NSN Connect 2022 – Re-igniting the Skilling Landscape in India – Episode 5

The fifth episode of the NSN Connect 2022 series broadly focused on ITIs and Technical education in India.

NSN Connect 2022 on Re-igniting the skilling landscape in India is an initiative by Team NSN to learn about these areas. The esteemed guest of the eight-episode series is Mr. Rajesh A R, CEO, LabourNet who is a thought leader and domain expert who will share his experience and expertise on various aspects that are crucial to re-ignite the skilling landscape in India.

Here is the excerpt from the fourth episode. To watch the full episode, please visit our YouTube channel.

NSN Connect 2022 – Episode 5: Industry role in improving ITIs

For the benefit of the policymakers, the industries have introduced schemes like dual ITI etc., where they can demand or redesign the learning part of it. But from an industry perspective, they look at it as a short-term thing. The industry will do wonders if they adopt ITIs or set up digital marketing streams. It is important to merge CSR to infrastructure to pedagogy and bring guest lecturers who can convince students to learn.

As an industry, it is also important for them to treat a student like a first-timer. For an intern, they should give them a classroom orientation and the option of the day shift as immediately putting an intern to work is a proxy to contract labour. Hence, if the industry tries to invest in that particular student/ITI/society, we can see much difference. 

Training of ITI instructors and faculty development

To make themselves employable in the industry, trainers keep themselves updated and upgrade their skill sets. The trainers are aligned to the industry which can be in terms of placing ITI students. 

Those trainers did not know about the new changes happening but they knew somebody from Maruti’s auto-dealer and they connected with another set of people. The trainers were ready to train and give an orientation on new updates from their locality.

NSN Connect 2022: Women in ITIs and industry mindset

According to the statistics, out of around 13-14 lakh students in ITIs, women will not be more than one lakh in any trades that are predominantly industrial. In trades like fashion and beauty, the numbers will be slightly higher. For the rate of women students to increase, the industry needs to look at creating separate shifts for them and safer restrooms. 

Across the country, they have attempted putting a women’s counselor into the shift for women to feel safe.

ITI – NIOS towards equivalence and NEP 2020

In NIOS, there is a bridge course that creates an equivalent to the 12th standard and he can move to graduation after the 12th. It is going to be a transformative change because NEP will become a credit base where you don’t have to take bridge courses. These credits will be converted and looked at how to create B.Voc courses.

Today, avenues are created for various pathways to ensure a student going to degree/PhD level and enhance his/her academic qualification along with skills. This can also give them social recognition along with wage recognition.

Also read: NSN Connect 2022 – Re-igniting the Skilling Landscape in India – Episode 4 https://nationalskillsnetwork.in/nsn-connect-2022-re-igniting-the-skilling-landscape-in-india-episode-4/

Three action items

1. To rename the nomenclature of an ITI to a skill development center, there is a re-imagination of the courses and the aspiration linked to it that gives value to the set of the target audience.
2. Industry leaders need to go back to academia at regular intervals of time to understand various updates in R and D.
3. The industry should recognize a particular skill to create more skill premium or wage premium so that it encourages the student to take a higher degree of certification. This will also create a much more productive workforce for our country.