Kohli said that a large section of the country’s youth was desirous of going abroad. They, however, adopt unfair means to do so. If they are suitable trained, they would find going abroad easier.

“We have made a list of 211 skills which are listed in a book to be released on January 12. These include plumbers, welders, X-ray technicians, nurses, etc. The need is to upgrade their skills. India should target 25 million of the total jobs. Having five million more NRIs from Punjab is not a dream,” said Kohli.

Apart from upgrading the skills, training also needs to be provided for development of soft skills. “There are NRIs who are ready to come forward to take initiative in this direction. We would act as a facilitator. The project would need the support of the governments of different states. While 40 to 45 per cent of India is moving towards prosperity, it is the remaining sections that we need to target,” he said.

The conference will focus on exploring opportunities in skills development, vocational education and employment generation of the youth for taking up vocational training to make them employable. Chief Minister of Punjab Prakash Singh Badal will inaugurate the conference.