A strong eco-system for skills development vital

It is interesting to read the well-thought-out views expressed by many educationists, teachers, students, and technocrats on 'Are skills getting priority in our education system' in the columns published by The Hans India. It is generally agreed that skills are not getting priority in our education system. It is a general perception that skills and knowledge are the driving forces of economic growth and social development.

India Skills Report 2018 has noted that qualified and skilled human resources are the most important propellant for the economic advancement of our nation. India has the world's largest youth population in the 15 to 35 age group. We can harvest this demographic advantage by empowering our youth with quality education and skills. The country is facing a shortage of skilled and vocationally trained personnel such as electricians, plumbers, masons, carpenters, painter-decorators, and hardware technicians. The ground reality is that we do not have enough skilled people to execute the required to achieve monumental goals such as 'Make in India,' Digital India, and 'Skill India'. Most of the artisans being engaged for services are either illiterates, semi-literates, or school drop-outs. But the work very often turns out to be of poor quality due to the adoption of obsolete skills they have learned from a senior artisan as helpers. Students pursuing formal education in undergraduate and postgraduate colleges/universities acquire only cognitive intelligence with little attention to other dimensions of intelligence. Traditionally, our education system does not pay much attention to skill-building but prepares the students for paper degrees. Most of the pass-outs are not fit for employment due to a lack of skills. Nowadays, the industry is on a fast-track. Employers require candidates who are job-ready. They mostly prefer young workers with basic academic skills as well as vocational skills. The present vocational education does not emphasise on general academic skills. Hence, the educational institutions and the vocational training centres should be synergised. This involves the introduction of skilling at various levels of education upper primary, secondary and tertiary. The system should allow horizontal and vertical mobility for the students. It is equally important to develop a network of quality trainers in the skill development ecosystems by establishing high-quality teacher training institutions.

The integrated skill development education will also be useful for the self-employment and empowerment of youth. By integrating formal education with vocational education the student gets the opportunity to learn optional subjects such as English, Mathematics, and Science along with a core vocational subject thus bridging the skills gap in our education system. The industry should also be involved to invest in vocational education and training as part of corporate social responsibility. Above all, the students should develop curiosity and motivation to learn.

Dr ER Subrahmanyam,

Amalapuram