Employment Linked Skill Training Programme (ELSTP)

What is the Employment Linked Skill Training Programme (ELSTP)?

Employment Linked Skill Training Programme (ELSTP) is a state-specific skilling scheme run by the Uttarakhand Skill Development Mission through the Uttarakhand Skill Development Society (UKSDS), under the Department of Skill Development and Employment. ELSTP was designed around the geographical characteristics, social and economic structure, and the local and industrial demand of Uttarakhand, so the courses on offer match the jobs actually available in the state.

According to the UKSDS portal, ELSTP provides free, self-employment-oriented and employment-oriented training to unemployed residents, school dropouts and other disadvantaged youth of the state. The stated aim is to increase the employability and the self-employment potential of young people in Uttarakhand, where hill geography and seasonal work make steady jobs harder to find.

ELSTP training is short-term. Most courses run for about 3 to 6 months and map to a job role under the National Skills Qualification Framework, so a trainee who passes the assessment receives a recognised certificate rather than an informal completion slip.

Key features of ELSTP

• Training is fully funded by the Uttarakhand Skill Development Mission, so the trainee pays no course fee.
• Courses span 13 sectors, chosen for local demand.
• Training providers are empanelled by UKSDS and are expected to support placement.
• Certification follows the National Skills Qualification Framework.

Which sectors and courses does ELSTP cover?

ELSTP covers 13 sectors identified for Uttarakhand's economy:

1. Agriculture
2. Apparel
3. Beauty and Wellness
4. Electronics
5. Food Processing
6. Handicrafts and Carpet
7. Healthcare
8. IT-ITeS
9. Logistics
10. Media and Entertainment
11. Retail
12. Rubber
13. Tourism and Hospitality

Tourism and Hospitality, Beauty and Wellness, Healthcare and IT-ITeS are particularly relevant to Uttarakhand's service economy, while Agriculture, Food Processing and Handicrafts suit rural and hill districts where self-employment matters most. Each sector contains several job roles, and each job role has its own duration, curriculum and assessment.

Who is eligible for ELSTP?

You can apply if:

• You are a resident of Uttarakhand.
• You are unemployed, a school dropout, or otherwise fall within the disadvantaged-youth group the scheme is meant to serve.
• You meet the minimum education and age norm of the specific job role you choose. Many entry-level roles are open to school dropouts, while some technical roles need a class 10 or class 12 pass.
• You are broadly in the 18 to 59 age band that UKSDS uses for its short-term training, and you hold an Aadhaar card, which is mandatory for enrolment.

You cannot apply if:

• You are not a resident of Uttarakhand. ELSTP is a state scheme funded for Uttarakhand's own youth.
• You do not meet the education prerequisite of the job role you select. In that case you can pick a different role with a lower entry requirement.

Because eligibility is defined per job role, the safest approach is to open the role you want on the UKSDS portal and read its qualification pack before applying, rather than assuming a single age or education cut-off applies to the whole scheme.

What documents are required for ELSTP?

How to apply for ELSTP online

1. Open the official Uttarakhand Skill Development Society portal at uksds.uk.gov.in and go to the ELSTP / ELSTP-STT section.
2. Register as a candidate with your name, mobile number, Aadhaar details and residence information.
3. Browse the active job roles listed by empanelled training organisations and select the sector and role you want.
4. Apply for pre-qualification for that role within the current registration window.
5. Contact the chosen training centre, complete document verification and finish enrolment.
6. Attend the training, complete the assessment, and collect your certificate.

Registration for ELSTP short-term training for the financial year 2026-27 opened on 24 June 2026. Because ELSTP runs in batches, always check the portal for the current window rather than assuming registration is open all year.

How to apply for ELSTP offline

1. Visit an empanelled ELSTP training centre in your district. The list of active centres and job roles appears on the UKSDS portal.
2. Carry your Aadhaar card and Uttarakhand residence proof, plus your education certificate if the role needs one.
3. Ask the centre staff to help you register and apply for pre-qualification for an active job role.
4. Complete document verification and join the batch when it starts.

Rural candidates who cannot register online themselves can ask the training centre or a nearby common service point to complete the online steps on their behalf, since the scheme is administered through the same UKSDS portal.

How much does ELSTP cost the trainee?

ELSTP costs the trainee nothing. The full cost of training, including the trainer, curriculum, assessment and certification, is borne by the Uttarakhand Skill Development Mission. This is the single most important thing to understand about the scheme: no legitimate ELSTP centre charges a course fee. Any demand for payment to "confirm a seat" or "guarantee a job" is outside the scheme and should be reported.

Each ELSTP course is a short-term programme of roughly 300 to 600 hours, which is why most roles work out to about 3 to 6 months of classroom and practical work. Training providers are paid according to the Common Cost Norms set by the government, not by the trainee, so the funding sits entirely between UKSDS and the empanelled centre.

How does ELSTP placement and certification work?

ELSTP is built around a placement obligation, not a loose promise. Empanelled training providers are expected to place a minimum of 70% of successfully certified candidates, and a placement counts as valid only after the candidate has worked continuously for 3 months in the relevant job role. This standard is what separates ELSTP from a certificate-only course, because the training partner's own performance is judged on whether trainees actually find work.

Alongside fresh short-term training, UKSDS also runs a Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) track under the same programme. RPL is for people who already have hands-on experience in a trade but no formal certificate; it assesses and certifies that existing skill rather than teaching it from scratch, so an experienced worker can gain a National Skills Qualification Framework certificate without repeating a full course.

How do I check my ELSTP application and training status?

ELSTP status is tracked through the same UKSDS portal where you registered. Log in with your candidate credentials to see whether your pre-qualification application is pending, accepted or mapped to a batch. For batch-level updates, such as the start date, venue and trainer, the empanelled training centre is your direct point of contact. Keep the mobile number you registered with active, because centres often send batch alerts by SMS or call.

Common reasons an ELSTP application is rejected, and how to fix them

• Non-resident status; ELSTP is only for Uttarakhand residents; a valid domicile or residence proof resolves most identity-related rejections.
• Education mismatch. You applied for a role whose minimum qualification you do not meet. Choose a lower-entry role instead.
• Incomplete documents at the centre — carry originals for verification.
• Applying outside the registration window: ELSTP runs in batches, so wait for the next window shown on the portal.

How do I raise a problem or complaint about ELSTP?

For questions on registration, empanelled centres or a grievance about a centre demanding money, contact the Uttarakhand Skill Development Society on +91-7618222334 or by email at info.uksdm@gmail.com. The UKSDS office is at 26, Mahila ITI, Near Survey Chowk, EC Road, Dehradun, Uttarakhand 248001. The parent Department of Skill Development and Employment also oversees the state's Industrial Training Institutes and Employment Exchanges, which run alongside ELSTP for candidates who want longer-term training or placement help.