Gujarat Chief Minister raises important concerns on skill development

New Delhi

Based on successful Gujarat experience, Gujarat Chief Minister Smt Anandiben Patel today made five important suggestions to the Government of India pertaining to skill development for youth – to make general education system skill and employment oriented; developing strong institutional relationship with industry; to focus on quality training; a permanent system for matching demand and supply in job market; and bringing unorganized labour force into skilling framework.

 

Smt Patel was speaking at the meeting of Sub -Group of Chief Ministers on Skill Development, convened at NITI Ayog here.  She said that India needs 500 million skilled manpower till 2022 and Gujarat needs 50 million till 2022 as per NSDC Report of 2011.

Gujarat has addressed the issue by making pro-active policies, futuristic planning, dynamic, vibrant and inclusive policies followed by effective implementation and monitoring.

 

The Gujarat Chief Minister suggested that incorporating job oriented changes in higher education curriculum will make our college youth more employable. She also said that vocational education system must be given equivalence with traditional education besides making skill programmes an attractive option for high school pass outs.

 

Smt Patel emphasized on developing strong institutional relationship with industry by initiating industry/employer responsive skilling among youth. She mentioned how Gujarat has institutionalized flexi MoU scheme with industries, which has created firm bonding between industries-institutes. Major industrial houses have joined hands with ITIs for relevant training. Gujarat Government has taken unique initiatives in establishing skill up gradation Centres (SUCs) in the industrial clusters and i-KVKs to impart skill training to freshers and workers in their own industry campus.

 

The Sub -Group of Chief Ministers on Skill Development in NITI Ayog was formed with the approval of Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the first meeting of the Governing Council held on February 8, 2015.

Gujarat’s first woman Chief Minister emphasized the provision of hostel facilities to trainees, especially to girl students. She also raised the other important issue of focus on quality training at the NITI Ayog meeting. She expressed concern that National Skill Qualification Framework (NSQF) designed by Govt of India is yet to be implemented across states and suggested further study of this aspect so that mobility channels for trainees could be established.

Smt Anandiben Patel proposed setting up an independent institution on the lines of the proposed National Skill Research Institute for evaluation of schemes, institutions, grading and accreditation of various training providers.

Highlighting the need to have a permanent system for matching demand and supply in job market, the Gujarat Chief Minister recommended putting in place a robust, efficient and dynamic Labour Market Information System (LMIS) in every state and at national level too. She further stressed bringing the service sector and industries on board to share their manpower requirements and nature of skills.

Smt Anandiben Patel highlighted the need to bring unorganized labour force into the skilling framework through direct assessment and certification of the semi-skilled and unskilled workers. She said that Kaushal Vardhan Kendras (KVKs) have played a significant role as outreach centres for bringing unorganized labour force in the skilling framework in Gujarat. She also suggested a cluster approach to skilling of unorganized sector workers.

Sharing her Gujarat experience on promoting self employment among youth, Smt Patel mentioned that 80 self employment camps were conducted in the state in 2014-15 attended by 2,92,622 candidates. She emphasized that state governments and Centre should work in tandem to provide more opportunities for self employment. Our education system should be modified to develop students with capabilities of becoming self sufficient and self employed.  In addition, there should be provisions for making available tool kits and easy loans from banks for freshers seeking to start up on their own.

India’s demographic dividend is a major contributor to its skilled work force and a mission mode approach in a time bound manner can help establish excellence, productivity and dignity of labour as social values to mobilize resources effectively.

Ms S Aparna, Principal Secretary, Planning and Shri Sanjay Prasad, Principal Secretary, Labour & Employment, Government of Gujarat also attended the meeting.