THE Government will soon launch a scheme to train 14- 18 years old girls in non-traditional job roles, a move aimed at increasing women’s participation in the labour force, a topofficial saidonWednesday. The pilot of the scheme will be launched in the next 2-3 weeks, SecretaryinMinistry of Women and Child Development Anil Malik said.The scheme, which is being launched in 27 districts in the pilot phase, will eventually be expanded to cover 218 districts across the country,he said. A non-traditional career is generally defined as a certain role that has less than 25 per centofa specific gender, either men or women. As part of the ‘Introduction of Special Project for Empowering Adolescent Girls &Women’, 14-18years old girls would be provided training near their schools and homes while they continue their education

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The secretary shared that the pilot will be launched in 2-3 weeks under which training in non-traditional job roles will be provided along with digital skilling, digital marketing and general personality orientation.“We had signed an MoU with the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship where adolescent girls from 27 districts across the country at present and 218 districts later onin the age groupof 14-18 years would be trained in non-traditional roles through the agency of  Pradhan Mantri KaushalVikas Yojana training partners and Jan Shikshan Sansthans and also government institutions,” said Malik. This programme would lead to participation of women, the secretary said, “very soon at the highest level of the Government.”