Amma Skill, Employment and Training Programme

After a string of 'Amma' branded products and services, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa announced 'Amma skill employment and training scheme' to meet the demand for human resources in micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in the state.

Jayalalithaa said under the scheme, unemployed youth aged between 18 and 25 years with an engineering degree or diploma would be given on-the-job training for six months with a monthly stipend of Rs 5,000, which will be paid by the companies. Once the six-month training period is completed, the government would pay Rs 12,000 per trainee to the company. After the training, the skills of the trainee would be tested by National Skills Development Corporation and certified, she said, adding that the scheme would benefit more than 25,000 youths this financial year.

Under the scheme, which would cost the state exchequer Rs 32.50 crore this year, 30% of the seats would be reserved for women, the CM said. There are more than 9.68 lakh registered MSMEs in Tamil Nadu. Jayalalithaa, who is called Amma by her followers, is keen to market her image and earn the goodwill of people by launching welfare schemes. Under the Amma brand, the government is selling commodities like salt and water and has set up budget canteens and pharmacies on a no-profit-no-loss basis. The Amma canteens were first off the mark, selling food items at subsidized rates. It was followed by Amma drinking water. Last month, she unveiled three varieties of low-cost salt and Amma pharmacies.