Weekly Newsbytes from NSN on Skill Development and Education – 16th July 2025

This week, key government and industry-led initiatives reinforced India’s commitment to skill-based, future-ready education. Highlights include NCVET’s new policy compendium, Karnataka’s Skills Bridge Network for Germany-bound youth, MSDE’s global presence at the FfD4 conference in Spain and UP’s ‘Learning by Doing’ initiative for vocational training in schools.

From Samsung’s new Skill Centre in Karnataka to Tata Power’s Green Energy hub in Delhi, industry-backed skilling efforts are scaling up across regions. Explore these and more in this edition of the Weekly Newsbytes from NSN, your roundup of impactful updates in skills and education.

We cover key developments from NEP 2020, NCVET’s reforms, industry partnerships, CSR initiatives, and academic collaborations, each playing a vital role in driving India’s shift towards a future-ready, skilled workforce.

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

Skill development updates from the government

• NCVET has released a Compendium of Key Guidelines and Policies to provide stakeholders with easy access to major policy documents and support effective implementation across the VET ecosystem.
• At the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development (FfD4) in Spain, MSDE highlighted India’s leadership in outcome-based financing for skills and livelihoods, citing initiatives like Skill Impact Bond and Project AMBER.
• The government of Uttar Pradesh has launched the ‘Learning by Doing’ programme to provide Classes 6–8 students in government schools with hands-on vocational training aligned with NEP 2020.
• Meghalaya’s State Skill Development Society has empanelled 119 Local Training Providers under the revamped Chief Minister’s Skills Mission to train over 23,000 youth across key sectors.
• The government of Karnataka has launched the Skills Bridge Network to facilitate structured employment pathways for skilled youth in Germany through a partnership between GTTC and German institutions.
• The government of Haryana has urged state universities to prioritise skill development and collaborate with industries to boost youth employability.
• The central government will train 50,000 young people from the Northeast in maritime skills to build a skilled workforce in the inland water transport sector.
• MSDE and the Department of Agricultural Research and Education hosted the second “Skilling: Future Ready Workforce” workshop, focusing on strategies to build a resilient workforce through inclusive, demand-based skilling and upskilling.
• NCERT has partnered with Canva to provide free AI-powered digital certification courses for school teachers across India through DIKSHA and PM e-VIDYA platforms.
• Union Ministers Shri Dharmendra Pradhan and Shri Jayant Chaudhary inaugurated the IIT Ropar-powered Agritech Innovation Hub at SVPUAT, Meerut, to promote tech-driven, sustainable agriculture through precision farming and farmer-centric innovation.
• The PARAKH Rashtriya Sarvekshan 2024 reveals that only 47% of schools offer skill-based courses for Grade 9+, with just 29% of students enrolled in them.
• Maharashtra is transforming ITIs into globally competitive hubs for port and logistics training under a ₹120 crore PPP initiative to meet rising manpower demand in the maritime sector.
• MSDE to launch a plantation drive under the “Parivarik Vaniki Mission” and distribute skill certificates to Agri Commodity Quality Assayers at CCS NIAM, promoting sustainability and rural empowerment.
• MeitY and BITS Pilani have partnered to launch an 8-week Professional Development Program in Cybersecurity for government, PSU, and industry professionals, aiming to strengthen India’s cyber defence and skilled workforce.
•  The Ministry of Communications inaugurated the VTU-VRIF-TCOE Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru to foster innovation in 5G/6G, AI, AR/VR, quantum computing, and deep-tech startups through academia-industry collaboration.
• The government of Telangana has launched Gateway for Adapting and Training Employment (T-Gate) to enhance the employability of ITI graduates through collaboration with industry partners.
• Jharkhand is set to implement the ‘No Bag Day’ concept in primary schools to reduce academic burden and promote experiential learning.
• The Centre has mandated Aadhaar or proof of application for availing benefits under the Skill Development Plan for Persons with Disabilities, while ensuring no eligible child is denied due to lack of Aadhaar.

Skill development updates on CSR, Industry

• Goa Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Goa College of Engineering have signed an MoU to explore ways to enhance industry-academia collaboration through curriculum design and research.
• Tirupati MP Dr. Maddila Gurumoorthy has urged the Tata Group to establish a Skill Development Centre and BPO unit in Tirupati to boost local employment opportunities.
• The Chamber of Industrial and Commercial Undertakings has launched its first batch of the Industrial Designer Reverse Engineering Course to align youth skills with modern industry needs.
• Craqit revolutionizes 21st-century skills development in schools with data-driven learning, aligning with NEP 2020 to equip students for future jobs and responsible citizenship.
• Assam Rifles and BVG India Ltd signed an MoU to establish Skill Development Centres in Northeast India, promoting skilling, healthcare, and self-reliance under the Atmanirbhar Bharat mission.
• Great Learning has launched the free 3-day GenAI upskilling initiative, ‘The Great Learning AI Challenge,’ offering ₹40,000 worth of courses to students and professionals from July 13–15 to mark World Youth Skills Day.
• Tata Power Skill Development Institute (TPSDI) has launched a Green Energy Skill Centre in Delhi to train youth in solar, energy storage, and electrical safety, supporting India’s clean energy transition and skilling goals.
• The India Energy Storage Week (IESW 2025), held from July 8–11, showcased over 300 product innovations in EVs, green hydrogen, batteries, and renewable energy, advancing India’s net-zero goals.
• IN-SPACe, in collaboration with ISRO, has launched registrations for a short-term course on “Essentials of Space Technology in Agriculture” to equip NGEs and academia with space-based agri-tech skills.
• Samsung Semiconductor India Research has inaugurated its first Skill Development Centre at KGF, Karnataka, featuring advanced labs in AI/ML, cybersecurity, robotics, and engineering to empower rural youth through hands-on learning.

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/

Skilling and upskilling in academia and emerging technologies

• Livingstone Foundation International School organised a workshop focusing on career opportunities under NEP 2020 in Dimapur.
• Ladakh’s Higher Education Dept. held a 3-day Entrepreneurship Awareness Program at ITI Leh to empower youth with entrepreneurial skills, in collaboration with EDII Ahmedabad.
• K.J. Somaiya Private ITI, in collaboration with IPMMI, has launched a Certificate Course in Packaging Machinery Operation and Maintenance, supported by industry partners and enrolling 24 students in its first batch.
• Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Open University (BRAOU) has signed an MoU with RASCI to launch a Stipend Based Apprenticeship Program (SAP), enhancing skill-based learning and employability for students.
• Goa’s ITIs are reviving traditional vocations by offering skill-based training aligned with the PM Vishwakarma Yojana to empower artisans and boost employment.
• NCERT has launched new NEP 2020-aligned textbooks for Classes 5 and 8, including “Curiosity” for Science and “Kaushal Bodh” for Vocational 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, giving valid reasons, and we will remove the link to your content.