25-03-2022: Launch of Centre for Essential Skills (CES) here at IIT Jammu shows the government’s commitment and willingness to take efforts in improving the employability of our youth. Providing employment to its citizens has become a massive challenge these days. Principal Secretary, Higher Education & Information Department, Mr. Rohit Kansal made it clear in his opening remarks while launching CES.
Further, he referred to studies by the institutions like Mckinsey and others and elaborated that the new world of work, soft skills like communication, empathy, and complex decision-making are increasingly gaining currency. He further elaborated that with the coming of automation the lower order, repetitive, and lower cognitive jobs are on the decline. He also stated that higher-order cognitive skills along with soft skills are the benchmarks for job aspirants.
In India, Sector Skill Councils (SSCs) have been incubated by the NSDC for fostering a connection with the industry and devising a curriculum aligned with the demands of the industry
Sector Skill Councils are set up as autonomous industry-led bodies by NSDC. They create Occupational Standards and Qualification bodies, develop competency frameworks, conduct Train the Trainer Programs, conduct skill gap studies, and Assess and Certify trainees on the curriculum aligned to National Occupational Standards developed by them. In India, there are currently 38 Sector Skill Councils that are operational. There are over 600 Corporate Representatives in the Governing Councils of these SSCs.
This Centre for Essential Skills (CES) is a digital resource, which will offer several courses on its portal that will be opened for anyone to apply and the portal will be lived shortly & details of which shall be found on IIT Jammu’s official website. Presently, CES is running 2 minor certification programs for non-IIT Jammu students namely, Transportation Engineering and Hydraulics and Water Resources Engineering. CES is set to open 9 more courses in the next few days that will be open for all to apply. In coming days, some of the technological cutting-edge areas in which courses will be floated are Artificial Intelligence (AI), 3-D Machining, Big Data Analysis, and Machine Learning, in addition to Genomic Studies, Biotechnology, Nanotechnology, and Clean Energy with important applications to health, environment, and sustainable living. Certainly, youth of Jammu and Kashmir will be benefitted and this will enable them to increase their chances of employability.
According to the World Bank’s South Asia Economic Focus Spring 2018 report, India’s working-age population (those above the age of 15) is expanding by approximately 1.3 million a month during 2015-2025. Hence, it needs to create millions of jobs every year to reap the advantage of this demographic dividend. Skill Development will also prepare the workforce for Industry fuelled by increasing urbanization, ubiquitous Internet connectivity, and the proliferation of emerging technologies.
In fact, the journey to skill development should start from the elementary education level onwards. There is an urgent need to revamp the school curriculum and include skill education unlike keeping it focussed towards rote learning. Introduction of vocational subjects, academic-industry collaboration, and emphasis on practical training are the way forward. Furthermore, lifelong learning will be of immense significance in building resilience and remaining relevant in the fast-paced era. One cannot underestimate the role of humanistic skills, including creative and critical problem solving, interpersonal skills, and leadership abilities to navigate through this complex transition. Exploring academia-industry partnerships is necessary for achieving tangible outcomes such as capacity building and the relevance and quality of skills training.
UNICEF through different programs has also been focusing across India and several other countries on skill-building, adolescent development, and participation besides soft skills, highly demanded in the current scenario.
Creating avenues for private sector engagement is a crucial strategic pillar if India is to nurture the dream of becoming the skill capital of the world