AP Chief Minister YS Jagan to launch skill development centres at Andhra University

In a bid to equip the unemployed youth with necessary skills, Andhra University will set up two skill development centres – a Maritime Skill Development Centre and an Aquaculture Skill Development Centre-in Visakhapatnam.  As per sources, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy will be inaugurating these two development centres on Friday, 13 December. 

In addition to launching these skill development centres, Chief Minister YS Jagan will also lay the foundation stone for a 45-room hostel block in the engineering campus of Andhra University. 

The Maritime Skill Development Centre is being set up with an estimated budget of Rs 5 crore, to offer post-sea training courses. The infrastructure and simulation equipment required for the institute will be funded by the Hoon Maritime Institute in Kolkata.  

Addressing the media, the Vice-Chancellor of AU, Prof. PVGD Prasada Reddy said, “The absence of post-sea training oriented courses in the state is forcing students to move to other cities. The upcoming Maritime Skill Development Centre will, therefore, be helpful to numerous job aspirants”. 

Earlier in November, AU had signed and exchanged Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) papers with Avanthi Aqua Culture Foundation to establish the Aquaculture Skill Development Centre. Speaking in this regard, Mr Reddy said that apart from training a thousand fishermen in aquaculture and shrimp farming, the centre will also recruit thirty students of AU Marine Living Resources Department, for the next five years as part of the MoU.