Editorials

by Rajen Kumar

No Escaping Social Media

Running a magazine concentrating on issues of small and medium enterprises and managing with limited resources is a like living life on the edge. In this rush of meeting deadlines,...

Special Reports

Apr 2012

EMRC, Brussels Associates with SME WORLD as its New Media Partner

EMRC has promoted business partnerships with the developing world and has organised dozens of business forums in key decision-making cities, such as Amsterdam, Rome,...

Top Stories

Government announces measures India will have 500 Million Skilled Technicians by 2020

Sep 2008

The Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has written to all the Chief Ministers to consider opening up public education infrastructure, after class hours, for skill development. This can lead to a dramatic scaling up of skill development where skill developers in the private sector would be able to provide training at cheaper costs and spread skill development to all parts of the country.

“We enjoy a great advantage today of having the largest population of young people in the world. If we invest adequately in their education and employability, this youth power has the capacity to make India shape the emerging world order with a possibility of claiming a fourth of the global workforce. Turning the advantage of our young population to become the largest pool of technically trained manpower in the world is one of the most significant policy initiatives that need to be taken collectively by the Central and the State Governments today,” said the Prime Minister on the occasion of the distribution of National Awards to Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises in New Delhi recently.

According to expert estimates, India has the capacity to create 500 million certified and skilled technicians by the year 2022 affording employment to young people to access opportunities provided by economic growth.

The Government has already taken initiatives by finalizing institutional arrangements consisting of a National Council for Skill Development chaired by the Prime Minister, a National Skill Development Coordination Board coordinated by the Planning Commission to combine public and private prongs of action and a National Skill Development Corporation as a non-profit company catalysed by the Ministry of Finance to promote skill development in the private sector. While the National Council will focus on policy directions and review, the National Skill Development Coordination Board will ensure that government agencies intensify action in areas like vocational education, technical training through industrial training institutes, and through promotion of public-private partnerships.

Increased Investments in Education

Expressing that implementation of skill development programme must begin with increased investments in education, the Prime Minister informed that the Central Government has sought to convert the Eleventh Plan largely into a national plan for education with the gross budgetary support to education being raised from 7.68% in the Tenth Plan to 19% in the Eleventh Plan. “The actual outlays have been increased five-fold and now stand at Rs.2.75 crore. This investment will be used to provide universal elementary education of quality, support a new focus for secondary education and generate a second wave of major investment in higher education with the setting up of several institutions of higher learning including 30 new Central Universities 8 Indian Institutes of Technology and 7 Indian Institutes of Management. This investment in education would be complementary to the proposed action for skill development.

Some of the key governance principles for a skill development strategy would be to design programmes under which the learner can pay the skill provider directly, skills are made bankable and individuals are enabled to convert their knowledge and skills, through Testing and Certification, into higher diplomas and degrees.

Public-Private Infrastructure

The Prime Minister remarked, “as we go about taking the initial steps in a national coordinated action for skill development, I would like to make two specific suggestions to State Governments. One is that we may consider making available buildings of public educational institutions above the High School level after class hours for skill development to any agency including the private sector. It is estimated that there are over 2,00,000 such educational institutions many of which can become skill development centres immediately without affecting formal educational transactions that happen during class hours. Necessary regulations could be brought in by the management authority of the particular educational institution.

Lower Costs to Skill Providers

It would immediately make available a huge stock of public investment to combine with private sector capacity to generate skills. Costs would be lower as skill providers would not have to invest in buildings for skill training. This may help us create skill building opportunities across all parts of the country in a short time. The second suggestion is that State Governments could consider setting up State Level Missions for Skill Development chaired by Chief Ministers to provide inter-sectoral coordination on this critical challenge and, in addition to Government departments, involve experts and representatives from the category of job providers to plan and implement the Mission.”

I am confident that the challenge of employment and employability is one that each Chief Minister would like to address on priority. The Government of India would be willing to extend all possible support for your actions in this area through the institutional arrangements created. I look forward to your response in the matter.”

0 Comments >>

Our Achievements

Winner of appreciation award for promoting SMEs in India.
1st ever Indian magazine to penetrate tier II, III cities & the rural belt.
Industry Partnerships include CII, FICCI, ASSOCHAM, PHDCC, AIMA, ITPO, SME Network, Federation of Indian Micro Small Enterprises (FISME)
Official Magazine Partners for several national & international MSME events.

The Last Word

More Learned than Educated, You were!

I was speechless. Rather hesitatingly I asked him, “So, what have you decided, Sominder ?” His reply was curt and candid, “I have told the doctors that I don’t want to live life as dumb. Only...

You can also write for SME WORLD

We are looking for writers and experts to contribute original stories and articles. Send an email to smeworld@gmail.com with your story idea and lets get talking.

Some of our valued contributors are...