Government approves creation of sector mentor committees

NEW DELHI: The Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Ministry has approved setting up mentor committees which would act as integrated panels for creating model curricula for skill training courses.
This is a significant effort to create a unified system for development of curricula and courses for skill development trainings in the country, the ministry said in a statement.

The effort came in light to address the existing duplicity of mandate between Mentor Councils and Sector Skill Councils.

Presently, any individual skilled in short term courses being imparted under various schemes of the government finds it difficult to move ahead in his/her journey in vocational education.

"However, with the establishment of Sector Mentor Committees, all existing curricula in short-term and long-term skill competency based courses would be aligned with corresponding National Occupation Standards, Qualification Packs and National Skill Qualification Framework (NSQF)," it said.

Quoting Minister for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Rajiv Pratap Rudy, it said the framework would provide students with the opportunity to engage in professional skill development courses and also facilitate in developing a career growth path for them.

The committees would also provide guidance on restructuring of courses offered under National Council of Vocational Training, suggest indicative input norms such as equipment requirements and duration of training.

Later addressing a gathering of young entrepreneurs and representatives from the industry and start up ecosystem, the Minister highlighted the significance of linking skills with entrepreneurship to enable a constructive framework bridging the existing gap between skills and employment.

Reiterating the paradigm shift caused by the Start Ups in the US, he mentioned that technological advancement and digital connectivity would essentially be the key to entrepreneurship and economic development.

Quoting a World Bank Study which mentions that only 5168 patents were granted in India as compared with 1,72,113 in China, Rudy urged young individuals to look at the challenges and build innovative solutions to address them.