Terming skill development as key to employment generation, Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav today said the Uttar Pradesh government will invest Rs 4,200 crore in the next three years to provide training to 24 lakh youths.

"Providing youth the opportunity to progress and make them a partner in the development of the state is among the top priorities of the state government,” he said after launching ''Kaushal Vikas Mission'' in a function at his official residence here.

“In the coming three years, 24 lakh youth would be trained spending Rs 4,200 crore...for this new industrial training institutes would be set up, capacity of the existing ones would be enhanced besides taking help of the private parties,” the chief minister said.

“The ruling SP has made special efforts in the area of employment generation and large number of technically equipped people have got jobs...jobs would be available only when there is an arrangement for good training,” he said, adding that efforts are on from the side of government whether it was to set up IT city or medical college.

He laid the foundation stone of 34 buildings of government industrial training institutes to be built at the cost of Rs 166 crore.

On the occasion, an MOU was signed with Raymond company to set up five centres to impart training.