Atul Kumar Tiwari, secretary at the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, announced that the government will introduce a skill voucher system to enhance India’s skill development landscape during Ficci’s Global Skills Summit 2024. Tiwari emphasised the government’s intent to partner with industries to modernise 1,000 Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) across the country.
The skill voucher system aims to transform 200 ITIs into hub institutions, with 800 additional institutes serving as spoke facilities. This hub-and-spoke model is a significant part of the government’s larger strategy to upgrade India’s skill development ecosystem, ensuring that vocational training aligns more closely with industry needs. While Tiwari shared details of this ambitious plan, he did not disclose specifics regarding the upcoming skill voucher system, indicating that further announcements would follow soon.
During his speech, Tiwari underscored two major changes reshaping the country’s approach to skill development. The introduction of the National Credit Framework under the National Education Policy now allows students to earn credits for vocational and skill-based education, integrating skilling more directly into mainstream education. Regulations now mandate that up to 50% of the content in degree courses must be skill-based, further emphasising the government’s focus on hands-on, practical learning.
Additionally, efforts are being made to embed skilling within school curricula. Tiwari explained that the curriculum for classes 6 to 12 has been revised to incorporate more application-based learning, ensuring students develop practical skills alongside their academic education. The government is also working on apprenticeship-embedded degree programs, providing a structured way for industries to collaborate with academic institutions and students.
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Tiwari stressed the need for greater industry, academia, and government cooperation to scale up the country’s skilling efforts. “The government’s intent is very clear,” he said, “that they would like to engage with the industry on different methods so that we can bring the skilling part in line with the industry’s requirements.”
This collaboration between sectors aims to bridge the gap between education and employment, creating a workforce that meets the evolving demands of the economy.
