QSEC Australia and CEMCA jointly conduct vocational leadership workshop

Queensland Skills and Education Consortium (QSEC) and Commonwealth Education Media Centre for Asia (CEMCA) came together to facilitate a workshop on developing a model for vocational leadership in India. The workshop was held in Delhi on 14th May 2018 and saw active participation from many stakeholders in the skills and VET space in India.

QSEC Australia constitutes a group of high performing Registered Training Organisations (RTOs), based in Queensland, Australia. The Consortium was established to deliver a wide range of high quality programs that impact positively on the lives of job seekers in India. The primary focus of the Consortium is to deliver industry relevant skills programs that lead to employment.

CEMCA is an intergovernmental international organization committed to the cause of “Learning for Sustainable Development”. CEMCA, the only regional office of Commonwealth of Learning head quartered in Canada, works through its partners in India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka in the areas of formal, informal and non-formal learning by using suitable media and technology.

Dr. Shahid Rasool, Director CEMCA, set the tone of the workshop by his opening remarks by reflecting on the areas of concern related to Skill Development which identified “Capacity Development of Vocational Trainers” as one of the most important areas to focus.

The workshop was facilitated by Ms Sarojni Choy, Associate Professor School of Education and Professional Studies, Griffith University. The select group of participants represented a unique cross section of the skills ecosystem in India including Government Officials, Industry Associations, Sector Skill Councils (SSCs), Consulting Firms, Think Tanks, Training Organisations, Universities and many others.

The session was designed as a conversation starter, for a topic which is currently in a nascent stage in the ecosystem. Whilst much focus is given to making skills aspirational for the learner, very little time is spent identifying how to attract, retain and grow the best talent to teach the future workforce.

During the workshop participants discussed vocational models from around the world, including Singapore, Australia, Switzerland, Germany and others, along with how to engage industry in the professional development of trainers & assessors and how to build aspirational career pathways for professionals in the sector, amongst other things.

The parties agreed to take the conversation forward and are planning additional workshops and roundtables around India to engage a wider audience and begin to identify detailed solutions in this space.

During the workshop participants were joined by special guest, Prof. Ashok Ogra, Director, AIMC for the formal launch of CEMCA’s latest product “A MOOC for Life Skills for Engineers”. The MOOC is designed to develop the much needed skill set amongst young engineers whilst also being a tool which can help engineering trainers to grow their own skills. The program is free and available online, having already achieved more than 3,000 enrolments.