An exploratory study for need identification and development of qualified trainers in the skills sector
Student name: Ms Sanghamitra Thakur
Guide: Dr Gopal K Sarangi
Year of completion: 2018
Host Organisation: The Nudge Foundation, Bangalore
Supervisor (Host Organisation): Ms Pritha Choudhury
Abstract: This paper highlights the gaps that the Indian skill development sector is currently facing while highlighting the importance of vocational skills. In the context of India’s transition to a knowledge-based economy, it is of utmost importance that a professional skilled workforce is created. One of the biggest challenges that the sector is currently facing is the lack of availability of qualified trainers. While keeping a focus on the general understanding of lack of availability of qualified trainers in sectors like healthcare, Information Technology and Information Technology enabled services (IT-ITES), apparel and retail; this paper focuses on the construction sector. Based on primary and secondary sources, this paper also finds shortcomings in the availability of qualified trainers while shedding light on why this is happening. The paper also highlights government schemes and initiatives, like Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY) and National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme (NAPS), for skilling the Indian population who have not received formal vocational training. One of the schemes, Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY), awards trainees Rs 8000 upon completion of training as incentive for
10th and 12th grade school drop-outs to build their skills and become employable.
Further, India’s teacher training model has been compared with some of the best practices in teacher training with other countries, such as Germany, which has been successful in producing qualified trainers. This revealed further aspects behind low availability of trainers due to disproportionate focus on IT sector at the cost of sectors like construction, training of trainers (TOT) organised by Sector Skill Council and skill development organisations, and lack of adequate provision of on-going support for trainers.
This paper ends with some recommendations to address the challenges faced by skill development organisations in India and the underlying problems in the construction sector.
KEYWORDS: Skill development; training of trainers; vocational education and training;
construction sector; SDG
