Aimed at providing training and skill certification, Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY) is a flagship scheme of the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE), Government of India, implemented by the National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC). PMKVY enabled a large number of Indian youths to take up industry-relevant skill training and certification, which eventually helped them in securing a better and sustainable livelihood. Under PMKVY, special focus was given to Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) by identifying prior competencies of the assessed candidates and providing a certificate and monetary reward on the successful completion of assessments.
We developed an impact evaluation framework and toolkit to facilitate future evaluation studies with a clear operational guide on methodology, indicators, choice of research tools, underlying Theory of Change (ToC), and logical framework for PMKVY 1.0 & 2.0. We also conducted an impact evaluation of the interventions of PMKVY 2.0 – short-term training and Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL). We undertook mapping and assessment of socio-economic and cultural impacts on the direct beneficiary, industry, and society attributable to NSDC training programmes. We conducted a comparative analysis of pre-programme and post-programme implementation. Further, we provided recommendations to the client to improve the PMKVY scheme’s effectiveness, including identifying knowledge gaps according to the criteria presented in the impact evaluation framework.
