Skill India needs a sharp realignment if it is to meaningfully transform people’s life chances

• In 2013, India’s skill agenda got a push when the government introduced the National Skills Qualification Framework (NSQF).
• This organizes all qualifications according to a series of levels of knowledge, skills and aptitude, just like classes in general academic education.
• For each trade/occupation or professional qualification, course content should be prepared that corresponds to higher and higher level of professional knowledge and practical experience.
• The framework was to be implemented by December 27, 2018.
• The Ministry mandated that all training/educational programmes/courses be NSQF-compliant, and all training and educational institutions define eligibility criteria for admission to various courses in terms of NSQF levels, by that time.
• In this article, we look at NSQF implementation through the prism of national skill competitions, or India Skills, a commendable initiative of the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE).
• Twenty-seven States participated in India Skills 2018, held in Delhi.
• Maharashtra led the medals tally, followed by Odisha and Delhi.
• Now, teams will be selected to represent Indiaat the 45th World Skills Competition, scheduled in Russia this year.
•  It was also heartening that the Abilympics was included in India Skills 2018, for Persons with Disabilities.

Course curriculum not clear

• However, there are two priorities requiring action before the next round of India Skills is held.
• From which training programmes and NSQF courses did participants come to the competition?
• The answers to this would hold the key to improve Skill India government programmes dramatically.
• Meanwhile, the India Skills competition has provided evidence that many reforms are critical and urgent.
• This points to the need for more holistic training and the need to re-examine the narrow, short-term NSQF-based NSDC courses to include skills in broader occupation groups, so that trainees are skilled enough to compete at the international level.
• There is no real alignment between the Human Resource Development Ministry (responsible for the school level and Bachelor of Vocation courses) and the Ministry of Skill Development (responsible for non-school/non-university-related vocational courses).

Too many councils

• We must also reduce complications caused by too many Sector Skill Councils (SSCs) anchoring skill courses.
•  World Skills holds competitions in construction and building technology, transportation and logistics, manufacturing and engineering technology, information and communication technology, creative arts and fashion, and social and personal services.
•  To cater to these sectors, 19 SSCs participated in India Skills 2018 as knowledge partners with the help of industry or academic institutions.
• Most of the NSDC-SSC- approved training does not produce students who can showcase “holistic” skills for broad occupational groups in such competitions.
• India could learn a lesson from Germany, which imparts skills in just 340 occupation groups.
• Vocational education must be imparted in broadly defined occupational skills, so that if job descriptions change over a youth’s career, she is able to adapt to changing technologies and changing job roles.

Conclusion

Skill India needs a sharp realignment, if India is to perform well in the World Skills competition later this year.

The Hindu