with NCVET underway. Field visits to ITIs completed. Industry consultations in progress.
Workstream 1 — PM-NAM: Three scenarios designed for MSDE: Unified Portal (federated architecture), Joint Governance (national steering committee), Full Institutional Convergence (MSDE-led). National reform roadmap delivered. Input to NITI Aayog's Apprenticeship Act report provided.
Workstream 2 — MSME Pilot Strategy: Three-pillar approach (Awareness, Technology, Incentives). MSME workshop insights captured. GTO/cluster-based models prioritised. Kudumbashree pilot in Kerala: 3 districts, 3.3K SHG enterprises, 13K apprentices, 8+ sectors — with Sambhav Foundation, WorkSetu, LabourNet.
Workstream 3 — State Hiring Pilot (UP): Dixon pilot (May 2026): 190 hires from 345 attendees (55% conversion). Repeatable hiring playbook being built for scale.
Job Data Lab vision: STEP as the ecosystem anchor that integrates India's fragmented labour market intelligence — 15 organisations identified, 20+ datasets mapped, 5 collaborator pathways identified (Sambhav Foundation, FRSN + KREA University, Future of India Foundation, ONEST, Invest UP Pilots).
Phased approach: Phase 1 (assess ecosystem) → Phase 2 (pilot methodologies) → Phase 3 (institutionalise intelligence into routine skilling planning)
District Demand Planning (MSDE-commissioned): Piloted in Baghpat (UP) and Bharatpur (Rajasthan). 4-pillar framework: Demand, Supply, Training Infrastructure, Institutional Mechanism. Phase 1 landscape scan complete — strong buy-in from district administrations secured.