A national initiative – YuWaah – aimed at imparting skills among the youth and providing employment to more than 300 million young Indians was launched here on Friday by Women and Child Development Minister Smriti Irani with an alliance of national and international partners, including Unicef.

India is one of the first countries to launch the YuWaah national initiative linked to the global Generation Unlimited movement which began in New York in September 2018.

Supported by Unicef, Generation Unlimited brings young people together with the private sector, governments, international and local organisations to tackle the urgent challenge of investing in their learning and training so that they are prepared for the complex and fast-changing world of work and can be active and engaged citizens.

Speaking at the launch of initiative, Irani said: "The government is determined to lead in making YuWaah! a transformational alliance that brings a national step change in preparing young people for the transition from education to 21stcentury work.

"At the launch of the initiative, Unicef Executive Director Henrietta Fore announced that the world body will support the start-up of the YuWaah! Secretariat, supporting partners to work together to scale up engagement with young people for solutions.

"Any country's greatest asset is the energy, ideas and vision of its young people. As young people build their own futures, they'll build India's future. Investing in them is the best investment India can make," Fore said.

Lauding the initiative, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in a letter that "YuWaah – the Generation Unlimited partnership, will go a long way in empowering our youth to acquire skills to enhance their creativity and potential to build the new India of the 21st Century. I am sure that this partnership will make our youth the harbingers of social change."

Also Read- In India it is Mecca for Ice Hockey

On the occasion, Irani and Fore also launched a special "U-Report" digital survey, aimed at listening to and engaging youth throughout the country to ensure that their voices and solutions shape the actions of YuWaah! partners. (IANS)