Skill Gap studies are conducted from time to time which provides information on the skills needed and the skill gaps in various sectors. Such studies guide the interventions of the Government aimed at preparing the workforce as per the industry needs. Further, District Skill Committees (DSCs) are mandated with formulating District Skill Development Plans (DSDPs) to promote decentralized planning and implementation at the grassroots.

The DSDPs identify sectors with employment opportunities as well as the associated demand for skilling in the district, and map the available facilities for Skill Training. Skill Development Programmes of the Government are designed and implemented to bridge identified skill gaps across sectors

Through National Council of Applied Economic Research (NCAER), the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) has conducted a National Skill Gap Study of seven high-growth sectors to establish a robust methodology for analyzing sector-specific skill demands.

The seven sectors include – (i) Growing of cereal, leguminous crops and oilseeds; (ii) raising of cattle and buffaloes; (iii) weaving of textiles; (iv) manufacture of motor vehicles, parts & accessories of motor vehicles; (v) electric power generation using solar energy and other non-conventional sources; (vi) retail sale of food, clothing, footwear and leather articles in specialised stores and maintenance & repair of MVs and; (vii) computer programming activities. The study has identified job roles which are facing and are likely to face demand shortage in the seven sectors.

To ensure the skills imparted through various scheme of MSDE are aligned with the industry requirements and technological advancements, the following specific steps have been taken:

 

(i)      National Council for Vocational Education and Training (NCVET) has been set up as an overarching regulator establishing regulations and standards to ensure quality in the Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) space.

 

(ii)     The Awarding Bodies recognised by NCVET are expected to develop the qualifications as per the industry demand and map them with the identified occupations as per the National Classification of Occupations, 2015 and obtain industry validations.

 

(iii)    NCVET has approved 8693 qualifications as per the industry requirements, out of which 2266 qualifications are valid and active, and 6427 qualifications are archived for being not relevant.

 

(iv)     36 Sector Skill Councils (SSCs), led by industry leaders in the respective sectors, have been set up which identify the skill development needs of respective sectors as well as to determine skill competency standards.

 

(v)     Directorate General of Training (DGT) under the aegis of MSDE is implementing Flexi MoU Scheme and Dual System of Training (DST) which are meant to provide training to ITI students in industrial environment as per their requirements.

(vi)    Under PMKVY, the new age/future skills job-roles have been specially aligned with Industry 4.0 requirements in areas like AI/ML, Robotics, Mechatronics, Drone Technology, etc. for upcoming market demand and industry requirements.

 

(vii)   DGT has introduced new age /future skills courses in Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) and National Skill Training Institutes (NSTIs) under CTS to provide training in emerging areas such as 5G Network Technician, Artificial Intelligence Programming assistant, Cyber Security Assistant, Drone Technician etc.

 

(viii) DGT has signed MoU with IT Tech companies like IBM, CISCO, Microsoft, Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Future Skill Rights Network, to ensure industry linkages for the institutes at the state and regional levels. These partnerships facilitate the provision of technical and professional skills training in modern technologies.

 

(ix)    Indian Institute of Skills (IIS) established at Ahmedabad and Mumbai, in Public Private Partnership (PPP) Mode, provide training to create a pool of industry-ready workforce for Industry, equipped with cutting-edge technology and hands-on training.

 

(x)     MSDE has launched Skill India Digital Hub (SIDH) a unified platform that integrates skilling, education, employment, and entrepreneurship ecosystems to provide a life-long array of services to key stakeholders. Details of the trained candidates are available on SIDH portal for connecting with potential employers. Through SIDH, candidates can have access to jobs and apprenticeship opportunities.

 

(xi)    Rozgar Melas and Pradhan Mantri National Apprenticeship Melas (PMNAMs) are organised to facilitate the placements and apprenticeship opportunities to the certified candidates.

 

To improve the skill training delivery, appropriate mechanism has been established for seeking feedback of trainees. For instance, the feedback under PMKVY are sought on parameters like lab sufficiency, satisfaction with trainer, fairness of assessors, assessment in local language, recommending the training to others, etc.

As regards skill requirements, the Sector Skill Councils (SSCs) identify the skill development needs of respective sectors as well as determine skill competency standards. The new courses/qualifications developed by Awarding Bodies are validated by the industry players to ensure that they match the standards and requirements of the industry players.

This information was given by the Minister of State (Independent Charge), Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE), Shri Jayant Chaudhary in a written reply in the Lok Sabha today.

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VV/SH

(Release ID: 2155054)