Scale of ambition: At present the capacity of skill development in India is around 3.1 million persons per year. The 11th Five Year Plan envisions an increase in that capacity to 15 million annually. India has target of creating 500 million skilled workers by 2022. Thus, there is a need for increasing capacity and capability of skill development programs.
High inclusivity: The skill development initiatives will harness inclusivity and reduce divisions such as male/female, rural/urban, organized/unorganized employment and traditional/contemporary workplace.
Dynamic and demand-based system planning: The skill development initiatives support the supply of trained workers who are adjustable dynamically to the changing demands of employment and technologies. This policy will promote excellence and will meet the requirements of knowledge economy.
Choice, competition and accountability: The skill development initiative does not discriminate between private or public delivery and places importance on outcomes, users’ choice and competition among training providers and their accountability.
Policy coordination and coherence: The skill development initiatives support employment generation, economic growth and social development processes. Skill development policy will be an integral part of comprehensive economic, labour and social policies and programmes. A framework for better coordination among various Ministries, States, industry and other stakeholders will be established.
The following operational strategies will be adopted:
Folding the future in: If we start from our current position, we are likely to extrapolate. Folding the future in allows us to innovate. Innovation is, therefore, an important element of the strategy.
Skills framework must move to a system of equivalence to diplomas and degrees: National Vocational Qualification Framework (NVQF) will be created with an open/flexible system which will permit individuals to accumulate their knowledge and skills, and convert them through testing and certification into higher diplomas and degrees. NVQF will provide quality assured various learning pathways having standards, comparable with any international qualification framework. NVQF will support lifelong learning, continuous upgradation of skills and knowledge.
Skills must be bankable: The process of skill acquisition especially for the poor and needy persons will be made bankable. The effort would be to complement public investment with institutional/ bank finance.
Co-created solutions and forging partnerships: We have to accept a very asymmetric India as a starting point. Partnerships will be consciously promoted between Government, industry, local governments, civil society institutions and all potential skill providers. Institutional mechanism and standing platforms will be created to ensure sustainability.
Game-changing delivery/innovation: Availability of public institutions above the high school level, after class hours for skill development by the Private Sector, without disturbing the normal working, will be explored. Necessary regulations would be brought in by the local management authority of the particular educational institution.