Modular Employable Skills

Modular Employable Skills (MES) under Skill Development Initiative Scheme (SDIS) The skill level and educational attainment of the workforce determines the productivity as well as the ability to adapt to the changing industrial environment. A majority of Indian workforce does not possess marketable skills which is an impediment in getting decent employment and improving their economic condition. While India has large young population, only 5% of the Indian labour force in the age group of 20-24 years has obtained vocational skills through formal means whereas the percentage in industrialized countries varies between 60% and 96%. About 63% of the school students drop out at different stages before reaching Class-X. Only about 2.5 million vocational training seats are available in the country whereas about 12.8 million persons enter the labour market every year. Even out of these training places, very few are available for early school dropouts. This signifies that a large number of school drop outs do not have access to skill development for improving their employability. The educational entry requirements and long duration of courses of the formal training system are some of the impediments for a person of low educational attainment to acquire skills for his livelihood. Further, the largest share of new jobs in India is likely to come from the unorganised sector that employs up to 93 per cent of the national workforce, but most of the training programmes cater to the needs of the organized sector.

Honourable Minister of Finance during the budget speech 2005-06 made the following announcement: “ To meet the demand for specific skills of a high order, a Public Private Partnership between Government and Industry is proposed to promote skills development programme under the name ‘Skill Development Initiative’….”. Accordingly, Ministry of Labour & Employment undertook development of a new strategic framework for skill development for early school leavers and existing workers, especially in the un-organised sector in close consultation with industry, micro enterprises in the un-organised sector, State Governments, experts and academia which was essential considering their educational, social and economic background. The main objective of the scheme is to provide employable skills to school leavers, existing workers, ITI graduates, etc. Existing skills of the persons can also be tested and certified under this scheme. Priority will be given to covering those above the age of 14 years who have been or withdrawn as child labour to enable them to learn employable skills in order to get gainful employment. it is hoped that this website will help in dissemination of the information about the scheme and bring transparency. It will also helpful in getting valuable feedback from stakeholders and public at large.

Features of the Scheme

• Objective

• Key features of the scheme

• Public Private Partnership (PPP)

• Target Group

• Project Output

• Age of Participants

• Curriculum Development Process

• Instructional Media Packages

Objective

• To provide vocational training to school leavers, existing workers, ITI graduates, etc. to improve their employability by optimally utilizing the infrastructure available in Govt., private institutions and the Industry. Existing skills of the persons can also be tested and certified under this scheme.

• To build capacity in the area of development of competency standards, course curricula, learning material and assessment standards in the country.

Key features of the scheme

• Demand driven short term training courses based on Modular Employable Skills (MES) decided in consultation with Industry.  MES is the ‘minimum skills set’ which is sufficient for gainful employment.

• Central government will facilitate and promote training while industry, private sector and State Governments will train the persons.

• Optimum utilisation of existing infrastructure to make training cost effective.

• Flexible delivery mechanism (part time, weekends, full time, onsite/ offsite) to suit needs of various target groups.

• Different levels of programmes (Foundation level as well as skill upgradation) to meet demands of various target groups.

• The services of existing or retired faculty or guest faculty to be utilized.

• Courses would also be available for persons having completed 5th standard.

• Testing & certification of skills acquired informally.

• Testing of skills of trainees by independent assessing bodies, which would not be involved in training delivery, to ensure that it is done impartially.

• The essence of the scheme is in the certification that will be nationally and internationally recognized.

Public Private Parternership (PPP)
Public Private Partnership (PPP) envisaged in the form of active participation of the industry / Private Sector in every stage of design and implementation of the scheme. Industry bodies are represented in the Central Apex Committee and State Committees which would have overall responsibility of implementation of the scheme. Other areas of partnership are:

• Forecasting of emerging areas of employment at micro level.

• Development of course curricula of various trades.

• Development of instructional material for training.

• Assist in the training of trainers, wherever required.

• Making available their training & testing facilities, wherever required.

• Provide on the job training in their establishments.

• Development of assessment standards.

• Monitoring and Quality assurance.

• Assistance in placement of graduates.

• Provide trade experts to work as assessors of competencies.

• Voluntary donation of equipment to the ITIs/other training institutions.

• Providing guest faculty in new trades.

Target Group
MES would benefit different target groups like :

• Workers seeking certification of their skills acquired informally.

• Workers and ITI graduates seeking skill up gradation.

• Early school drop-outs and unemployed.

• Previously child labor and their families.
  
  

  Sr. No.	Target Group	Training Testing & Certification of Competencies	Skills acquisition	Skills up- gradation
  1	Workers		yes	yes
  2	Less educated/ Out of school youth/ unemployed	yes		yes
  3	ITI graduates		yes	yes

Project Output
One million persons would be trained or their existing skills tested and certified, over a period of five years. About 200 modules for employable skills as per Industry and labour market demands would be identified and course curriculum developed.

Age of Participants
The minimum age limit for persons to take part in the scheme is 14 years but there is no upper age limit.

Curriculum Development Process

• Identification of Employable Skills set in a sector based on division of work in the labour market in consultation with Industry.

• Development of training modules corresponding to skills set identified.

• Organising ModulesOrganising Modules in to Course Matrixindicating vertical and horizontal mobility.

• Development of detailed curriculum.

• Vetting by a trade committee comprising representatives of Industry, training providers & trade experts.

• Inviting comments from Employers/ Employees Organisations, State Govts. etc.

• Approval by the NCVT.

Instructional Media Packages
In order to maintain quality of training uniformly all over the country, instructional media packages (IMPs) will be developed by the National Instructional Media Institute (NIMI), Chennai.