Prime Minister Narendra Modi has taken it as passion to push vigorously “Skill India Mission” to take advantage of India’s demographic dividend to promote Make in India so that country became a global manufacturing hub. The Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises has been providing training to 8-9 lakh persons annually to enable them create new enterprises or become job ready for industry. In a free-wheeling interaction, S Ramadorai, Chairman of National Skill Development Agency (NSDA), gives an overview of the challenges in skill development to smepost.com editor K R Sudhaman
Q: How crucial is skill development for SME growth?
Ans: Small and Medium enterprises sector is the most critical engine of employment and entrepreneurship in the country. The SME clusters, which are across the country, must be looked at from competency building and skill up-gradation point of view so that we as part of the global supply chain must absolutely become World class if make in India has to be a successful initiative. Our Prime Minister talked about Make in India, but all of us need to understand that SME linkage to the OEM suppliers and then in turn to global supply network becomes crucial need in a globalised and inter-connected World.
Q: What are the deficiencies in skill development that is coming in the way of SME growth?
Ans: Skill development requires starting with advocacy where possessing a skill becomes absolutely a life changing experience for every youth of the country. A good skill will take you to seek a passion and continuous learning becomes way of life. Beyond hobbies, following a skill becomes your passion and doing something with your hands in addition to your mind becomes a holistic experience.
Q: Is deficiency in education system preventing youth from acquiring skills?
Ans: Education system in the country during the last 65 years has completely neglected vocational part of education as what you are trying to do as a journey that started in 2007 is to re-select and introduce vocational training as part of educational system in the schools through a skill qualification framework called NSQR. This in turn will ensure that school drop outs and other people who are passionate about vocational skills seek that path. Also, it will be a pathway from vocational education to general education and thereby students can ultimately graduate to be a Bachelor in Vocational Education degree.This is our journey that we are trying to put in place.
Q: Have corporates coming forward to help government in modernising ITI’s to impart better skill?
Ans: Corporates have adopted ITI’s but I think institute management committees require lot of changes. The autonomy of institutes has to be introduced followed by new curriculum and courses which are in line with jobs in hand against the same curriculum which did not fetch jobs. The ITI’s modernization was the second factor because the equipment was obsolete. Last but not the least, was with the help of World Bank and some of the Corporates the adoption of ITI’s is going to change. Also, the Director General of Technical Education has shifted from Ministry of Labour to Ministry of Skill Development so that there is a consolidated and combined review of education through ITI’s. In the next few years, ITI will get a new lease of life and more than that states have also begun to accept that model.