SKILL-BASED CURRICULUM
Editorial . . . . .
An education that is practical and skill-based can address issues like graduates’ unemployment and employability. Companies around the world are putting a focus on skill development and want a workforce that is multi-skilled. We are currently living in a time of unimaginable change, making skill-based learning essential. We have entered a growth-driven period full of potential thanks to the arrival of new technology, but are we prepared to make use of it? The idea of replacing the current higher education system with a skill-based one has recently received a lot of attention. The National Education Policy 2020 prioritizes practical, hands-on skill development above traditional classroom instruction. India has been battling issues like unemployment and graduates who lack soft skills and are unemployed. Despite having a large pool of talent, many young people struggle to find employment because they lack the necessary skill sets. We must comprehend the distinction between knowledge-based and skill-based schooling. The former attempts to apply education in a practical way to solve problems, whereas the latter involves understanding concepts. The second is what a lot of businesses seek. Talented individuals who can innovate, are open to learning and relearning, can actually apply their knowledge, and who will also upskill themselves are sought after. Around 69% of businesses worldwide, according to consulting company McKinsey, are putting an emphasis on skill development, and more than 50% think that the epidemic and the issues it created have raised the need for a workforce with a variety of skills. If skill-building initiatives are not on the level with contemporary technological innovations, India may lose 2.3% of its yearly growth by 2028, according to an Accenture analysis titled Fuelling India’s skill revolution.
Even though there are currently many changes taking place in our higher education system, the growing demand for seamless integration of a classroom-based curriculum and practical skills-based learning compels our institutions and academicians to start developing a new kind of curriculum that emphasizes research, development, and training. The many techniques can be used to accomplish this like Industry-university collaboration; to provide students with skilled courses, a solid partnership with the industry will be crucial. So that students are aware of the developments on the ground, higher education institutions (HEIs) must invite industry professionals to their labs. Regular seminars, lectures, internships, on-the-job training, and real projects are all great ways to learn about the inner workings of the industry. This will eventually enable academia to modernize previous learnings with current pedagogy and guarantee an enhanced pedagogy.
Further, a government-university collaboration by providing the necessary infrastructure for cutting-edge labs and research and development wings, the government may support universities. The Jammu and Kashmir government and its higher education institutions should work together to develop incentives and apprenticeship programmes that will allow students to gain the necessary experience before entering the workforce.
