PMKVY Data Raises Questions Over Gap Between Skill Training and Jobs

India’s flagship skill development programme has recorded a significant gap between the number of candidates trained and those recorded as placed, according to the latest data available on the Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY) dashboard.

The dashboard showed 2,00,224 placements among 28.5 lakh trained candidates as of August 28, putting the recorded placement rate at around 7 per cent. It also showed 6.83 lakh dropouts across the programme’s tracked data, more than three times the number of candidates recorded as placed. The total number of enrolled candidates stood at about 35.4 lakh, with dropouts accounting for more than 19 per cent.

The figures cover different phases of PMKVY and therefore do not represent the placement performance of a single batch or a single year. The government has changed the way outcomes are tracked under PMKVY 4.0, which is the current version of the programme.

Under the first three versions of PMKVY, placement tracking was carried out mainly under the Short-Term Training component. PMKVY 4.0, launched in 2022, instead focuses on helping candidates choose different career paths and includes On-the-Job Training in industry-relevant courses. The National Skill Development Corporation is responsible for tracking candidates after certification through calls and digital tools.

The sector-wise numbers also show wide differences in employment outcomes. Among sectors with high enrolment, telecom recorded the highest placement rate at 17.5 per cent, followed by handicrafts at 14.4 per cent and apparel at 13.3 per cent. Management recorded a placement rate of just 1.1 per cent, while automotive stood at 3.4 per cent and media and entertainment at 3.8 per cent.

Dropout levels also varied between sectors. Media and entertainment recorded the highest dropout share among the sectors highlighted in the dashboard, at 26.5 per cent. IT and IT-enabled services followed at 25.9 per cent, while tourism and hospitality recorded 24.9 per cent.

The latest figures come at a time when the government is expanding PMKVY towards newer areas of employment. More than 600 new-age and futuristic courses have been introduced under PMKVY 4.0, covering areas such as artificial intelligence, semiconductors, electronics, green energy, electric vehicles, drones, cybersecurity and robotics. By June 30, around 5.44 lakh candidates had been trained in these new-age job roles.

The government has also pointed to broader employment outcomes from PMKVY 4.0. A third-party evaluation conducted in 2025 found that the combined share of respondents who were employed or self-employed increased from 26.6 per cent before training to 45.4 per cent after training among Short-Term Training candidates. The government said 41.4 per cent of STT candidates and 48.9 per cent of Recognition of Prior Learning candidates reported an increase in income after training and certification.

The contrasting numbers highlight a central challenge for India’s skilling ecosystem: training numbers alone do not show whether candidates are moving into sustainable employment.

As PMKVY expands into technology-driven courses, stronger links between training centres, employers, apprenticeships and local job markets could become increasingly important. For students and young workers, the value of a skill programme ultimately depends not only on certification, but also on whether it leads to better work, income or further education.