Marry skill with education

By Monika S Garg

The New Education Policy (NEP) 2020 marks a paradigm shift in terms of focussing on skilling. However, its success will lie in proper implementation. The NEP emphasises the role of higher education in promoting individual and societal well-being. The policy envisions the development of an enlightened, knowledgeable and skilled nation that can find and implement robust solutions to its own problems. This will be done through changes in higher education and importantly, by focussing on integrating skill with education. This is a most contemporary and relevant departure from earlier policies on education that could lead the country into the 21st century and the fourth industrial revolution.

The current scenario: The present skill gap is a quagmire for both the individual and the industry. In the present scenario, India has a large population of unemployable youth. On one hand, we have highly-educated graduates with expensive, State-funded degrees who cannot be employed because they do not have the right skills. On the other hand, we have highly-skilled individuals who are not eligible for jobs because they do not have the knowledge of the three Rs (Reading, Writing and Arithmetic).

The industry complains of the paucity of practical training by the universities during undergraduate and postgraduate programmes. The academia complain of non-cooperation by the industry for students’ internships and project works. And the country bears the brunt of it all.

The 12th Five-Year Plan (2012-17) estimated that less than five per cent of the Indian workforce in the age group of 19-24 years received formal vocational education. This is in contrast to developed countries like the US, Germany and South Korea, where vocational education is much more common, at 52 per cent, 75 per cent and 96 per cent respectively.

The causes leading to this situation are multifarious. Vocational training and skilling are not placed at par with the regular streams of education in our society. The general perception is that vocational education is inferior to mainstream education. Students aiming to do well academically prefer mainstream colleges and vocational training centres are considered second-rate.

This spills over into academics as well, to the extent that even students joining professional courses do not possess market-oriented practical skills. The mushrooming of engineering colleges without adequate quality checks over the last two decades has only worsened the situation. In this scenario, many B.Tech students get a lower pay package than those passing out of polytechnics and ITIs. It is a matter of serious concern and needs to be dealt with by a complete re-imagination of how vocational education should be offered to students.

The NEP aims to overcome this flawed perception by focussing on imparting skills. This is a step in the right direction. However, the success will lie in its proper implementation, when we integrate vocational programmes into mainstream education. This can be done in all educational programmes in a phased manner.

The NIFT experience: The experience of our leading national institutions provides valuable insight on how we may achieve success in our endeavours. The National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) has already taken an initiative in this direction. India has a rich heritage of handloom and handicrafts and there are hundreds of clusters of weavers and artisans across the country. A three-week attachment with a cluster was integrated into the regular NIFT curriculum in 2010-11, with weightage in the college credit system. Students are required to visit one cluster for 21 days, stay with the locals and learn their skill. After the attachment, they prepare a diagnostic report along with a SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Strengths) analysis of the trade.

This exercise has proved to be extra-ordinarily beneficial for the students. Students pick practical tips right from the field and understand the nuances of each art and craft. They learn soft skills like dealing with impediments and forging professional relationships. They get a chance to practise management and marketing skills in real-life situations. A subsequent scrutiny by the institute and peer group hones their analytical skills, where gaps in supply chain and market linkages as well as technical inefficiencies are identified, deliberated and addressed.

Over the last one decade, NIFT students have looked at spinning wheel, loom, dye casting, weaving, melting, moulding and welding in clusters across the country. They are now in touch with the sources for procuring niche products like Kani, Patola, Paithani, Phulkari, Ikat, Chikan, Brocade, Batik and Ajrakh textiles and the best of products in wood, metal, bamboo and terracotta handicrafts. They know the difference between handloom and powerloom, handspun and machine spun cloth and organic and chemical dyes. They are also aware of the ground realities and hardships of the craftsmen.

The process has led to a windfall for the weavers and artisans as well. Now they look at the colour palette and can use the various hues of green and blue differentially. They have improved their technology, design and product mix. The gaudy Maheshwari saree has been converted into designer evening wear, thus widening the consumer base. Maheshwar cloth is also being used for fancy curtains, cushion covers and home decor, bringing diversification in the trade.

A Jhabua doll, earlier being sold for Rs 2 in the village market, now fetches 50 times that as earrings, keychains and imaginative napkin holders. In addition to becoming conscious of environmental issues and sustainability, the artisans have also become familiar with the internet and e-marketing techniques. Orders flow to Beawar-Khas and Benares from Delhi, Mumbai and Ahmedabad.

The success model of NIFT can be adapted and replicated by professional colleges. Universities need to sign Memoranda of Understanding (MoU) with the industry, trade and commerce organisations. Regional engineering colleges need to enter into agreements with local Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs)  that they will partner with professional colleges, give special inputs and also hire apprentices. Classroom study in college needs to be regularly supplemented by supervised, hands-on work experience. This will be a symbiotic relationship and a win-win situation for all.

The millennials will be able to bring their diverse thinking into the mainstream in a protected environment. Their strengths in terms of customised use of technology and innovation will add value to industrial products. This will also give them space to grow by applying their knowledge to practical problems. It will sharpen their thought process and make them more aware of their own inclinations, thus better preparing them for the future.

Moving forward: Uttar Pradesh (UP) is contemplating essential industry attachment and internship programmes in every year of professional courses. The State universities can take a cue from the curricula being followed by manufacturing giants like Germany. Students can have an internship with the industry for one to two months in the first two years of a professional course, three months in the third year and six to nine months in the final year. This internship need not only be with big business houses but should also, and preferably, be with small and medium enterprises spread across the State in the organised and unorganised sectors. This skill training needs to be backed up by a robust credit system that has due weightage for this vital hands-on experience. This will not only help in promoting vocational skill but also increase the social signalling for skilling.

UP has recently come up with a Start-up Policy. This encourages innovation and entrepreneurship in higher education. It suggests a leave period of one year during an undergraduate or postgraduate course if a student wishes to start an enterprise in between. This will be brought in sync with the exit and re-entry provision in the NEP.

The policy also suggests permitting the start-up as the final year project of the student. Universities in the State are taking steps to formalise these suggestions. They are also working towards setting up incubation hubs, providing financial knowledge and promoting entrepreneurship among students.

If vocational skilling and education are properly integrated, the country’s demographic dividend can be harnessed into a huge set of skilled professionals. The journey is tough but the fruits will be sweet.

 (The author is currently Additional Chief Secretary, Higher Education, in the Government of UP.)