BENGALURU: In an effort to create a unified system for developing curricula and courses for skill development training, Minister for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Rajiv Pratap Rudy has approved the creation of “Sector Mentor Committees” that would act as integrated committees for creating model curricula for skill training courses in each sector. The move seeks to address the existing duplicity of mandate between Mentor Councils and Sector Skill Councils.
The mechanism will provide vertical mobility pathways from short-term to long term courses within the same sector. 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 curricula in short-term and long-term skill competency-based courses would be aligned with corresponding National Occupation Standards (NOSs), Qualification Packs (QPs) and National Skill Qualification Framework (NSQF). The NOSs define the standards of the particular skill that an individual needs to possess in order to carry out a function in the workplace and a group of such standards makes a QP.
The NSQF organises these qualifications according to series of levels of knowledge, skills and aptitude. The framework will 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 have a blend of representation from government as well as the private sector, so as to enable creating a linkage where industry expertise could be leveraged in development of demand driven courses in each sector.
The committees would also provide guidance on restructuring of courses offered under National Council of Vocational Training (NCVT)/Sector Skill Councils (SSCs); suggest indicative input norms such as equipment requirements, duration of training, practical/theory ratio etc., which are associated with curricula; develop curricula related to training of trainer programmes; and identify infrastructure improvements and other performance enhancement strategies. The committees would also be responsible for providing recommendations for improving on the job training and placement of trainees.