MSDE revamps the employability skills curriculum to prepare students for the 21st century

In collaboration with Quest Alliance, National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC), and other curricular bodies, the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) launched a modified curriculum on employability skills on September 6, 2022. The Future Right Skills Network, a partnership of J.P. Morgan, Quest Alliance, Accenture, and Cisco, is providing support to this endeavour.

To download the e-book, click on the link https://eskillindia.org/ and go to https://eskillindia.org/NewEmployability

In the eminent presence of Smt. Annpurna Devi, Minister of State for Education, Dr. Subhas Sarkar, Minister of State for Education, and Dr. Rajkumar Ranjan Singh, Minister of State for Education, the curriculum was introduced as part of the “Shikshak Parv” celebrations at the Dr. Ambedkar International Centre.

The curriculum will provide three key benefits to learners: 

• Developing a self-learning mindset, preparing for a future in a post-pandemic environment, becoming aware of new career opportunities, and acquiring 21st-century skills.
• Updating their knowledge of blended learning models and adapting to modern classrooms can also aid educators.
• Digital versions for blended learning will soon be available, in addition to the physical books containing the updated curriculum that is now being published.

About the program including the revamped curriculum: –

1. The programme and expanded 120-hour curriculum in Hindi and English will benefit more than 2.5 million students from more than 15,600 government and private Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs).
2. Introduction to employability skills, digital skills, citizenship, diversity and inclusion, career development and goal setting, preparing for the job, and entrepreneurship are a few of the modules offered.
3. For both long-term and short-term courses, versions of the curriculum with durations of 30, 60, and 90 hours are also being launched.

According to Shri Rajesh Aggarwal, Secretary, Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, “Youth must continue to up-skill and reskill in order to keep up with the rapidly changing environment. The single most significant quality that companies seek in candidates is their ability to transfer into the workforce with confidence, which is made possible by Employability skills. It must therefore be incorporated into every skill-building program”.

Harish Krishnan, Managing Director and Chief Policy Officer, CISCO India and SAARC said, “The demand for new skill sets is increasing as a result of digitization in the industrial, manufacturing, and service industries. Candidates must be updated with the rapidly evolving business and technical world. The revised curriculum intends to bridge some gaps in industry training, help young people succeed in the future job market, and improve their employability”.

The curriculum’s twelve modules were developed with the post-Covid job market’s instability in mind, the modules support students in developing self-learning mindsets and finding employment in emerging fields like the gig and green economies, stated Aakash Sethi, CEO of Quest Alliance.

Also read: NSN weekly newsbytes on skills, education and training- 06092022 https://nationalskillsnetwork.in/oldsite/nsn-weekly-newsbytes-on-skills-education-and-training-06092022/

The student workbook is accessible online at the Employability Skills and Bharat Skills portals. The National Instructional Media Institute (NIMI) and MSDE also want to print these books for the state departments to use.