National Conference on Technical Vocational Education Organized by Aicte Concludes NEED TO HARNESS THE GREAT TALENT AND POTENTIAL OF THE INDIAN YOUTH - D. PURANDESWARI
	18:32 IST

The 2-day National Conference on Technical Vocational Education & Training and Skills Development: A Road Map for Employment, organized by All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) concluded here at NASC Complex, Pusa, this evening. Delivering the Keynote Address at the Valedictory Function Smt. D. Purandeswari, Minister of State for Human Resource Development, emphasized the need to transform our toiling masses into our most precious asset and the most wonderful opportunity. She said, " The Indian masses need to be empowered and their full potential needs to be tapped. By providing abundant supply of skilled manpower, the Indian nation can position itself as a world leader of substance and significance in the new knowledge economy. Continued and sustainable growth of the world market and the Indian economy requires us to translate knowledge into credentialed skills that are saleable in the fiercely competitive world market. Further, we need to uphold the dignity of labour through the agenda of decent work. The collective knowledge and wisdom of the masses is still untapped." Smt. D. Purandeswari emphasized the urgent need to harness the great talent and potential of the Indian youth. Following is the full text of her speech: "I am glad to be present here at the valedictory session of the National Conference on "Technical Vocational Education & Training and Skills Development: A Road Map for Employment” organized on the initiatives by All India Council for Technical Education, New Delhi. The importance of vocational education in our scheme of educational planning and management is too obvious to merit a detailed recapitulation. The University Education Commission 1948-49 headed by Dr. S. Radhakrishanan rightly emphasized its importance in the following words: "Professional education is the process by which men and women prepare for exacting, responsible service in the professional spirit. The term may be restricted to preparation for fields requiring well informed and disciplined insight and skill of a high order. Less exacting preparation may be designated as vocational or technical education." The Kothari Commission (1964-66) was of the view that for a majority of occupations, university degrees were not necessary; and these jobs could be competently performed by trained higher secondary students. This Commission felt that it should be possible to divert at least 50 per cent of students completing 10 year education to the vocational stream, which would reduce the pressure on the universities and also prepare students for gainful employment. The National Policy on Education. 1986 further emphasized its importance and observed: “The introduction of systematic, well planned and rigorously implemented programme of vocational education is crucial in the proposed educational re-organization. Vocational education will be a distinct stream intended to prepare students for identified vocations spanning several areas of activity” The main objectives of the scheme of Vocationalisation of Secondary Education as contemplated in the NPE are to provide diversification of educational opportunities so as to enhance individual employability, reduce the mismatch between demand and supply of skilled manpower in the context of higher global and domestic demands in emerging economic scenario. In the 21st century India has transformed herself from a developing country into an emerging economy and super power in the making. From being a low-cost destination, we have now become a knowledge hub to the world. Every year, 6,50,000 engineering graduates and approximately two million graduates pass out of colleges. Nearly two-thirds of the 6,50,000 engineering graduates need to be re-skilled, so that they can get jobs in the industry. Meanwhile, the developed world requires knowledge workers and skilled professionals. By 2020, the developed world will have a shortage of 40 million working people, says a report. A recent study by global HR consultancy Manpower Inc says that 41 per cent of employers worldwide are having difficulty filling positions due to lack of suitable talent in their markets. For the developed world, this is a serious matter. Manpower shortages can cripple economic growth. It can escalate wage rates, thereby reducing the competitiveness of these countries. India produces the highest number of technical manpower globally. The inputs however require considerable modifications. Furthermore, in the emerging era of knowledge-driven globalisation and declining workforce in developed countries, India with its large young population (including rural areas) has the opportunity to position itself as a quality source of skilled manpower for the world. Technical education in India covers a broad spectrum right from Technical High Schools and Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs), Polytechnics and all the way to colleges of Engineering, Universities of Technology and Indian Institutes of Technology. The new economy demands new trades and new skills and competencies. The traditional skill set is fast becoming obsolete and the world is looking at India to cap the skills gap in all sectors. The manpower shortage is a global phenomenon. India can provide a solution and therefore has a tremendous opportunity to assume global leadership. A very large population has been perceived to be India’s biggest constraint in the process of development. However, this constraint needs to be transformed into our most precious asset and the most wonderful opportunity. The Indian masses need to be empowered and their full potential needs to be tapped. By providing abundant supply of skilled manpower, the Indian nation can position itself as a world leader of substance and significance in the new knowledge economy. Continued and sustainable growth of the world market and the Indian economy requires us to translate knowledge into credentialed skills that are saleable in the fiercely competitive world market. Further, we need to uphold the dignity of labour through the agenda of decent work. The collective knowledge and wisdom of the masses is still untapped. The great talent and potential of the Indian youth is yet to be harnessed. The need for Vocational Education and Training (VET) to be driven by demand of industry/enterprises and economy has become a key policy goal in India. VET provisions have to be relevant and applicable to the manpower needs of the Industry. The assessment of manpower situation should take into consideration the quantitative and qualitative aspects. The quantitative aspects should include type of industry/enterprises, number of existing employees at various occupational levels, etc. The qualitative aspects should include the educational background and work experience, rates of employee turnover, modernization and development plans, expansion of production activities and division of labour (e.g., use of ICT, productivity enhancing skills, production techniques, marketing, advertisement, etc.). A National Qualification Framework is needed to address various issues of manpower assessment and training and to facilitate lifelong learning of workers. It will also help enterprises and employment agencies to match skill demand with supply and to develop a credible industry based system of training and assessment. The skill development at present is taking place mostly in the informal way i.e. persons acquire skill at the work place when they help their parents, relatives and employers etc. Such persons do not have a formal recognition and thus earn lower wages and are exploited by employers. They have come through informal system due to socio-economic circumstances of the family and the compulsions of earning a livelihood rather than attending a formal course. While their productivity is low, their contribution to the national GDP cannot be ignored. If the country can create a system of certification which not only recognizes their skills but also provides education and training in a mode that suits their economic compulsions, it will not only benefit the workforce to earn a decent living but also contribute to the national economic by higher productivity. Skills shortages can be caused by (i) a general under investment in skill development; (ii) rapid structural change combined with low levels of overall unemployment; (iii) a cyclical surge in employment in a part of the economy; and (iv) particular areas of weakness in the training system. Offering a contemporary, flexible and cost-effective VET option to youth requires a VET system that fits into Business/Industry priorities and demands. Workers in the unorganized sectors have obsolete or insufficient skill sets to make an adequate or decent living. The formal VET system is not geared to meet the skill demands of the unorganized sector. Local initiatives should be taken by organizations/Institutions to conduct Training Needs Survey to access the needs of the target groups and the market and design courses and course material to address specific skill requirements. Construction, plumbing, electrical work, tele-marketing, retail management, driving, hospitality, tourism and Insurance are some of the grey areas where local initiatives are needed to assess the manpower and skill requirements. With these words, I appreciate the initiative taken by the AICTE in organizing this Conference which is of utmost importance in present scenario and thank all speakers who have participated in the National Conference." --------------- KKP