Weekly Newsbytes from NSN on Skill Development and Education – 22nd September 2026

This week’s NSN Newsbytes highlights new approaches to workforce readiness, industry collaboration and emerging skills. BRICS 2026 has placed education, TVET, skills forecasting and employability at the centre of regional cooperation, while India’s participation in WorldSkills Shanghai 2026 reflects the growing emphasis on advanced and future-ready skills. At the national level, initiatives are expanding access to vocational education, apprenticeships, digital certification, entrepreneurship and livelihood opportunities.

Across states, new programmes are strengthening skilling in areas ranging from agriculture and logistics to artificial intelligence, textiles and technology. Industry-academia partnerships are also creating new pathways into sectors such as semiconductors, hospitality and advanced manufacturing. Meanwhile, institutions are focusing on hands-on learning, career guidance and industry exposure to bridge the gap between education and employment. 

Here we go with this week’s edition of our weekly newsbytes – 

Apprenticeships

• OPTCL has invited applications for 100 Graduate, Diploma and ITI Trade Apprentice positions for 2026–27, with stipends ranging from ₹9,600 to ₹12,300 per month. Last date to apply is October 1, 2026. Click here to apply!

Highlights from this week’s Newsbytes

• BRICS countries will establish a common research repository, youth startup platform and explore a university ranking system to deepen cooperation in education, innovation and skilling.
• NITI Aayog has cited Odisha’s World Skill Center as a model for industry-integrated, outcome-linked skilling, highlighting its specialised programmes and focus on employability.
• India’s largest-ever 70-member Team India contingent has been flagged off for WorldSkills Shanghai 2026, competing across 63 skill categories, including 11 new-age skills.
• At NSTI-W Hyderabad, CTS students are gaining practical experience while preparing for the skills needed in a changing workplace. Read about NSN’s interaction with students and faculty and the focus on employability. Click Here

BRICS 2026: Rethinking Skills, TVET and Workforce Readiness 

• How Ready Is India’s Skills Ecosystem? – Following the BRICS 2026 Summit and its focus on skills, TVET and workforce preparedness, share your perspective through the short NSN Skills Ecosystem Check. Click here
• BRICS 2026: Education, Skills and TVET in the New Delhi Declaration – Explore the key education, skills and TVET priorities outlined in the BRICS New Delhi Declaration, including workforce preparedness, industry linkages, digital literacy and emerging technologies. Click here
• The BRICS Skills Challenge: 50 Questions the New Delhi Declaration Raises – Examine 50 questions around labour-market alignment, industry participation, AI, employability, qualifications and other dimensions of a responsive skills ecosystem. Click here
• TVET and Skills @BRICS 2026: Flagship Initiatives from Member Countries – Discover selected skills and TVET initiatives from the 11 BRICS member countries and the practices they offer as reference points for India. Click here

PSSCIVE Strengthens Skill-Based Education Capacity  

• PSSCIVE conducted a five-day training in Bhubaneswar for 40 educators on implementing vocational education at the middle stage, covering skills, entrepreneurship, AI and career awareness.
• PSSCIVE began a two-day capacity-building programme for 65 KRPs from Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan on Skill-Based Bagless Days, Kaushal Bodh and career-oriented learning.
• PSSCIVE concluded a two-day programme for 65 participants, providing hands-on training in skill-based education, Kaushal Bodh, Bagless Days, digital tools and career guidance.

National skill development updates

• NSKFDC offers concessional loans up to ₹30 lakh for individuals and ₹75 lakh for groups, supporting self-employment and sustainable livelihoods among sanitation workers.
• India’s 647 RSETIs are shifting to digital assessments and certification, with blockchain-enabled certificates and QR verification to improve transparency and credit access.
• A two-day national conference in Mumbai focused on welfare, skilling, employment and social protection measures for Building and Other Construction Workers.
• BRICS countries will collaborate on skills forecasting across digital, green and care sectors, with BRICS CONNECT supporting capacity building, employability and knowledge exchange. 
• Government data from the NAPS portal shows only 58,992 of 1.98 lakh registered establishments actively provide apprenticeships. Administrative hurdles, stipend delays and dropouts remain key challenges. 
• MSME Ministry marked PM Vishwakarma’s third anniversary in Kolkata, highlighting skill training, modern tools, credit and market linkages for traditional artisans.

State-led Skill Initiatives 

• More than 35 rural women completed a six-day skill training programme in Upper Siang, Arunachal Pradesh, gaining practical skills to create value-added products and build sustainable livelihoods.
• OSEPA and OUAT launched dual-mode vocational education in agriculture and allied sectors across 26 PM SHRI schools in 20 Odisha districts. 
• Nagaland inaugurated its first Centre of Excellence in logistics, COLTE, in Dimapur, established by Redington Foundation and LSC to strengthen logistics skills.
• BMC plans six new skill development centres in north Mumbai, offering training in AI, emerging technologies and industry-relevant skills for people aged 18-40.
• Himachal Pradesh plans to integrate apprenticeship opportunities with degree programmes, strengthening industry exposure, practical learning and employability among higher education students.
• Students in Pfutsero, Nagaland, explored vocational skills, entrepreneurship and content creation at a seminar highlighting employability and emerging digital career opportunities.
• Rajasthan plans to expand apprenticeship-embedded degree programmes, giving students industry experience alongside higher education and a ₹12,300 apprenticeship stipend.
• Ladakh launched a RAMP-supported capacity-building programme with NIFT Srinagar to strengthen textile artisans’ skills, value addition and traditional product development. 
• Kerala launched Mukulam, an AI-assisted free training portal for higher secondary and vocational students preparing for competitive entrance examinations including NEET, JEE and CUET. 
• Tripura launched AI Utsav 2026, offering free AI courses through SIDH to government school students from Classes VI to XII across all eight districts. 
• Meghalaya’s Shillong Technology Park has created over 1,400 local jobs, including 700+ for women, as a second phase nears completion to expand the state’s IT sector. 

Industry Partnerships for Employability 

• Oil India Limited received the Appreciation Award 2026 for its contributions to apprenticeship and skill development initiatives. 
• Marriott International launched Project Prarambh to provide hospitality training, workplace exposure and mentorship to youth from vulnerable communities, supporting pathways to formal employment. 
• Ador Welding renewed its partnership with Hindalco School of Excellence to strengthen welding skills through refresher training, evaluation and industry-aligned certification. 
• Tata Electronics and Gati Shakti Vishwavidyalaya signed an MoU to develop industry-ready talent for semiconductor manufacturing, focusing on facility engineering, infrastructure, project management and supply chains. 
• Samsung India launched Samsung Innovation Campus 2026 in Karnataka to train 2,000 youth aged 18-25 in industry-relevant AI skills, building on over 3,000 people trained in the state. 

Higher Education and Emerging Skills  

• IIT Delhi’s FITT Forward 2026 highlighted the need for hands-on learning, industry collaboration and practical skills to make engineering education more industry-ready.
• ITI Samba organised a district-level NAPS Mela with 140+ participants and seven industries, facilitating on-spot registrations, apprenticeship contracts and awareness on stipend-supported training.
• GNDU urged affiliated colleges to strengthen industry collaborations, skill development and entrepreneurship initiatives to enhance students’ practical exposure, employability and career opportunities.
• Nimaya, with Gates Foundation and Ashoka University’s CSBC, is expanding its GenAI Ready Naari programme to Ahmedabad and Guwahati, training young women in AI literacy and workplace readiness.

To know more, check out the latest updates on CSR and ESG initiatives that are creating a meaningful impact in skill development and education here: https://nationalskillsnetwork.in/csr-and-esg-in-skill-education/

*IMPORTANT:

The Weekly Newsbytes on skills and education from NSN are curated and adapted from various sources with the sole objective of keeping our readers updated about the evolving skills industry in India.

We compile and adapt these new snippets from various sources. If any source has objections or other concerns, please write to us at contact@nationalskillsnetwork.in, providing valid reasons, and we will remove the link to your content.