The University of Lucknow has formulated various plans and activities in order to augment skill development, innovation, employment and entrepreneurship opportunities for students.

These goals lie in three categories, that is, short-term, mid-term and long-term plans. In the first category of short-term goals, LU aims at training students in areas like equipment handling, instrumentation and designing.

Besides this, skill development training programmes are slated to run twice a year, under the Prime Minister Formalization of Micro Food Processing Enterprises (PMFME) Scheme.

Additionally, a vocational training centre is in the plans, with focus on specialised fields like nano technology and nano material for natural product research, drug delivery, food testing laboratory with NABCL certification and fashion designing.

In the mid-term plans, that is in the next 4-7 years, a centre for skill development will be established as part of the agenda. Herein, open training programmes and need-based courses will be offered, backed by industry and the government.

In the next 7-9 years, the long-term plans will revolve around linking skill development programmes with career opportunities via a centralised placement cell. Moreover, skill development initiatives will also be taken for local communities. This will incorporate boosting rural technology, supporting rural innovations, facilitating transfer of technology, cost-effective techniques, and more.

As part of the aforementioned efforts, a mobile skill development lab is also envisaged in order to extend reach beyond the university to impart skills to the masses.

“The end goal is to ensure that students are able to translate their academic knowledge into monetizable skills and to serve society as skilled personnel and job creators,” Vice Chancellor of Lucknow University, Professor Alok Kumar Rai, stated.

The skill development efforts are being implemented for the purpose of empowering students and encouraging them to embark on their own ventures eventually.