Page 61 - EW JULY PDF

Nevertheless, even as upskilling
panic is spreading through India Inc
and across every sector of the econ-
omy, Rajendra Pawar, promoter-
chairman of the Gurgaon-based NIIT
Ltd (estb.1981) — arguably India’s
first IT skills upgradation company
which has upskilled and certified over
35 million personnel worldwide, ad-
vises that there’s no cause for panic in
the new AI and IT 4.0 age.
“People, especially youth, should
view the new AI, ChatGPT and robot-
ic age as an opportunity rather than
a threat. Those who embrace revo-
lutionary new technologies willingly
by upskilling themselves are likely
to succeed. This is likely to be India’s Pawar: opportunity not threat Shah: skill development vouchers option
century. We have several advantages
— the world’s largest population of voucher programme under which any accredited skills education institute.
eager and quick-to-learn children and youth can avail of VET at a certified Payment for tuition is made with the
youth and a large number of edtech, institute of her choice. vouchers with top-up contributions
fintech and digitisation companies This option was outlined by Dr. (if necessary) made by the student/
— including NIIT — which can meet Parth Shah, former professor of learner. Once training is completed,
the rising demand for upskilling. We economics at Michigan University the accredited institution redeems the
should seize this opportunity and in- and promoter-director of the Centre voucher (from government),” wrote
vest in skilling our population, it’s not for Civil Society, a highly-respected Shah and Verghese (see https://www.
as difficult as it seems,” says Pawar, Delhi-based think tank and research educationworld.in/great-potential-of-
who as promoter-CEO of NIIT, played associate Leah Verghese, in an essay skill-vouchers).
a major role in skilling India in the IT written for EducationWorld over a With students and working pro-
1.0 era in the 1980s when the comput- decade ago (January 2011). Accord- fessionals spooked by disruptive high
er age dawned and threatened to turn ing to the authors, several countries technologies and new power tools
industry topsy-turvy, and is “quite have implemented the skills voucher and equipment, there’s a discernible
prepared to do it again”. programme successfully. For instance, upskilling fever running through all
I N THE CIRCUMSTANCES with programme grants vouchers to busi- tage that contemporary India enjoys
sectors of the economy. The advan-
Kenya under its Jua Kali Vouchers
ness enterprises to upskill their em-
a rising number of public and
over all other nations worldwide is its
private VET education provid-
lation. The demand for new skills to
at MSMEs (micro, small and medium
ers of varying quality having ployees. The programme is targeted young, eager and quick-to-learn popu-
mushroomed across the country in enterprises) to enable them to im- do new jobs is manifest and rising. Yet
response to public demand, the best prove the quality of their workforce. as usual, constraints and road-blocks
option available to quickly upskill In- “A skill voucher is an instrument are on the supply side of this newly-
dia’s children and youth is for schools given to an individual or an enterprise emergent equation.
to faithfully implement the National (by government) which enables the re- With misguided expenditure pri-
Education Policy (NEP) 2020 direc- cipient to sign up for VET from any orities — high establishment expendi-
tive to introduce VET programmes ture, middle class subsidies, interest
for children from class VI onwards as The demand for new skills payouts and persistent fiscal deficits —
a long-term solution. of the Central and state governments,
Meanwhile to upskill the huge to do new jobs is manifest the push for upskilling the world’s
number of unemployable youth whil- and rising. Yet as usual, largest and most high-potential youth
ing away their time in an era when population has to come from indus-
there is large and unmet demand from constraints and road-blocks try. This is a necessary precondition
industry, agriculture and the service are on the supply side of this for the survival and prosperity of India
sectors for skilled personnel, the best newly-emergent equation Inc in the new hi-tech age driven by
option is to introduce a national skills global hyper-competition.

JULY 2023 EDUCATIONWORLD 61