Wednesday, October 29, 2025
NSN
NTTF_mini_web_banner
SGSU-banner-1
Didac India & Skills Combined NSN Banner-01
  • Home
  • Conversations
    • Industry Conversations
    • All Conversations
  • Perspectives
    • Education
    • Emerging Technologies
    • Government Initiatives
    • Industry
    • Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs)
    • NEP 2020
    • Skill Training
  • News
    • Latest Updates
    • News Archives
    • CSR and ESG in Skill Education
    • Skill Development e-Magazine
    • NSN PDF Newsletter Archives
  • Videos
    • Explainers
    • Panel Discussions
    • Student Stories
    • Video Conversations
  • Resources
    • Apprenticeship
    • e-Books
    • Resources
    • Success Stories
  • Events
    • Workshops
  • About us
    • Our Team
    • Our Clients
    • Our Services
    • Privacy Policy
No Result
View All Result
NSN
  • Home
  • Industry Conversations
  • Perspectives
    • Education
    • Emerging Technologies
    • Government Initiatives
    • Industry
    • Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs)
    • NEP 2020
    • Skill Training
  • News
    • Latest Updates
    • News Archives
    • Skill Development e-Magazine
    • NSN PDF Newsletter Archives
  • Resources
    • Apprenticeship
    • E-books
    • Resources
    • Success Stories
  • Events
    • Workshops
  • About us
    • Our Team
    • Our Clients
    • Our Services
    • Privacy Policy
NSN
No Result
View All Result
Home Conversations

SkillSonics successfully adapts Swiss vocational skills models for India

Madhuri Dubey by Madhuri Dubey
July 29, 2016
Reading Time: 5 mins read
A A
0

Swiss vocational training has set global benchmarks in TVET and is regarded as one of the best in the world. India can gain a lot by adapting the Swiss model to meet its unique requirements in skill development. In this Skill Story, G P Chandra Kumar, Founder and CEO, SkillSonics India, engages us in various interesting aspects of this model by sharing his experience in collaborating with Key TVET Swiss organizations Swissmem and SFIVET in implementing various skill development initiatives in India.

Skillsonics Swiss Vocational modelHighlights of the Swiss model of TVET

Swiss model is a very successful public-private partnership (PPP) model. Almost 70% of school students opt for vocational education and training after their 9th class. They choose a vocational course, based on their passion for 3 to 4 years, joining as apprentices in companies/organizations across all sectors in Switzerland.

They don’t pay for training during these 4 years, earn a stipend and the industry invests in them. Executed in a dual track model, around 15% of time is spent on theory classes in vocational schools run by the state governments, about 50% of time goes into competency based skills training at the company and balance 35% is on production based training. This ensures they are exposed to real life production competencies during the 3-4 years of training. It is quite pragmatic because the practical instructors are usually drawn from the production staff, who know exactly what and how work is to be done and which competency has to be honed, while theory comes from the vocational school run by the government.

Financially, the PPP Model has been designed to ensure that the industry is not burdened. 50% of funding is done by the government and 50% by the industry or companies for the training. However, the production gain from the apprentices during the course ensures that the investment made by the companies is recovered. It is like a win-win situation for both.

The industry sectors define both the content and curriculum of the course which means it is very close to what the industry wants, it is demand based and the assessment is driven by the sector to ensure the right quality. This reduces the mismatch between the industry and the outcome of the course.

Unless there is a very strong push towards industry participation in a skills training program, it is difficult to have high quality outcomes. Currently, in India there isn’t much focus on quality as we are rushing towards fulfilling numbers. This will neither make India competitive nor will it create a good career path for our youth. So there’s an element of risk in our skill development pursuits today. G P Chandra KumarChandra Kumar. SkillSonics

Making vocational education aspirational

How can vocational jobs become aspirational without decent livable salaries? In Switzerland the difference between academic and vocational route is very low. It is equally attractive for anyone to specialize in a particular vocation. India is different, our costs, history and work culture is very different. With the abundance of people we think we can get away with low salaries which happen purely because of demand-supply principles which should not apply to people. We should start moving towards paying not based on our high population but based on the competencies and contributions of the workers if we have to compete globally and also raise the standard of living for our working population.

Switzerland is a small country with a fairly low population and it is necessary that every skill needed is encouraged and every person is trained at the highest skill level for that job role. They are trained to compete globally from a young age.

Modernization of ITIs

Initially, we worked closely with the ITIs in Karnataka and Maharashtra, but our intervention was more at the trainer level; we have trained and certified trainers with Swiss TOT courses. They were well suited as theory teachers. Many steps need to be taken to bring ITIs to international standards. It starts with the trainers, they need to be exposed to the current methods and processes from the industry and the training should be holistic. Equipment required for training is not up to the mark, the raw materials is not enough and the machine to student ratio in ITI is very low. While the curriculum and content is broad and good, the implementation, the exams are weak and that is what makes the outcome weak.

Our model of training enablement and implementation

We collaborate with training organizations to help them take the training to a global level. We are positioned as knowledge partners to institutes, companies, CSR initiatives who want to execute and deliver training at a high quality level. Our Services include training of trainers, training of examiners, skills consulting, and licensing our courseware ( 100+ courses) required to deliver training. We also handhold the training institutes to ensure they are implementing the program in our recommended methodology and quality. Our assessments team develops and implements assessments on a Swiss approach based on very high standards.

We also have courses driven by NSDC/Sector Skill Council definitions of the courses for Indian conditions. We offer those courses with recognized national certifications. We have also have short Skill Upgrade courses out of the same Swiss model for upgrading the skills for existing technicians in the industry. We have invested a lot of money and time into courseware development.

SkillSonics’ success stories

For example, in Gujarat, a multinational company was facing a situation where in the next 5 years a lot of old workers were going to retire and they decided to invest in an internal apprenticeship based training center with our knowhow and courses. Now every year they are taking 10 to 20 people and running a 2 year program and inducting them in manufacturing. A well trained youngster is able to replace a senior worker with higher and broader skills needed for the future. This has been a very successful skill initiative based on their internal needs. Another company had 100 employees and 200 contractors for fabrication and welding. They decided to improve the productivity and quality of their employees by investing in a training program. Today, these training youngsters are replacing expensive contractors successfully.

We did an interesting project with ACC Cement. They have around 18 plants across India. One of their groups of critical workers were – maintenance technicians. We jointly developed a series of short program on work skills and technical skills in mechanical, electrical and instrumentation areas. We trained more than 3000 existing staff across the country and they have seen a big improvement in attitude and productivity since then..

SkillSonics Advantage

We’ve been in the Indian skills arena since 2008. We started with a pilot project to adapt and adopt the Swiss model in India. This gave us clarity on the way we can expand in India. We are now in a unique position where we are able to bring international level quality at fairly competitive Indian prices. That’s our strength. Having an exclusive partnership with Switzerland and with equity and loan arrangement with NSDC In India, we offer both international and Indian certifications to the market. We will be expanding to reach more organizations with our courseware through a licensing model in least 100 locations in the country in the near future.

RelatedPosts

Design Skills and Careers in the Creative Economy

Electronics Industry: Skills, Education, Jobs, Entrepreneurship Opportunities

Naturals Beauty Academy Industry-driven training in Beauty and Wellness

Tags: Chandra Kumar CEO SkillSonicsIndia Switzerland collaboration for skill developmentITIs modernizationSFIVETSkillSonicsSwiss dual degreeSwiss model vocational trainingSwissmemTVET
WhatsApp Join our WhatsApp channel for more updates:
WhatsApp Join Now!
YouTube Subscribe to our YouTube channel for more updates:
YouTube Subscribe Now!
Previous Post

Realizing Dr Kalam’s vision for skill development in India

Next Post

Skill Development News Digest – 010816

Madhuri Dubey

Madhuri Dubey

Dr. Madhuri Dubey, Founder and Director of NSN, brings over 25 years of experience in training, curriculum design, and technology-enabled learning. Dedicated to vocational training and work-integrated education, her expertise lies in creating awareness and promoting skill development through applied learning, supported by in-depth research and analysis.

Next Post
skill development news India July 31 2016

Skill Development News Digest – 010816

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

No Result
View All Result
samplead3 samplead1

Subscribe to our e-Magazine

Trending Topics

skilling in India (131) National Skill Development Corporation - NSDC (127) skill development news India (124) skill development (114) Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship MSDE (101) vocational education (93) Apprenticeships (86) skill development news (79) skill development programs (70) Nettur Technical Training Foundation (NTTF) (68)

Follow us

  • State-led Skill Development Initiatives Shaping India’s Future Workforce  India’s skill ecosystem continues to evolve with powerful new initiatives shaping employability, innovation, and industry collaboration across states.  From AI integration and apprenticeship-linked degrees to entrepreneurship drives and global partnerships; every initiative reflects a growing commitment to making India’s youth future-ready.  Here’s a quick look at some of the latest developments driving transformation in skill development, education, and work-integrated learning across the country.  Click here to read more: https://nationalskillsnetwork.in/weekly-newsbytes-from-nsn-on-skill-development-and-education-28th-october-2025/  Want your state’s skill development story featured? Reach out to us at NSN!  #skilldevelopment #SkillIndia #vocationaleducation
  • Bengaluru Skill Summit 2025: Innovation, Inclusion and Future-Ready Talent  The Bengaluru Skill Summit 2025 marks a major milestone in Karnataka’s journey toward a skills-first future. In this conversation, Dr. Madhuri Dubey, Founder and Director of NSN, spoke with Mr. N N Rao, Technical Advisor, Karnataka Skill Development Authority, about the state’s Skill Development Policy 2.0 and the practical steps being taken to turn policy into measurable progress.  Watch this conversation to explore:
 ✅ Karnataka’s Skill Development Policy 2.0
 ✅ Skills-first future and employability vision for 2030
 ✅ Inclusion, innovation, and impact in skill development
 ✅ Green and digital skills for sustainable growth
 ✅ How the upcoming summit will unite government, industry, academia, and youth  Click on the link in our story highlights to watch the full video!  #BengaluruSkillSummit2025 #SkillDevelopment #Workforce2030 #FutureSkills 
#IndustryAcademia #VocationalEducation
  • Bengaluru Skill Summit 2025: Karnataka’s Skill Vision for 2030  In this conversation, Dr. Madhuri Dubey, Founder and Director of National Skills Network (NSN), spoke with Dr. E. V. Ramana Reddy, Chairman of the Karnataka Skill Development Authority on the upcoming Bengaluru Skill Summit 2025.  The discussion focused on the vision, policy focus, and key initiatives shaping Karnataka’s skilling ecosystem.  You can watch the full video via link in our story/ bio  #BengaluruSkillSummit #SkillDevelopment #FutureOfWork #Innovation #Leadership #Workforce2030 #PartnershipsForProgress
  • We’re proud to join hands with the Bengaluru Skill Summit 2025 as an Association Partner! 🤝  Organised by the Government of Karnataka, through the Skill Development Entrepreneurship and Livelihood Department, Government of Karnataka (SDEL), Karnataka Skill Development Corporation (KSDC), Karnataka State Department of Agriculture (KSDA) and Karnataka Digital Economy Mission (KDEM), the summit will bring together leaders from government, industry, academia, and youth to power the next wave of India’s skilling revolution.  This year’s summit will bring together leaders and changemakers shaping the future of India’s skilling, innovation, and workforce transformation.  🌐 3,000+ Participants
 🎤100+ Speakers
 🏢 100+ Exhibitors
 🤝25+ Media Partners  Be part of this transformative platform that unites government, industry, academia, and youth, driving India’s workforce vision for 2030.  📅 4–6 November 2025
 📍 The Lalit Ashok, Bengaluru  Visit https://bengaluruskillsummit.com/ to know more.  Register Now: https://konfhub.com/bengaluru-skill-summit-2025  #BengaluruSkillSummit | #SkillDevelopment | #FutureOfWork | #Innovation | #Leadership | #Workforce2030 | #PartnershipsForProgress
  • Team NSN wishes you a very Happy Diwali! ✨️  #diwali #diwali2025
  • We’re proud to join hands with the Bengaluru Skill Summit 2025 as an Association Partner! 🤝  Organised by the Government of Karnataka , through the Skill Development Entrepreneurship and Livelihood Department, Government of Karnataka (SDEL), Karnataka Skill Development Corporation (KSDC), Karnataka State Department of Agriculture (KSDA) and Karnataka Digital Economy Mission (KDEM), the summit will bring together leaders from government, industry, academia, and youth to power the next wave of India’s skilling revolution.  This year’s summit will bring together leaders and changemakers shaping the future of India’s skilling, innovation, and workforce transformation.  🌐 3,000+ Participants
 🎤100+ Speakers
 🏢 100+ Exhibitors
 🤝25+ Media Partners  Be part of this transformative platform that unites government, industry, academia, and youth, driving India’s workforce vision for 2030.  📅 4–6 November 2025
 📍 The Lalit Ashok, Bengaluru  Visit https://bengaluruskillsummit.com/  to know more.  Register Now: https://konfhub.com/bengaluru-skill-summit-2025  #BengaluruSkillSummit #SkillDevelopment #FutureOfWork #Innovation #Leadership  #Workforce2030 #PartnershipsForProgress
  • We are excited to partner with Bengaluru Skill Summit as the Association Partner for the Bengaluru Skill Summit 2025.  We look forward to contributing to this impactful platform that brings together government, industry, and academia to advance India’s skill development and workforce transformation.  Let’s make this summit a milestone for the skilling ecosystem!  📅 4–6 November 2025 | The Lalit Ashok, Bengaluru  #BengaluruSkillSummit2025 #SkillsForFuture #SkillingIndia #SkillDevelopment
  • India’s electronics industry is rapidly emerging as a global hub for innovation, manufacturing, and design.  With advances in semiconductors, embedded systems, IoT, and automation, the demand for skilled professionals has never been higher.  From production and testing to chip design and system integration, this sector is creating diverse career opportunities for youth and professionals across all levels.  At the heart of this growth is skilling; empowering a workforce that’s ready for future technologies and capable of driving innovation across industries.  Explore how India’s electronics ecosystem is evolving through skills, education, and entrepreneurship.  #ElectronicsIndustry #SkillDevelopment #Semiconductors #STEMEducation
  • Myth vs Fact – India’s Textile Industry  India’s textile industry is evolving beyond traditional spinning and weaving. 
Today, technical textiles, from Meditech to Sportstech, are creating new opportunities that demand advanced skills in CAD design, machine operation, and material science.  It’s time to move past the myths and recognise textiles as a future-ready, skill-driven industry.  Watch the full interview on our YouTube channel!  #Textile #textileindustry #mythvsfacts

About us

National Skills Network (NSN) captures and shares the positive impact of various training, skill development and vocational education initiatives in India.

To know more about Our Team: Click here

Address

NSN Digital Solutions Pvt. Ltd.
CIN: U74999TG2020PTC147299
MSME: UDYAM-TS-09-0086473
Gachibowli, Hyderabad – 500032

Email us: contact@nationalskillsnetwork.com

Important Links

  • Conversations
  • Perspectives
  • News
  • Skill Development e-Magazine
  • Resources
  • Our Team
  • Our Clients
  • Partner with us
  • About us
  • Advertise with us
  • Content Disclaimer
  • Privacy Policy

© National Skills Network Content licensed under CC BY-ND 4.0. Commercial use requires permission.

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Conversations
    • Industry Conversations
    • All Conversations
  • Perspectives
    • Education
    • Emerging Technologies
    • Government Initiatives
    • Industry
    • Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs)
    • NEP 2020
    • Skill Training
  • News
    • Latest Updates
    • News Archives
    • CSR and ESG in Skill Education
    • Skill Development e-Magazine
    • NSN PDF Newsletter Archives
  • Videos
    • Explainers
    • Panel Discussions
    • Student Stories
    • Video Conversations
  • Resources
    • Apprenticeship
    • e-Books
    • Resources
    • Success Stories
  • Events
    • Workshops
  • About us
    • Our Team
    • Our Clients
    • Our Services
    • Privacy Policy

© National Skills Network Content licensed under CC BY-ND 4.0. Commercial use requires permission.