Govt plans overhaul of skilling course content, pilot likely in 2 months

Govt to pilot modular, digital-first skilling content with 200 learning units to boost flexibility and sector-specific training

The Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) is likely to roll out a pilot project in the next two months to develop new digital content for government skilling programmes, according to two officials aware of the matter.

 

The initiative will involve the creation of nine modules, 50 sub-modules, and around 200 learning units.

 

The Centre is expected to spend around ₹8 crore on the initiative, with content to be developed by a vendor selected through requests for proposals (RFPs). The new learning materials are likely to be made available online free of cost as part of efforts to standardise training content across the skilling ecosystem, the officials said.

   

The government’s initiative follows feedback from awarding bodies that flagged a lack of flexibility in the current modules. In India’s skilling ecosystem, awarding bodies are organisations authorised to grant nationally recognised certificates for skill qualifications after a learner completes training and assessment. They operate under the oversight of the National Council for Vocational Education and Training (NCVET), which regulates the vocational education and training system.

 

NCVET is the regulator for India’s vocational education and skilling ecosystem under the MSDE. Established in 2018, it is responsible for recognising and regulating awarding bodies, setting standards for vocational qualifications aligned with the National Skills Qualification Framework, and ensuring quality and consistency in training, assessment and certification across the country’s skill development programmes.

 

Emails sent to both NCVET and the skill ministry did not elicit a response till press time.

 

Currently, the common curriculum framework used in skilling programmes consists of four modules of 30, 60, 90, and 120 hours that together cover around 11 broad topics, including communication and workplace skills. The same structure is used across multiple sectors, ranging from agriculture to technology.

 

However, awarding bodies have indicated that the existing structure does not offer sufficient flexibility for sector-specific training needs. Feedback suggested that common modules were being used across diverse sectors even though skill requirements vary widely, said one of the officials.

 

For instance, the communication skills expected of an engineer in a technology firm may differ from those required by workers in sectors such as handicrafts or agriculture. The proposed framework seeks to address this by allowing training providers and sector skill councils to select learning units that better match sector-specific requirements, the official added.

 

Under the proposed structure, the nine modules will be divided into 50 sub-modules covering a range of topics, from basic English literacy to more advanced subjects such as design thinking. Officials said the framework has been developed in consultation with institutions including the Indian Institutes of Technology and the Indian Institutes of Management.

 

Each of the 50 sub-modules will be available across four levels of complexity, ranging from basic to most advanced. This will create a total of 200 independent learning units that can be selected depending on the training requirement and level of difficulty.

 

Officials said the modular structure is designed to provide greater flexibility for awarding bodies and sector skill councils. For example, councils in agriculture may choose a different set of learning units compared with those in technology or information technology services.

 

The digital content for all 200 learning units, along with supporting physical books, will be made available online free of cost. Individual learners will also be able to access the material and choose specific modules based on their learning needs, the officials added.