Vocational training in Tamil Nadu will undergo a major transition in the next one year with a focus on ‘quality and quantity' of students coming out of the institutes, according to Mr Santosh Mishra, Director and Member Secretary, State Mission for the Scheme of Employable Skill Training to the Unemployed Educated.
The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) is helping the Department to revamp the vocational education in the State. This includes introducing new methods of teaching and using technology at various stages, he said.
The council is talking to various stakeholders, including the industry and industry associations, in this regard. The focus is both on ‘quality and quantity' of students. There is a shortage of vocational students in State, he said at a function to launch the Master Resource Centre by Everonn Skill Development Ltd. Mr Mishra said while nearly 60,000 students apply for various vocational training, the State has facility to provide training only to nearly 23,000 students. “Things will change in the next two years,” he said.
‘Skilled labour'
According to CII, the domestic industry is growing and several international companies are setting up base in India. This growth has increased the demand for ‘skilled labour'. The vocational set up in India, comprising ITIs and polytechnics caters to only 2.5 million people. By and large, the current system has failed to live up to its expectations of providing a skilled employable workforce. There is a need for greater interaction between the industry, government and academia. This is only possible if all the stakeholders work together with an element of autonomy through the establishment of Sector Skill Councils.
In August last year, to commemorate the UN declaration and with a view to upgrading the skills of large number of unemployed educated youth in close collaboration with the private sector, Tamil Nadu launched “Employable Skill Training for Educated Unemployed Youth” scheme. The implementation of the scheme will be done with the active participation of the private sector.