From correspondents in Uttar Pradesh, India, 06:30 PM IST

The Uttar Pradesh government has decided to allow people with basic reading and writing skills to enroll for industrial training programmes that are at present open only to those who have studied upto Class 10, an official said Friday.

'Special short-duration courses will be designed for the unskilled school dropouts. They will undergo training in 258 Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) across the state,' R. Dev, additional technical education director, told IANS.

'The move intends to create better job avenues for school dropouts and uneducated youths,' he added.

Small-term courses varying from 60 hours, 120 hours and 720 hours on dress making, footwear manufacturing, leather goods manufacturing, automobile repair and others would be offered. The training programmes are expected to start within the next two months.

At present, 50,000 students are enrolled in various ITIs across the state.

(Staff Writer, © IANS)