Patna: The Bihar government’s labour secretary, Deepak Anand, has completed a two-day study visit to Thiruvananthapuram aimed at strengthening the state’s skill development ecosystem and exploring cross-state collaboration.
Anand visited Kerala on 3 and 4 November, meeting officials from the Kerala Knowledge Economy Mission, the Kerala Academy for Skills Excellence (KASE) and Norka Roots. According to the department, the purpose of the visit was to understand how Kerala links training, counselling and employment services, and how such practices might be adapted for Bihar.
Officials said Anand examined Kerala’s work on demand-supply mapping of skilled workers, youth outreach programmes and mechanisms for facilitating overseas employment — areas where Kerala is considered a national leader.
The labour department said several of Kerala’s established models could be replicated in Bihar to expand opportunities for young people and strengthen their participation in the state’s development.
Kerala’s Additional Skill Acquisition Programme (ASAP) has also expressed interest in working with Bihar. The organisation is expected to send a formal proposal outlining possible areas of cooperation, including advisory support for initiatives such as mega skill centres and the proposed skill university.
During the visit, Anand inspected two community skill parks established by ASAP and praised their design, functioning and connection with local youth.
Officials said the study tour marks an important step towards building stronger inter-state partnerships in training and employment, and could help Bihar introduce new, modern frameworks for skill development.
