Over 59,000 permanent jobs created since Apr 2022: Punjab govt

Chandigarh, Dec 29 (PTI) The Punjab government on Monday said it has created large-scale employment opportunities and expanded skill development programmes to curb migration of youth from the state.

Employment Generation, Skill Development and Training Minister Aman Arora said 59,702 youths have been given permanent government jobs since April 2022.

He said 48,912 candidates secured employment in the private sector through 959 placement camps, while 10,064 youths were assisted towards self-employment through loan camps in 2025.

Arora said the Punjab Skill Development Mission trained 19,619 candidates, with placements underway.

He added that the state has launched its own skill scheme, Punjab Hunar Vikas Yojana, and partnered with Microsoft, IBM and NASSCOM to prepare youth for corporate and global opportunities.

Stating that Punjab now offers sufficient opportunities within the state, the minister said the government is focusing on job delivery, skill certification and promotion of entrepreneurship to retain talent.

He said the state's employment portal, PGRKAM, has registered over 22.41 lakh job seekers and 20,669 employers, and has hosted 1,316 job fairs to link candidates with employers.

Highlighting achievements in defence training, Arora said the Maharaja Ranjit Singh Armed Forces Preparatory Institute recorded an 82.45 per cent success rate in NDA-related selections, with 34 cadets joining NDA or equivalent academies and 17 commissioned as officers in 2025.

He said Punjab also launched the country's first state-run NDA preparatory wing for girls at the Mai Bhago Armed Forces Preparatory Institute. Forty girl cadets are currently under training, while 10 have been selected for officer training academies and seven have been commissioned as officers.

In addition, 74 women candidates cleared CDS, AFCAT and NDA written examinations this year.

Arora added that C-PYTE centres trained 8,017 youths for armed and paramilitary forces, with 1,236 securing placements during the current financial year.

He said the government is building an ecosystem to provide employment, skills and entrepreneurship opportunities for Punjab's youth within the state. PTI VSD KSS KSS