Pune: Universities are still reluctant to introduce diploma course on skill development, which is why Bachelor of Vocational (B-Voc) course has not yet started in engineering colleges, said Chairman of All India Council of Technical Education (AICTE) Anil Sahasrabudhe, at Pune International Centre (PIC), during a talk on 'Skilling the young for the future', hosted by College of Engineering, Pune (CoEP), on Saturday.
“The current challenge before the nation is to skill 400 million youth. Several government bodies are working towards promoting skill development in India. In order to accomplish Make in India, Digital India, India@75 and other initiatives launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, a basic thing is required, which is skill,” said Sahasrabudhe.
A system has to be created wherein the children must be given the space to be innovative, by enabling them to observe, understand, analyse and identify problems.
“Students have to first adapt to 'learning to learn' skill, wherein they can learn things by observing and on their own, without waiting to be taught. Skill development can start from the initial age. According to psychologists, children are great learners by mere observation. Unless children are left on their own to learn things, it is hard to establish the mindset of being an entrepreneur,” said Sahasrabudhe.
Furthermore, Sahasrabudhe stated, unlike other countries, which focus on real knowledge, India looks for certificate knowledge. “This is the only difference between India and foreign countries. If one compares an engineering degree holder and passout of Industrial Training Institute (ITI), both of their knowledge weighs the same. It is only the restricted mindset that an engineering degree is more dignified than a diploma, which needs to change,” he said.
He also stated that industries will have to transform according to new developments and also help educational institutes to transform along with it.
In support of skill development, the government has introduced National Skill Qualification Framework (NSQF), National Employability Enhancement Mission (NEEM) scheme, Skil Knowledge Provider (SKP) and many more.
“Entrepreneurship and startups are the future of India. It is more important to be job makers than job seekers today,” concluded Sahasrabudhe.
According to data available, only 45 per cent engineering graduates are employed through placements conducted by colleges, while 55 per cent struggle to find jobs, said Anil Sahasrabudhe.
