Successful implementation of Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) under PMKVY 2.0

Our guest author Bhavna Chopra Srikrishna needs no introduction to many in the skill space in India. She was a core team member of NSDC and has contributed to several national projects from 2009 till April 2016. She has just begun her journey as a consultant and is happy to contribute to NSN through her first series on PMKVY 2.0. We welcome her aboard to continue our journey by sharing the positive and progressive impact of skill development initiatives in India. Scroll down to know more about her.

This article is the second in the 3-part series on simplifying PMKVY 2.0 for training partners. Here is the link to read the first article on 4 Essentials of implementing short term training under PMKVY 2.0.

The project guidelines for the RPL under PMKVY 2.0 reflect the appreciation of the complexity of accomplishing RPL. The guidelines are broad, inclusive and allow for flexibility. Hence the execution of RPL will be considered as a project. Since this series is written for Training partners, I am specifically including suggestions for Training partners only. The guidelines also allow for the TP to reach a vast variety of target audiences including organized, semi organized and informal workers. The RPL guidelines are also very clear and specific so I will not elaborate except to give some tips on how you could proceed and plan a project proposal for each.

The 3 project types and details are :

1. RPL Camps – mainly for worker force which is largely available in an industrial cluster/ traditional clusters. Eg- Faridabad for Engineering, Foundry cluster at Belgaum etc. You may also approach traditional clusters like the Maheshwar region weavers or the Patachitra cluster for artists.
2. Employer’s premises which specifically targets on site Employer premises and is generally suited to formal employment. Apparel factories, textiles mills may offer larger workforces.
3. RPL centres – targets scattered workforce and (usually) pertaining to self-employed/ livelihood or very unorganized workforce.

The guidelines specify the 5 steps which are common to all. i.e. Mobilisation, Pre-Screening and Counselling, Orientation, Final Assessment and the concluding Certification and Assessment. The RPL by its nature MUST benefit the individual and hence the Screening, counselling etc must explain the benefit of RPL for the individual.

It seems that many TPs are approaching the SSC for ‘what, how etc’. While the SSC may be able to specify some of the needs, my suggestion would be to work with a bottoms up approach and frame your own proposal. This way its unique, hard to replicate and if it meets all the guidelines, the approval will most likely come through. It also gives the MSDE and the NSDC a chance to work with many unique target audiences which only you, the Training Partner, can identify.  I have captured broad principles of how you could approach these.

Where to do?

Depending on the project type, find an area that is close and accessible to most workers in the cluster/ geographical area. This could be a Community hall, a rented premise in a factory, any other common area. Ensure that the location lends itself to smart and prominent branding as per PMKVY guidelines. This can then slowly build up for walk in individuals as well. In case of Type 2, ensure that the designated area within the employer premise can be branded.

How to do?

You will need to have a clear mobilization strategy to reach workers in a cluster or Type 3. – this could be through the Local ( geographical or sector) association, the master artisan, a well-entrenched NGO, etc. Once the audience is mobilized in sufficient number, you should preferably have an inauguration where local politicians, government officials can attend. Explain the scheme clearly to to audience and also have flyers with relevant information. In case of Type 2, you will not need to spend too much time in mobilization.

 What to do?

Map the cluster / employees and identify the job roles that exist. Shortlist the ones you have the capability to target and map onto the NSQF. Conduct a short survey of the target audience to identify key gap areas between current state and desired state ( i.e NSQF specifications). While Health and Safety standards are usually a gap; you may find that the workers fall short on a few aspects of the NSQF. Based on prescribed and your available content, you can then estimate a number of hours to deliver the training. This must be a minimum of 6 hours. My suggestion is that don’t stick to these 6 hours for the sake of the guidelines; please map out the gaps and estimate actual number of hours. If the gaps appear large, you can propose a bridge course (Section 2.6.) and will get paid as per common norms. The proposal format in the PMKVY guidelines allow you to specify an assessment partner. Once this is done you may approach the SSC to discuss the proposal with them before submitting it to NSDC.

The guidelines in Section 2.4 are fairly self-explanatory and read through them. Each TP ( or PIA) can propose a maximum of 4 projects in a year and each one can be for a maximum of 3 job roles. To gain an edge over other proposals, I would recommend that you include non-mandatory provisions as well such as a job kit. For eg, in the Street food vendors RPL project in Delhi, the trademark Red apron is always such a delight to come across, builds brand recognition, allows pride to the Individual and propels the success of your camp or RPL project.

RPL under PMKVY 2.0 gives you a great opportunity to create a brand name for yourself be it with the student, the clusters you operate in or the NSDC/ MSDE on your ability to execute a project. Prepare well for it and execute consistently. The preparation and thinking at the time of proposal formulation will ensure that you can do this successfully. Watch out for Part 3 and concluding part of this series…meanwhile Happy PMKVYing!

About the author: Bhavna Chopra Srikrishna may not need any introduction for many players in the skill development ecosystem in India. She was a core team and ‘original’ member of the NSDC team from 2009 to April 2016. She has recently established her independent Consulting Practice and continues to be passionate about skilling and contributing to the nation. She is delighted to be a part of the National Skills Network – NSN. Bhavna has about 18 years of experience spanning Exports at Maruti, Leadership Training and Development across industries. She handled a variety of roles at NSDC including Investing & Incentivizing i.e. Proposal Evaluation, World Skills, Udaan and the prestigious Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY). She enjoys fitness along with her family and runs, cycles and does yoga.

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and should not be taken for NSN’s expertise or advice. Bhavna can be reached at bhavnasrikrishna@gmail.com.