NSDC: Imparting Skills to Propel Economic Growth

Magazine

By

-

January 18, 2018

NSDC aims to promote skill development by catalyzing creation of large, quality and for-profit vocational institutions, says Manish Kumar, Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer, National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC), in an interview with Poulami Chatterjee of Elets News Network (ENN).

Since the launch of Skill India Mission, how much National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) has achieved so far as per its vision?

Manish Kumar, Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer, National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC)

The Skill India Mission was launched in July 2015 to expedite government’s effort in providing skill training to the youth. With a mission to position India as the skill capital of the world, the Skill India Mission was instituted to expand the scale and reach of the initiatives effectively. So far, over 1.24 crore people have received training through various programmes.

The National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC), under the aegis of the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) has collaborated with industries, corporate houses, states, government bodies as well as other ministries to ensure its effective implementation. As on December 2017, over 19 lakh candidates received skilled training under PMKVY – 1 and another 14 lakh has been trained in its second phase till now. Further, over 5 lakh skilled workforce has received formal certification under the Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) component of PMKVY. The government has also established 200+ state-of-art Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Kendra (PMKK) and another 250 such centres are in pipeline. The Government plans to have one such centre in every district of India.

During 2014-17, 453 women received skill training across 10 NVTIs/RVTIs. The number of ITIs has increased from 10,750 to 13,353 and efforts are being made for ITIs to grant certificates equivalent to class 10th and 12th of CBSE.

Also, India International Skill Centers (IISC) have been set up for people who wish to work in foreign countries. the NSDC helps them hone their skills as they embark on undertaking job opportunities in another country. We are planning to establish 100 such centres across the country. There has been an added emphasis on promoting entrepreneurship among country’youth under PM-YUVA scheme.

NSDC is being set up to implement Skill India Mission. What are the challenges faced by the mission? What strategies are followed by NSDC to overcome those challenges?

India boasts of a huge demographic dividend and has the second largest workforce in the world. However, with the improvement in technology, automation has taken over most of the labour oriented jobs, which makes it necessary to up-skill and re-skill the work force all across the globe. At the same time it is very important to bridge the gap between skill training and job opportunities available. This gap is hampering the recruitment of even suitably trained candidates in an industry.

NSDC is working towards addressing these challenges and to bridge the existing gaps. Sector Skill Councils have been set up to identify the demands and opportunities that each sector entails and ensure that the most relevant and recent skill training is provided to the candidates. The training curriculum is regularly updated, and the opportunities are identified and leveraged. Efforts are being made to skill, re-skill, up-skill as well as multi- skill employees to ensure that they sustain their jobs and grow further.

To bridge the industry-academia gap, NSDC conducts skill training courses in Public-Private Partnership (PPP) models. Please give details about such courses.

NSDC is trying to develop an enabling environment for skill development which is based on relevant and up-to-date industry practices. the National Skill Development Coordination Board is being set up under chairmanship of the Deputy Chairman of the planning Commission in the public private partnership mode (ppp). The board will formulate strategies on skill development and monitor implementation of the same. Further, it ensures that proper skill training is being provided to candidates and simultaneously suggests strategies to address regional and social imbalances that might potentially hinder its effectiveness.

Under this model, the NSDC collaborates with a public-sector unit or a corporate house where they provide training to the candidates as well as opportunities for employment. These initiatives help the students to know their areas of improvement provide them exposure of industry expectations.

The Udaan Initiative for the youth of Jammu & kashmir (J&k) is one of the recent initiatives that follows the ppp model and provides skill training and helps in creating job opportunities for graduate and postgraduate youth of J&k.

Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship has set up India International Skill Centre (IISC). What are its objectives and key focus areas?

India International Skill Centers (IISCs) were set up to provide vocational training to youth aspiring for job opportunities globally. IISCs have been set up by NSDC in association with Ministry of External Affairs and implemented under the pradhan Mantri kushal Vikas Yojna and pravasi kaushal Vikas Yojana (pkVY). Apart from technical skills, the programme emphasises training on language and soft skills modules. the training provided at these centers, help youth hone their skills at par with the international standards and ensure that the youth seeking global mobility are well equipped and confident to take on any challenge across the world.

What are NSDC’s future plans to make youths of India skillful and employable?

India has a huge potential for skill training and NSDC, under the aegis of MSDE, is working towards creating an inclusive and equitable environment for vocational training. The initiatives and schemes are helping the candidates become more competent and job ready. The efforts are further expedited through collaborations with industries across all verticals, as well as other ministries and government bodies.

NSDC plans to expand its reach to all the parts of the country by setting up Ppradhan Mantri Kaushal Kendras in each district and aim to open 100 International Skill Centres by 2018. We further, wish to expand the number of training centers which will provide state-of-theart skill training to the candidates. Also, NSDC is planning to provide training in futuristic job roles such as Automation, 3D printing, Artificial Intelligence among others, which may help youth earn a better livelihood and contribute towards building New India.

Jharkhand is emerging as the skill hub of the country. How the NSDC is supporting the State to skill its youth?

Jhankhand is a state that is bustling with opportunities and the skilling opportunities are abound in the state. Jharkhand Skill Development Mission entered an MoU with the NSDC to improve the employability of the candidates undergoing skills training. the NSDC has identified Construction, tourism, travel and Hospitality, Mining, Real Estate, transport and Logistics, It-ItES, Food processing, Healthcare, and Banking and Financial services as major verticals that attract youth in terms of job opportunities in the state and will further collaborate with
JSDMS to provide more opportunities to the youth in the state.

How other schemes like Digital Indiavand Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana can be leveraged to boost the skill ecosystem in Jharkhand?

People of Jharkhand have recognised the importance of skills to enhance their competence and employability, digital connectivity will help ensure last mile connectivity of the people and help generate new jobs. the PMKVY scheme under ‘Skill India’ Mission can enable the youth to get several blue-collar jobs as those who receivetraining under this initiative are awarded with a formal certificate on clearing the assessment. This can validate their training and help them get access to better job prospects.

What message you would like to give to the youth of India?

Skill training is a necessity in today’s scenario. It is imperative to constantly up-skill and re-skill to remain relevant in the growing economy like India. With new opportunities every day and innovations constantly upgrading the lifestyle of people, it is necessary to adapt to these changes through skill and vocational training.

What message you would like to give for Jharkhand Skill Summit to be held on Jan 12, 2018?

Jharkhand Skill Summit is an encouraging initiative which would bring together stakeholders from different walks of life on one platform and help strengthen the skill ecosystem in the state. the event will also play an important role in defining the road map for the future of skills in the state and develop Jharkhand as the hub for skilled manpower. On behalf of NSDC, I take this opportunity to wish Jharkhand Government and Jharkhand Skill Development Mission the very best for the event.

Emerging Trends in Indian Education Sector

Article

By

Akash

-

January 18, 2018

A number of new trends have emerged on the Indian education scene and a number of modern ideas are floating around. These ideas promise to transform Indian education. Shobhit Goyal, Secretary, Quantum University, observes these new trends and the underlying reasons for their emergence.

Outcome Based Learning and Skill Development:

Increasingly, new and mindboggling discoveries are being made which straddle multiple disciplines. Subject areas are increasingly becoming dependent on a multiplicity of fields. Consequently single disciplines are being rendered difficult and require an interdisciplinary aptitude for assimilating and application. This is however not achieved with contemporary educational landscape which is steeped in theoretical learning andage old curricula with a chilling irreverence for experimental-application based education. This very absence of practical learning has led to the prevalence of ‘skill gap’ incapacitating students to work in various domains. A number of studies have confirmed it.

It has emerged that, of the 15 million graduates entering the market each year, about 75% lack the basic soft skills and technical knowhow to execute the core tasks. A McKinsey report indicates that only 25% of Indian engineers are actually employable. Off late the same statistic has fallen to less than 20%. Aspiring Minds, in a recent survey, conclude that 95% of engineers can’t code. Consequently a number of young Indians lack employability due to‘skill gap’.These glaring figures highlighting skills gapand unemployment exhort us to overhaul the education system and replace it with something which streamlines our education.

Interdisciplinary Education

Interdisciplinary education aims to achieve skill development thus lowering the skill gap. The most salient feature of this learning paradigm is to embrace the disparate features to bolster multidimensional learning experience. The pedagogy aims and delivers education in such a manner that the students can confidentially execute tasks that form the core of a particular domain. This leads to better professional avenues and development. Moreover the building up of specialized skill increases the chances to move in the field of research and development. Thus interdisciplinary learning helps acquire the ability to deliver goal based education.

The inherent structure of the educational pedagogy enables easily expansion of a particular skill set to a number of allied multidisciplinary disciplines. The students can not only adapt to new situations but can see themselves graduating to new levels of expertise in the core subjects. This entails easily scalable skills and employability in corporate-industrial domain.

Advantages

An interdisciplinary education equipswide ranging creative and critical thinking augmenting lateral thinking, analytical reasoning,interpersonal ability, communication skills, ethical perspectives, cultural literacyand global perspectives. The greatest skill it endows is an orientation toapplication ofknowledge mostly motivated through hands on work training and real-world experiences.It helps students to be sensitized to socio-economic, political and environment issues building a deeper relationship with the world around. A student learning via this approach not only emerges as a capable professional but also a responsible citizen with wide ranging sensibilities.

Interdisciplinary learning is implemented via ‘credit system.’ A credit quantifies the learning goals as also the effort put in to achieve the. Earning credits entitle Major and minor degrees. A Major is a specialization in a particular discipline. A Minor is a subject allied to the core subject pursued in the Major or a subject of general interest. Thus it presents the students a spectrum of choice.

Pedagogy

The interdisciplinary pedagogy is a unique strength. It works on the principle that all learners are different with individual talents and lacunae. Hence the instruction must be based on the students’ personal orientation, tastes, needs and goals. The instruction is thus guided by individual need. The hallmark of this pedagogyis experiential learningto working across disciplines. The student-centered instructionfacilitates and delivers learning in an intrinsically interdisciplinary,experiential and constructivist manner.

A novel approach is employed for pedagogical effect using unconventional methods and technologies which includesimulation-based games and virtual environments. Seminars, workshops, role play,live projects, experimental demonstration and continuous assessment are the inherent tools of this regimen.Hence a more practical, applied, experience-based education is developed.

Role of Quantum University

Quantum University has already emerged as a brand in education sculpting an entire generation of technocrats and professionals enriching the corporate and the industrial arenaand numerous other domains. The University has become a vehicle of this concept in India. The concept, already established in the West, fostered there a culture of enterprise, research and knowledge creation. It has not only boostedeconomic strength but also benefited the society in general, by molding constructive thinking.

The ’new age ‘curriculaat Quantum open a world of choice before students. Hence they can earn a Major in Engineering while pursuing a Minor in Economics. Similarly the students have the freedom to pursue a Minor in Graphic Design or any subject unrelated to the specialization. The Major-Minor combination is chosen on the basis of student individual choice and goals.

Culture of Skill Development at Quantum University

Quantum University has made skill development and practical learning the hallmark of its education. To achieve this,a robust training program has beenfollowed since the inception of the institution.Students can gain hands-on training in a number of fields. This strengthens their employability and prospects of growth in a professional arena. The University collaboration with APS GMBH (The European Center for Robotics)Germany to deliver cutting edge expertise for the Robotics specialization program is a template for our commitment to skill development.

It is evident that interdisciplinary education has the potential to remedy a number of ills in prevalent education. It can deliver students from a rigid educationwith itsflexible learning modes and subject choices. It offers a range of skills to preparethe student forvibrant roles in the professional and personal domain. It promises a new age of holistic learning and personal development.

World Bank and ICAI to organise training programmes for insolvency professionals

News

By

Akash

-

January 17, 2018

World Bank in association with Indian Institute of Insolvency Professionals of ICAI (IIIPI) is going to organise three training programmes for insolvency professionals (IP) with the first being held at Mumbai.

The first of its kind programme in India will witness the global experts disseminating knowledge and best practices followed worldwide in the sections of Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code.

ICAI President, CA Nilesh Shivji Vikamsey said, “The Insolvency and Bankruptcy code is still in the nascent stages in India. And this is the time where right knowledge dissemination is required for creating a robust pool of professionals in our country. In the training sessions the best of minds will share their knowledge from across the globe.”

During the programme, case studies will be illustrated to cover the “Role and Functions of IPs”. The sessions organised from January 18 to 20, 2018, at Mumbai will cover various aspects of insolvency laws. The programme under the aegis of the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India (IIIBI) will be organised at various centers by IIIPI and the World Bank Group.

“World Bank and IIIPI has prepared the training modules, keeping in mind the Indian scenario but also made sure that the best practices followed worldwide are made available to the insolvency professionals”, Vikamsey added.

MVGU — Nurturing Globally Competitive Citizens

By

Akash

-

January 17, 2018

Our students are provided with academic tools, practical skills, and real world opportunities necessary to advance as leaders in their professions and their communities, says K L Mina, Founder Chairperson, Maharaj Vinayak Global University (MVGU) in conversation with Elets News Nework (ENN).

What is the vision of Maharaj Vinayak Global University?

Maharaj Vinayak Global University has pioneered private technical, medical and higher education institutions in Rajasthan. We, at MVGU, offer the best platform to absorb knowledge from all sources and enable our students to access endless opportunities available in the global market. We are committed to instil leadership and offer internationalised curricula in all the core medical and technical courses to shape the future of our students.

Your university has been consistent in academic excellence, what has been the secret? Share us about your journey.

Maharaj Vinayak Society was the first institute which got an no-objection certificate from the government to open Jaipur Dental College, the first dental college in the State. We started offering our courses initially under Rajasthan University. Later, we were affiliated to University of Medical & Health Sciences. We have established the first private Nursing, Physiotherapy and Occupational Therapy colleges in Rajasthan. The Jaipur Dental College has been awarded as the best dental college of North India for four consecutive years.

What kind of infrastructure, resource and technology related facilities are made available to the students to boost learning capabilities?

Our courses are primarily in medical and allied sciences. These courses demand sophisticated and high end equipments and we have ensured the availability of every such equipment in Dental, Biotechnology, Pharmacy, and Physiotherapy stream. We have outsourced the equipments from Germany and Canada also.

For placement of our students from every course we bring in teams from USA, Canada, and Australia to groom our students for the international job market.

What are the distinct courses offered by your university? As far as career prospect is concerned, do you offer any value additions in the learning process to offer best exposure to your students and increase their domain knowledge?

Jaipur Nursing College is the first nursing college that offers B Sc degree and caters to the growing demand of allied medical services. Jaipur Physiotherapy and Occupational therapy colleges are the first ever in the state to offer these kinds of studies. These colleges not only ensured the quality higher but also offered training as per latest industry to the students of Rajasthan.

How do the courses at Maharaj Vinayak Global University make its students ready for the employment market?

Be it dental, nursing, pharmacy, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, law etc, all these subjects offers attractive career prospects in government, public and private sector. These courses are highly promising from self employment point of view. In addition, students are encouraged to organise and participate in seminars and conferences.

IECS – On a Mission to Build New Tomorrow

By

Akash

-

January 17, 2018

Our vision is to be the best solution provider in education segment and to deliver best global practices to the society, says Manish Mansharamani, Director, International Electronics & Communication Systems Pvt Ltd, in conversation with Elets News Netework (ENN).

What was your vision behind establishing the IECS?

Manish Mansharamani, Director, International Electronics & Communication Systems Pvt Ltd

Established in 1991, International Electronics & Communication System Pvt. Ltd (IECS) as an ISO:9001:2008 is now a leading solution provider in the field of education. With great pride we share that IECS has successfully implemented over 5,000 interactive classes in pan-India.

IECS is driven by a single corporate principle – Customer-oriented approach. We work closely with our clients, right from the concept to completion and that’s the basis of the long-term relationship with our clients – a strong partnership built on trust, integrity and commitment. Our vision is to be the best solution provider in education segment and become most innovative, reliable, effective, sustainable and relationship-based company.

Education is one of the most promising segments in India but still we are lagging far behind globally, what needs to be done to improve education scenario?
The mindset needs to be changed at decision-making level. Indian brains are superior in the world, we have been only deprived off infrastructure and facilities. Given these basics in current scenario where technology is available we can be number one and competing in the world at any level.

We should have schemes and schools that provide good education to children living in villages. Also, it should be assured that good and experienced teachers are there to impart education to children.

“Education segment is growing segment in India. We will invest more on technology upgradation and will bring latest innovative products for education field for all level.”

Also, focus on teachers training, our country has already got many training programmes for teachers. Educating parents is equally important so that they do not force their children for careers which do not actually interest them. Implementing Smart Classes though many of the educational institutes are already following this concept, but we should take a step where all educational institutes can be connected with the concept of smart classes. With the help of different audio-video devices, multimedia concepts and other necessary IT elements, we can make our students learn and understand in a much better and modern way.

What do you think of the impact of technology on education? How technology can help in improving educational scenario in rural areas?

Technology has a very positive impact on education. Teachers and students should take advantage of this in good light and eliminate the drawbacks which are pulling back many of students as well as educational institutes from achieving. Students are able to learn on a global scale without ever leaving their classrooms. Technology can enhance literacy development, provide greater access to information, support learning, motivate students, and enhance their self-esteem.

The education system of today demands changes of meet the local and global needs. It is strongly felt that the kind of education a student receives must ensure to be an investment for the future. In a world increasingly dependent on technology whether it is at home or institution students and teachers must be fluent in technology. Digitisation in education has transformed the learning as well as teaching methodologies to a great extent.

We all know how helpful it is to remember something that is taught visually to us rather than the one that is read through pages. Just imagine, how beneficial would it be for students to understand a chapter visually in class. The concept of smart class education is indeed a blessing to the students of the 21st century.

Shridhar University Offering Skill Oriented Courses

By

Akash

-

January 16, 2018

Majority of Shridhar University students come from rural area and they look up for employment rather than startup. Since most of our students want job oriented training, we are laying emphasis on that aspect, says Brig Kartar Singh (Retd), Vice-Chancellor of Shridhar University, in conversation with Elets News Network (ENN).

What interventions the Shridhar University is taking for ‘skilling’ and enhancing ‘employability’ of the students?

Brig Kartar Singh (Retd), Vice-Chancellor of Shridhar University

It is a well-established fact that employment today is directly proportional to knowledge, skill and attitude popularly known as KSA. While a student is put through the prescribed “knowledge” capsule through the prescribed syllabus, he is not given any particular skills as formal input. We, at Shridhar University, conduct “Skill” capsule to include:

Soft Skill including communication skills
Social Skills
General knowledge and environmental skills

As far as “attitude” is concerned it is developed through actual conduct and formal lectures by senior specialists and psychologists.

What are the initiatives Shridhar University has undertaken in the Student Startup domain?

Majority of our students come from rural area and they look up for employment rather than startup. However, we do realise that as a higher educational institute we should look into this aspect. As we are finding that most of our students want job-oriented training we are laying emphasis on that aspect presently. In case, the need arises, we will
take initiatives towards Startup.

Many countries have started introducing Artificial Intelligence(AI), Coding etc. in the curriculum.
What initiatives is the Shridhar University undertaking to make students competent with the
emerging technological trend?

Shridhar University is a technology and livelihood-oriented university. As far as technology is concerned we are having collaboration with Computer Aided Designs (CAD) as also we teach cloud computing techniques. However, we have not yet reached the state of AI, and virtual reality level. We do cater for practical, livelihood related and daily useable technology needs as part of our teaching. We teach web designing, CAD and software programmers related to daily and domestic use.

Shridhar University is a technology and livelihood-oriented university. As far as technology is concerned, we are having collaboration with CAD and also teach cloud computing techniques.

Internship plays a vital role in enhancing the employability of students. Highlight the initiatives of Shridhar University has undertaken to facilitate internship for students to provide them hands-on experience within a corporate working environment?
This is our strongest core strength. We conduct internship with industry for a full semester. These internships are conducted with popular names which also help in giving us offer letter during the internship.

Types of Internships Conducted:

Agriculture Students: These students get a RAWE (Rural Agriculture Work Experience) with Krishi Vikas Kendra and rural agriculture based companies in our own States. They see the students working for full semester (nearly six months). Depending upon their performance they give offer letter. Our first B.Sc (Agriculture) has got 100 per cent
employment.

Diploma Courses: Our Diploma and post-Diploma courses do a PDPT Training with Government and semi-Government coal fields and during this training they are offered job based on three-month training with the company. Our Diploma – Mining students find nearly 100 percent employment in the coal industry immediately after passing out.

Hotel Management Courses: We do internship, pre-placement training and finally placement training with UEI Global an international brand in hospitality management. Majority of our students find job as per their capability and choice with the help of internship training.

Preparing Industry-ready Student via Internship

By

Akash

-

January 16, 2018

Sandip University, Nashik (SUN) is trying to be a creator of world-class educational service provider thereby to transform the potential human resource of the nation, says Col Prof N Ramachandran, Vice-Chancellor, Sandip University, Nashik, in a conversation with Dipen Pradhan of Elets News Network (ENN).

Sandip University, Nashik (SUN) has recently signed a MoU with AICTE-ECI to facilitate Internship programme for the students. Tell us how the university plans to take it forward?

Col Prof N Ramachandran, Vice-Chancellor, Sandip University, Nashik

AICTE-ECI approach of signing a MoU with the universities across India to facilitate advancement of engineering, management and pharmacy profession in various programmes and for enhancing the style and image of building engineers, managers and pharmacist etc, is a boon to the nation-building exercise on Human Resource
Development. The move is historical in nature which will bring a rich dividend in near future.

Sandip University, Nashik, a non-affiliating private university functioning in the State of Maharashtra, which is continuously improving its infrastructure – will be used to hone the knowledge and skills of our students. We follow
outcome-based education in teaching-learning process. We emphasise on knowledge, skills and attitude for all the courses taught. For every course, teacher sets her/his objectives in an achievable form. Hence, preaching and practicing are carried out together to achieve the objectives in the form of measurable outcomes.

This MoU will facilitate every student in their respective domain to acquire necessary skills in various industries/R&D organisations on a real-time basis. Minds-on and Hands-on will make them ready for Do-on by taking up their real-time challenges.

SUN and its regulations have made compulsory internship in 15, 21, and 45 days during the summer vacation after completing I, II and III year programmes assigned with 1, 2 and 3 credits respectively. Besides summer internship, regular industrial/field/project visits are also happening during the academic sessions. All our programmes are aimed to develop industry/society ready graduates.

What are the initiatives Sandip University has undertaken to foster Student Startup ecosystem in the affiliated colleges and university to enhance students’ innovation?

Sandip University, Nashik has a vision to mould our youngsters into Millennium leaders not only in technological and scientific fields, but also to nurture and strengthen the innate goodness and human nature in them and to equip them to face the future challenges in technological breakthroughs, information explosions and deliver the bounties of
frontier knowledge for the benefit of humanity in general, the downtrodden and the underprivileged in particular.

We are committed to practice the vision of the University. SUN is trying to be a creator of world class educational service provider thereby to transform the potential human resource of the nation. Curricula have been designed to imbibe research – bent in every course. The system is developed in such a way that every student could think and work independently, resulting ideas leading to a product/process etc. Co-curricular activities are focused towards social, economical, political orientation – thus encouraging students either by individual/groups to take up such life-oriented problems.

“NEETI will reduce lots of redoing exercise of many, but before implementation, MHRD should ensure every one’s interest is well addressed and protected.”

Nashik has a rich treasure of having Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC) in seven locations of Nashik District, covering Automobile, Energy, Electrical, Infrastructure and Infotech industries. This facilitates students/staff to work along with their minor/major problems, which really make the individual to realise their life goals. Another facility in Nashik, established by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, is Nashik Engineering Cluster (NEC), which works for preparing Nashik Industries to face the global market by achieving global quality assurance standards. This facility is also open to youths to take up their startups in their premises at an affordable cost.

SUN has been collaborating with many MIDCs and NEC and Central Government’s R&D organisations to give exposure to its students/staff. These practices make students/staff to involve jointly on developments of practical/live issues, which leads to develop an ecosystem which I strongly believe that leads to many new and innovative ways to create incubation centres, new startups.

SUN, its campus has Innovation and Entrepreneurship Development Cell (IEDC) supported by the Department of Science and Technology, Government of India. This cell promotes and facilitates our students to become an
entrepreneur and also helping them in registering their intellectual property rights.

What strategies or methodologies have been adopted by the University to enhance students’ teaching-learning experience?

SUN is creating various infrastructures to serve students of different backgrounds, abilities and other personal attributes through its effective Teaching-Learning Experiences (TLE). We follow the following strategies to enhance TLEs:

We have signed a MoU with Spoken Tutorial project carried out by IITB, Mumbai, to have many ICT interventions
All classrooms/seminar halls/theatres are made ICT enabled
Our teaching-learning system is more of student centric which enables everyone to practice participative learning, experimental learning and collaborative learning
Curriculum also encourages Activity Based Learning (ABL), Project Based Learning (PBL) and Research Based Learning (RBL)
Our Outcome Based Education (OBE) system encourages every student and staff to use ICT gadgets at every possible level to improvise the learning curve better

We are practicing Action plan 17-by-17, a digital initiative guided Minister for Human Resource Development Prakash Javadekar.

SUN and its regulations have made compulsory internship in 15 days, 21 days and 45 days during the summer vacation after completing I, II and III year programmes assigned with 1, 2 and 3 credits respectively. All our programmes are aimed to develop Industry-ready graduates.

The Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) is planning a major reshuffle in India’s technical education through the implementation of the single National Entrance Examination for Technical Institutions (NEETI) from January 2018, which includes teacher training and annual revision of curriculum, among others. How prepared is the University?

Change is inevitable, growth is optional; but we in SUN adopt changes as our policy – by adapting it in a way one can enjoy it. Following this dictum of change, we have initiated many changes in our curriculum-design, teaching-learning process, recruitment and retaining the talented teachers in our midst, evaluation process and reforms,
promotions and research facilities, resource mobilisation for research, publications and awards and innovation ecosystem, etc., thereby we are aligning with MHRD and implementation of such things that are happening in the Campus through our dedicated trained faculty and with the cooperation of diligent student community – thus
again guided and supported by our Trust namely “Sandip Foundation”.

In the 21st century, knowledge is the primary production resource instead of capital or labour. Efficient utilisation of this existing knowledge may create comprehensive wealth for the nation in the form of better education.

Proposing NEETI is a welcome move. At the same time, sufficient time and preparations to the aspiring students of Higher Secondary Education, parents and allied stakeholders are very important. NEETI will reduce lots of re-doing exercise of many, but before implementation, MHRD should ensure every one’s interest is well addressed and protected.

What message do you have for the technical graduates, who would soon embark on their career paths?

My message to the technical graduates and other students who are likely to exit from various Higher Educational Institutions are:

To exercise self-discipline and self-denial
To work on character and competence
To dedicate their talents and resources to noble purposes and to provide services to others and nation

Mewar University – Preparing Industry-Ready Students

By

Akash

-

January 16, 2018

The specifically formulated training/internship module offered in Mewar University is not only helping students in acquiring the required skill sets but also helping them to find their dream jobs, Dr Ashok Kumar Gadiya, Chairman, Mewar University, writes for Elets News Network (ENN).

Dr Ashok Kumar Gadiya, Chairman, Mewar University

We, at Mewar University, believe that education is a powerful means to transform a society, which itself is changing rapidly in ways that will profoundly impact the role of universities in the 21st century. Significant changes have been noticed in higher education, including innovations in curricular design, pedagogy and examinations reforms. However, there is a dire need of bridging the gap between Industry and Academia to be aligned. As a university, we will have to understand the industry’s ever changing requirements and have to develop industry-oriented curriculum, which can nurture the students accordingly.

Our goal has been to create highly skilled professionals for the top echelons of both public and private sector enterprises who are also equally dedicated to the cause of our nation’s socio-economic growth. Our students from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds continue to receive rigorous training to further their technical, managerial and leadership capabilities.

Mewar University offering industry-specific courses:

The University offer courses on the job training with practical exposure as an in-built feature of the curriculum. Skill development of the students is an integral part. Focusing on the same, University has devised its course curriculum in such a way that attending a short term training in a reputed Govt/Semi Govt institutes like Indo-German Tool Rooms (IGTR ), Advance training Institute (ATI ), Central Tool Room (CTI ) National Academy of Construction
(NAC) and many such other organizations is mandatory for all the students, which later is followed by a six months internship during the last semester of the course.

The goal has been to create highly skilled professionals for top echelons of public and private sector enterprises.

This specifically formulated Training/Internship module is not only helping the students in acquiring the required skill sets but is also helping them in their search for getting their dream jobs. For this, university boasts a full-fledged Training and Placement cell which looks into the execution of training /internship and placement programmes.

As a outcome of these initiatives today the university is proud to have its students working in most admired organization like Infosys, Accenture, Hitachi, Ceat, Caparo, Philips, Mahindra, Mitsubishi, Citibank, IBM, HDFC, ICICI etc., to name few.

It is less than ten years of being into existence but the milestones achieved during these years reflect the untiring efforts of the management, due to which students from 29 states of the country have chosen Mewar University for their higher studies.

Standing to its commitment of producing dynamic leaders in all the fields, who will make a difference with their knowledge and skills. Mewar University has pledged to offer Best Teaching, Best Training, Best Counselling, Best Placement, Best Research to all its students.

Shaping Up Youth’s Future Through Skill Training

Interviews

By

digitalLEARNING Network

-

January 16, 2018

The Government of Jharkhand is targetting to ensure 20 lakh youth are skilled through its various training programmes. Not only different government departments but the corporate are also contributing to initiatives of the State Government, says Ajoy Kumar Singh, Secretary, Higher, Technical Education and Skill Development, Government of Jharkhand in an interview with Gopi Krishna Arora of Elets News Network (ENN).

What is the mandate of your department for skill development of youth of Jharkhand?

We have got a mandate to skill 20 lakh people in next five years i.e. by 2022. In order to achieve that mandate, the government has also time and again reiterated that all the budgetary allocations were made to the Jharkhand Skill Development Mission Society (JSDMS) and different departments.

Now, this mandate is not only for the society but the entire target has to be achieved by JSDMS along with other departments like urban development department, rural development department, and health and welfare department. out of this 20 lakh, 12 lakh will be trained by JSDMS whereas training of rest will be done by the aforementioned departments. In order to achieve that, the department has initiated various training programmes one of which is Saksham Jharkhand Kaushal Vikas Yojana (SJKVY), started in December 2016.

Another scheme is Mega Skill Centre also known as Deen Dayal upadhyaya Kaushal Kendra and we have to establish one such training centre in each of the districts of the State. Recently, we have established 14 Mega Skill Centres across the state. Third one is Employability Excellence with College Education and Learning (EXCEL) programme in association with Tata Institute of Social Sciences. The programme is for the students pursuing graduation, passed their 10+2 but don’t want to pursue higher studies and for the students who have graduated but are unemployed due to lack of skills. So broadly speaking, these are the three main programmes for the skill development of youth in Jharkhand.

Which departments are involved in imparting skill training in Jharkhand? Throw some light on their role in brief.

Apart from JSDMS, urban development department is a major department involved in skill development of Jharkhand’s youth. urban development department is executing Deen Dayal upadhyaya Grameen Kaushalya Yojana. Rural development department is another major department contributing to the skill development mission of the State. The third department is the ITIs, a major contributor to the skill development programme. These three are the major departments.

There are other departments like Industry Department, Health Department and the Agriculture Department that are contributing to the skill development programme.

What are the features, vision and mission of the Skill Development Policy of Jharkhand to the State as the “Skill Destination of India”?

The first and foremost reason that we are taking is to develop the State as skill hub of India and for this purpose we want to have a world class skill development centre in the State. We have signed a Mou with Institute of Technical Education (ITE) Singapore and they will be establishing a Brownfield project and a Greenfield project in Ranchi that will be the apex institutes for the skill development in the State. Chief Minister of Jharkhand has also announced to establish a Skill university in the State by next year. So these two will be the apex level institutions to guide skill development programmes and will act as the certifying agency. other than this, at mid-level there will be Mega Skill Centres. These will be the big centers with the capacity to train around 2,000-3,000 people.

We want to establish more such Mega Skill centres in Jharkhand to provide residential training so that anybody from any part of the State can pursue skill training. We have also increased the duration of the training programme. Initially, the duration was 300 to 400 hours but now the training is of 500 to 600 hours. We have also added soft skills as a component in the training programme so that youth of Jharkhand do not lack in these skills. Around 150 hours of soft skill training is provided in these programmes.

We have received positive feedback on Mega Skilling Centres, so now we want to increase the number of these centers by 40 or 50. These centres provide training to lots of people that’s why the centres will play a major role in achieving the target of skilling 20 lakh people by 2022.

Thirdly as we have talked about Saksham Jharkhand Kaushal Vikas Centres which are the smaller centres established blocks or villages to provide easy access of skill development training programmes to citizens.

So in order to achieve our vision, it will be our way. Moreover, we are also linking the training programmes to jobs and we have also introduced a component of on job training.

We are trying to link higher and technical education with the skills development programme. We want to provide skill development training programme through our educational institutions in association with TISS and ILFS. We are also setting up Centre of Excellence and Skill Development Institutes in association with Siemens. one such centre five such institutes are already being established.

How “HUNAR” as a platform is benefitting the citizens and government of Jharkhand in skill development training and fulfilling the requirement of skilled labour?

The youth population in the State is fairly large as 1.08 crore people are between the age of 18 to 35. This is a perception all over India that skill programme is not job oriented, means the youth are not getting jobs, they are only getting training. In order to break that psychology, we are going to organise Skill Summit 2018. During the summit, we will give offer letters to 25,000 youth.

We received very good response for skill training and trained students from colleges and polytechnic are also participating in different placement melas. All over the State, we are having placement drive from the 1st November. Many of which are conducted and around 14,000 students are placed through these drives.

HUNAR brings employer and student on common platform. Employers and students can register online and may participate in interviews. After clearing the interview, the students will get the offer letter immediately.

How is the response for this HUNAR platform?

Excellent, especially for the campus drive we have undertaken. College principals are very enthusiastic and entire scenario is going to change because of this.

Industry engagement will act as a catalyst to create placementled training initiatives for skill aspirants of Jharkhand. How the Government is planning to partner with business communities and employers in this regard?

Industries are also involved in setting up the Mega Skilling Centres. These centres are either established with the help of industries or they have tie up with different centres e.g. one CMC Center has been set up in association with Hiranandani Group. A motor vehicle training centre has tie up with Mahindra. At the centre, Mahindra will be providing all the equipments The benefit of industry sponsored training centres is that the trained students are either recruited by the organisation itself or by any other organisation of the same industry. Another training centre in Madhupur has tie up with the health services. These training centres were set up in such a way that theyhave industry tie up from their inception.

“We have got a mandate to skill 20 lakh people in next five years i.e. by 2022. In order to achieve that mandate, the government has also time and again reiterated that all the budgetary allocations were made to the Jharkhand Skill Development Mission Society (JSDMS) and different departments.”

What initiatives are being taken for the skill training of economically weaker section and minority community of the society?

All our programmes are as per the norms of Government of India. We are also providing uniforms to the candidates coming tour training centres. We have opened 14 placement centres and regular placement drives are conducted at these training centres throughout the year. We are also giving daily incentives of Rs 200 to every candidate appearing in these placement drives.

There are many cases of skilled students who don’t want to go outside their native State for jobs. What steps are taken to overcome this?

We have faced similar kind of problem in our placement drives. So, to resolve the issue, Chief Minister of Jharkhand addressed the industries and business houses of Jharkhand on December 22 to employ citizens of Jharkhand. We have signed Mous with companies for establishing the industries within the State and train youth of the State and prepare them as industry ready resource. It will help such candidates who don’t want to go outside the State in getting the local jobs We are also trying to train the people in such a way that they get better salaries outside their native States. It is useless to send the skilled youth outside the State on the salary they are getting locally. Level – 3 trained candidates are getting a salary of Rs 8,000 to 10,000; Level – 4 are getting Rs 11,000 to 15,000 and level – 5 are getting Rs 15,000 to 20,000. We are training the candidates in level – 3 and Level – 4. From next year our strategy will be to train people at level – 4 and more people to level – 5 to get a respectable livelihood. In order to achieve the same we have increased the course durations and at the same time we are encouraging to get enrolled for level – 5 training. It will also help the candidates to go outside the state willingly.

20 lakh is the target JSDMS is going to achieve by 2022 but what are the targets for 2019? What message you would like give to youth of Jharkhand?

Government is ready to provide skill training to youth as per their requirement and choice. At the same time, the Government is also trying to provide jobs to at least 70% people. 20 lakh is a big target but we are trying to develop the infrastructure in such a way that the target can be achieved easily in a phased manner. In just one year we achieved our previous target and through the summit we are going to celebrate it as the youth day by providing 25,000 certificates. This will change the public’s perception towards the skill training programme and will also boost us to achieve the targets.

Jharkhand: Building Foundation of Development with skilled Work Force

Magazine

By

Akash

-

January 15, 2018

With a vision to prepare a sea of skilled manpower, the Government of Jharkhand is operating various skill development schemes through various departments in the State, says Jharkhand’s Minister for School & Literacy Department, Higher and Technical Education and Skill Development Dr Neera Yadav in conversation with Gopi Krishna Arora of Elets News Network (ENN).

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the Higher education should trigger the spirit of innovation and entrepreneurship, ensuring students’ employability. What role does your department play in skilling and providing jobs to the youth under Jharkhand Skill Mission?

Dr Neera YadavMinister for School & Literacy Department, Higher and Technical Education and Skill Development, Government of Jharkhand — Dr Neera Yadav, Minister for School and Literacy Department, Higher and Technical Education and Skill Development, Government of Jharkhand

The outline of the Entrepreneurship and Innovation building programme is proposed to be a two-step approach. First, it should be boosting the ease of doing business for the existing enterprises in the State. Second, it should provide requisite training and skill base for generating new entrepreneurs who can absorb the skilled youth as well
as contribute to the economy of the state by boosting the secondary and tertiary sector. The proposed measures to promote/improve entrepreneurship and innovation includes creating pathways for curriculum changes in schools and colleges, connecting entrepreneurs to peers, mentors, incubators which can support aspirant entrepreneurs in sector identification, enterprise planning, credit linkages, market linkages, operational support etc.

How is the State Government promoting school, higher and technical education in Jharkhand and linking it with skill development mission? What are the policies in place and new initiatives undertaken in this regard?

The Jharkhand Skill Development Mission Society has been incorporated under the Societies Act under Department of Higher, Technical Education and Skill Development to promote quality skill development initiative in the State and develop a healthy and sustainable skill ecosystem. More than 30,000 youths have been trained and placed till now through various Skill Development training programmes. The major skilling programmes are:

SJKVY – Saksham Jharkhand Kaushal Vikas Yojana
DDU-KK – Deen Dayal Upadhyay Kaushal Kendra
EXCEL – Employability Excellence with College Education and Learning
COE – Centre of Excellence

Department of Higher, Technical Education and Skill Development has partnered with Siemens in setting up technical skilling centres “Centre of Excellence” at BIT Sindri and “Technical Skill Development Institutes” in five Government polytechnics. An ambitious programme named EXCEL (Employability Excellence with College Education; Learning) has also been launched in colleges making youth technically sound and industry ready leading to successful employment.

Jharkhand is emerging as the Skill Destination of India. The Government of India is also emphasing on Skill India Mission, how is the State implementing this mission and making youth skilled?

The Government of Jharkhand has an ambitious target of skilling 20 lakh youths in next five years which includes 12 lakh by the Department of Higher, Technical Education and Skill Development and remaining 8 lakhs by other departments. The Mission is leveraging upon its various Skill Development programs like SJKvY (Saksham Jharkhand Kaushal vikas Yojana), DDU-KK (Deen Dayal Upadhyay Kaushal Kendra), EXCEL (Employability Excellencewith College Education Learning) and CoE (Centre of Excellence) to achieve its target. The Mission is aggressively working towards establishing large size Skill Development Centres with high training capacity under DDU-KK programme also known as Mega Skill Centres covering all 24 districts.

How is the State government ensuring skill training in Jharkhand serves global standards as well? Tell us about the recent initiatives of the department.

Chief Minister of Jharkhand Raghubar Das has visited the Institute of Technical Education (ITE), Singapore, and signed a MoU there to develop a skill development centre in the State. The centre will provide class training facilities to create better employment opportunities in the State. our various schemes are helping students to get the jobs in foreign countries like United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Tell us about the special budget allocated for skill development mission in the State and how government is planning to increase this in next year?

The government has established Jharkhand Skill Development Mission Society and Mega Skill Training Centres along with increase in budget for skill training of the youth. The current budget allocated for Skill Development in the State is Rs 700 crore which is expected to be increased to Rs 1,000 crore next year. To boost the skill training in the State, the government has tried to remove all the financial and administrative hurdles.

What message you would like to give to the youth of Jharkhand and for the Skill Summit 2018?

The message for the Jharkhand youth under this Skill Summit event is “Jharkhand Government is committed towards skilling youths and making them self-reliant and employable which would enable them earn a respectful living”.

LATEST NEWS

Top Trending News

Top Trending Categories