Building knowledge workers through skill colleges

7/27/2019 Building knowledge workers through skill colleges

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BUILDINGKNOWLEDGEWORKERSTHROUGH

SKILLCOLLEGES:

PILOTING100COMMUNITYCOLLEGESIN12

th

PLAN

ApproachPaperforachievingthisthroughSkillColleges

Industryleadprogramthatcaterstojobreadiness Modeledafterglobalbestpractices AdaptedforIndiasuniqueneeds Integratedintoexistingsystems Supportedbystrongpartnernetworks

www.wadhwani-foundation.org

January2012


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TableofContents

ExecutiveSummary:..............................................................................................................................3 1.Interventionatpost-SecondaryEducationlevelACaseforAction................................................4 2. NVEQFbasedSkillCollegesinhighereducation............................................................................6 3. ImplementationModel................................................................................................................10 3.1 ChallengesforimplementingNVEQFinHigherEducation.....................................................11 3.2 AnchorsforDeployment........................................................................................................12 3.3 ApproachforRollingOut........................................................................................................123.4 PlanandSupportingElements...............................................................................................15

4 DrivingSuccessbynurturingimplementationsinPilotandbeyond:............................................18 4.1 NationalSkillKnowledgeNetwork(NSKN).............................................................................19

5.BenefitsandNextSteps:..................................................................................................................21AppendixA.SampleCoursesinVariousIndustries:............................................................................23


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ExecutiveSummary:

Indianeedstocreatetensofmillionsofhighlyskilledknowledgeworkerstosustainitseconomic

growth,meetglobaldemandandfulfilitshumanpotential.Tomeettheskilldemandsofagrowing

Indianeconomyand increasingyouthpopulation,GoIhaslaunchedvariousInitiativesaroundSkill

development and MHRD has also established the NVEQF to facilitate and formalize Skill

development.

ThispaperfocusesonimplementationoftheNVEQFatLevels5through7throughSkillsColleges

modelledaftertheCommunityCollege.Thiswillbuildworld-classcapacityforthreemillionhigher

educationseatstightlylinkedwithmarket-linkedvocationaleducation.

WorkingcloselywithIndustry,Central&StateGovernmentsaswell asEducationalInstitutes, the

Initiativeaimstoofferafaster,cheaperandbetteralternativetotheregularcollegetrackandthusopenthedoorstothe4.5millionyouthleftbehindaftercompletingClass12eachyear.

RollingoutNVEQFinHigherEducation,especiallyattheLevel5and6,willmeetcriticalneeds:

Right-skillingthecurrentlyunder-equippedKnowledgeWorkersforglobaljobsofthefuture Overcomebarriersofaffordability,accessibilityandemployabilitytopushmoreworking-age

youthtopursuehighereducationandimproveGERofthenation

ASkillsCollegesmodel,similartoCommunityColleges,thatoffersshortertermcourseslike1-year

Diplomasor2-yearAssociatesDegreesisproposed.Thiscouldbestdrivenationalstandardswhile

meetingtheneedsofthelocalindustryandpopulations.Theycouldbesetup:

WithinCurrentSystems.TheexistingCollegeorVETProvidersphysicalinfrastructurecouldbeused,butwithseparatecourseofferings,distinctcurriculum,teachers,assessments,etc.

AsnewdedicatedSkillsColleges.ThesecouldbebuiltontheNVEQFprinciplesfromthebeginningandwouldbefocusedonmeetingKnowledgeWorkerskills

Inthe12th 5-year Planfor India, 100 CommunityColleges are planned toprove the valueof the

model inaddressing theskillgaps. To implement this correctly,a 4-S (Select Pilot,Scopeupto

variousindustriesgradually,Standardizecurriculum,assessments,etc.tostartwithandSupportfor

success) approachis suggested.Pilotingwillgainquick tractionwith forwardthinkingand alignedearlyadopters,consolidatelearningsintoreplicablemodelsthroughthesupportstructuretoenable

further scale-up and adoption and then become a self-sustaining vibrant ecosystem across the

variousgeographiesandindustriesinthelongrun.ItissuggestedthataPPPwiththegovernment

andpartnerslikeWadhwaniFoundationcalledNationalSkillKnowledgeNetwork(NSKN)canplaya

vitalroleinsupportingandensuringsuccessofthisprogram.

Itisenvisionedthatthisentitycanbesetupinmissionmodewithincreasingportionofthefunding

forsuchcapacitybuildingactivitiesbeingborneby thebeneficiaries (industry,colleges,etc.)over

time.


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TheNationalVocationalEducationalQualificationFrameworkisapathbreakingstepinintegrating

vocational training and formal education in India. Proper implementation of NVEQF in higher

education will help build work-ready students for the knowledge economy jobs of the future.

AssumingthecontextofNVEQFisknowntoreaders;thispaperfocusesonitsactualization.

1.Interventionatpost-SecondaryEducationlevelACaseforAction

Indiasgrowingeconomyanddemographicdividend(leadingto25%oftheglobalworkingage

populationby2025)providesIndiagreatprospectsofbecomingthehumancapitaltotheworld.i

However,thisopportunitycanonlybeharnessedifouryouthistrainedandskilledtobeproductive

in the global economy. It is estimated that top Industry sectors will need around 250 million

additionalemployeesby2022. iiThePMhascalledforskilling(orre-skilling)500millionpeopleinthis

time frame. Where will these jobs be? Across the board as depicted in Fig. 1. and many

organizations, includingNSDC areaddressing thelower categoriesof jobs. However, a concerted

effortinskillingknowledgeworkersatscaleissorelymissingandinaknowledgeeconomy,jobswill

beincreasinglymigratingtoahithertounder-equippedcategoryofknowledgeworkersasshown

inFig.1:

Fig.1KnowledgeWorkersareunder-servedbycurrentEducationandTraining

Indiasgrowthensuresa pushtowardsa knowledge economy involvingmillionsof skilledpeople

across all sectors.. Even traditional blue collared jobs (like Automotive) are gaininga knowledge

workstatuswithadvancesintechnology.Creatingapoolofsuchknowledgeprofessionalsisgoingto

becrucialingrowingindustriesandattractingFDI.Hence,rightly,the12thplantargetstoincrease

highereducationfromcurrent12.4%to21%(seeFig.2below).


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Comparisonsofhighereducationbeyond12thstandard(SeeFig.2below)indicatethatthisisadire

need as India lags behind other countries. About 64% students stop after 12th class because of

affordability, accessibility and employability. Lack of options is also said to increasedropouts in

earlierclasses.WhileobtainingacollegedegreeisamatterofprestigeformostIndians,thesad

realityis that itdoesnt significantly improveemployabilityof students.Degreecollegeshavealso

grownfrom7,350in1990to18,500in2007,butonlyaround40%graduatesareemployableiiiand

DegreecollegesdonotfocusonIntermediateskills.Itissaid,thecurrentIndiancollegeeducation

justdelaysunemploymentbythreetofouryears!

Fig.2 High Dropout after 12th

Class Low GER % for Higher Ed.iv

.

Tosummarize,thereasonstopursueacommunitycollegelikemodelinclude:

1. DemandforKnowledgeWorkerSkillsbyIndustry/EmployersEconomicgrowthofIndiaisfuelledbygrowthindomesticaswellasglobaldemand.Technological

advancescausesneedforhigherskilledworkersacrosssectorsinthedomesticmarket.Ouryoungpopulationsdemographicdividenddemandattractsglobaljobsbutneedsahigherlevelofeducated

workforce for multinationals. Community Colleges aim to impart quality and quantity of such

industryrelevantpost-secondaryeducationwhichcancatertothisdemand

2. LackofEmployableSkillsfromEducationalInstitutesCurrenttertiaryeducationdoesntproduceemployablegraduatesforvariousreasonsincludinglack

of industry drivers or orientation. Community Colleges focuses on meeting the needs of local

industryandcommunitythroughpractical,industrydriveneducation

3. PoorHigherEducationGrossEnrollmentRatioOnly aminority pursuehighereducationaftersecondary studiesdue toreasonsof employability,

accessibility and affordability. Community Colleges addresses these issues through short-term

coursesaimedatmeetingimmediateandfutureneedsofthestudents(and localindustries),thus

encouraging students to start higher education and put themon a pathway to future growth

educationalandprofessional.

In absence of pertinent employable skills training, companies often resort to in-service training

whoserigourandqualityvarieswidely.Afewprogressivecompanieshaveevenoutsourcedtheir

internal trainings to independenteducationaland training institutions.However, alltheseare ad-


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hoc, company and job specific training which doesntnecessarily enhance skills forgrowing in a

careeroreveninthecompany.

Theanalysisofrelativemeritsandissuesoftheoptionsaresummarizedinthetablebelow:

Fig.3aAnalysisofCurrentSkillDevelopmentOptions

Itisclearthatan innovativemodelisneededto transformhighereducationtoaddress theabove

mentioned shortcomings.We needa newparadigm that rectifies thedropout andemployability

problems,therebycreatingknowledgeworkerswhoarealsotrainedhandsonsectoralskills.The

logicalprescriptionforsuchaprogramthataddressesthecurrentlimitationsissummarizedbelow:

Fig3b.ProgramPrescriptiontoOvercomeCurrentLimitations

2.NVEQFbasedSkillCollegesinhighereducationTheNVEQFframeworkprovidestheidealpathwayforfulfillingtheacademicgapsandbridgingthe

Industry Academia disconnect. The layered certifications allow easymobilityand upskilling for

careerprogression.

Levers Formal Vocational CorporateTraining

Curriculum

Outdated,Not

IndustryOriented TradeFocus

Customisedfor

SpecificCompany

Teachers

LowIndustry

Exposure

Govt.orIndustry

Trainers IndustryTrainers

Pedagogy Theory Practical Practical

IndustryConnect Low Low High

SocialAcceptability High Low High

Upskilling/

Reskilling LongerDuration Low Limited

Cost High Low High

Duration Long Short Short

StudentProfile

Overqualified-

UnderSkilled Skilled Skilled

Accessibility Limited Good Limited

Levers CurrentNeed

Curriculum Contemporary,IndustryRelevant

Teachers Trained&CertifiedbyIndustry/Bodies

Pedagogy Theory+Practical

IndustryConnect High

SocialAcceptability High

Upskilling/Reskilling EasyMobilityforIncrementalEmployability

Cost Low

Duration Moderate

StudentProfile RightSkilled

Accessibility Widespread


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Thiswasrecognizedasearlyas1986intheNationalPolicyonEducationwhichstated, inter-alia,that

Theintroductionofsystematic,well-plannedandrigorouslyimplementedprogrammeofvocational

education is crucial in theproposededucational re-organizationVocational education will be a

distinct stream intended to prepare students for identified vocations spanning several areas of

activity.HRDMinisterKapilSibalreiteratedthiswhenheemphasizedthattheNVEQFwillhelpin

making thevocational coursemore acceptable to thepeoplewhonowgive importance toother

plainpaperdegreesv.

Asprescribed,thevariousleversoftheskillbasededucationcanbeexplainedunderthecontextof

NVEQFframework.Thisseekstomakethesystem EmployableandRelevanthavingindustrydrivers

inall aspects- definitionof curriculum,teachers, studentexposure,etc.; allowsFlexibilityinTime

andCostthroughofferingeducaitoninmodularbuildingblocks;improvesAccessbyintegratingwith

mainstreameducationandusingtechnology;andoffers FutureGrowththroughverticalmobiity.

CurriculumCurriculumisimperativetointegratingtheskillsintoeducation.Theprogramwillgroundstudentsin

general educational knowledge and functional skills so as to give student broad grounding on

fundamentals.Thiswillpreventpigeonholinghimorherintoaveryspecificindustryandwillenable

futurelateralmobilityacrossindustriesdependinguponchangingeconomicsituationindemandand

opportunities.Hencethecurriculumwillhavegeneralskillscoursesasitsfoundation,professional

andfunctionalcoursesasthepillarsandindustryspecificcourseswillroundoffthecourseasshown

inFig.4below

Fig.4.CurriculumBroadFoundation&Functionalbase;Industryfinishing

Teachers

Theteachersforvocational courseswillideallyhavepriorindustryexperienceoratthevery least

should have industry exposure and contact. Industry should be involved in their selection and

trainingonanongoingbasistokeepthemcurrentonthelatestindustrytrends.

Pedagogy

Workshopbasedlecturedemo,industryexposure,groupstudytoincreasecollaborative andpeer

learningisrecommended.Eachteachertoactasamentor;beingafacilitatorthanjustaninstructor

will prevent rote learning and increase participation from the students. Multi-mode training

methods,consistingofclass-room,satellite(usinghub-and-spokemodel),e-Learningandon-the-job

training,willofferaccessandeffectivenesseveninremoteareas.

IndustryConnect

Select Industry partners will meet often with faculty and deans to review admission criteria,

curriculum,facultytraining,examsandthelike.VisitingFaculty/Trainers,exposuretolocalindustry

throughvisitsandassignments,industrybasedinternships,etc.willfurtherreinforcedevelopment


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ofworkrelevanteducation .Thecontinuousindustryconnectwillkeeptheentireecosystemwarm

totheeconomicdevelopmentsaffectingjobrequirements.

SocialAcceptability

By mainstreaming the programs through existing higher education Institutes and by creating

pathwaytomergeintomainstreameducation,thecandidateswillalsopickupaformaleducationqualification.Thiswouldbedeeplyimpactthesocialquotientofthevocationalprograms.

Upskilling/Reskilling(Mobility)

NVEQFoffersacontinuouscreditbasedsystemswithintermediatecertificate,diplomaorassociates

degreeawards.Priorlearningisalsotransferabletohigherlevelsleadinguptoadegreeprogramsor

Skill Competence certificates (NCC National Certificate of Competence). This gives options for

upward/verticalmobilityinbotheducationandcareerratherthanbeingadead-endoption.

Cost

Shorter term courses (1yearDiploma (NVEQF Level5), 2 year AdvancedDiplomaorAssociates

Degree (NVEQF Level 6) or modules thereof) would make it affordable and attractive to morestudents. Studentscanpickupentrylevelskillsorupskilltogetintosupervisoryrole.Theearn-

and-learn model would take care of subsistence aspects during training.

Duration(Flexibility)

The courses willbemodular and short-termallowingmultiple entry and exits at3 or 6months

(certificates),12months(diplomas),etc.NVEQFLevel6couldcorrespondtoAssociatesDegreeas

perthegeneralglobalpracticeandexistingframeworkinIGNOU.Eachmoduleenablingcompetence

toa certain job capability and carryingover logically into the nextmodule. Recongition of prior

learning andcarryover of credits earned from prior courseworkwill be integral toovercomethe

issuesofaffordabilityandaccessibilityandopentheprogramsuptostudentswhohithertodropped

out.

StudentProfile

Thecourseswouldbeveryfocussedondevelopingsectorspecificskillsandthereforethecandidates

will be right skilled and job ready. Rather than one size fits all, the job requirements would

determinethecompentenceandeducationallevelandintermediatestudentqualifciations.

Accessibility

Byaccreditingexistinghighereducation Institutesandother registeredVETproviders,using their

infrastructure in theevenings, accessibility and availability of theprogramswill help widespread

reach.Vocationalcomponentandrecognitionofpriorlearningwouldalsoopenituptootherwise

academically challenged population. Technology enablement through ICT, eLearning, etc. would

furtherenhancereach.

SoSkillCollegescanbedefinedinIndiancontextasinstitutionsofwhichmeetstheneedsofIndustry

and Students by providing job-oriented short-cycle Higher Education with pathways to further

education.Theyoffershort-termcertificates,DiplomasandAssociatesdegree.

Keycharacteristicsofthismodelare:

1. HigherEducation.These clearly are in the domain of tertiary education catering to post-secondary students.

NOTE: Those who havent passed 12th could have to get their HSLC certificate through open

schoolingorbridgecourseswithpossiblehelpfromCCs(E.g.inUS,CCshelppriordropoutstudents


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gettheirGEDsinthisway).However,thatisjustapathtotheend;themainstayishighereducation.

The transfer of credits orhoursof study towards degree programs also ensures that this builds

bridges between school and colleges, encouraging more students to pursue higher education

degrees.

2. EmploymentOrientedUnlikepurearts/scienceorevencommerce/engineering,theobjectiveistomeettheaspirationsof

thestudentswhichistofindagoodjobafterthecourse.Italsomeetstheneedsofthelocal

industrieswhichoftenaresponsorsandassociatesoftheCC.ThecombinationofKnowledge&

Skillsformeetingcertainskilledjobrolesthattheindustryneedisthemainstayoftheprogram.The

durationofthecoursedependsuponthetrainingneedsfortheparticularjob.Adjunctteachersfrom

theindustrymaybeused;asmayindustryfacilitiesbeleveragedforpracticals.

3. Accessible/CheaperByofferinga combination of shorter duration and/or part-time courses (allowing earlierstart to

earning or earning-while-learning), lower fees (through government funding/ subsidies), paidinternships,etc.,theyaddressmanyreasonsstudentsdonotpursuehighereducationanddegree

programs.

4. Modular/NVEQFCompliantThe courseswillbemodular and inaccordancewithNVEQF. Thesewill cater toLevel5, 6and7

correposndingtoyear1,2and3ofdegreecolleges.

TherearekeydifferencesbetweencurrenteducationalinsitutesandCommunityColleges.Theyare

representedinFig.5below:

SkillColleges DegreeColleges Polytechnics ITIs MES

JobOrientation High Low Med High High

IndustrySectors Cross-Functional Cross-Functional Engineering Mfg. Mfg,Service

TypeofJobs KnowledgeWorkers White-Collared Engineering BlueCollared BlueCollared

IndustryInvolvement High Low Med Med Med

EducationFocus HigherEducation HigherEducation Intermediate Lower-Inter Lower-Inter

Duration Flexible:6m-2y 3-4years 3years 1-2years Fewmonths

Tranferability High High Med Low Low

Fig.1Whatsthedifference?ComparisonofVariousExistingPrograms


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Industries(andjobtypeswithinthem)whocouldbegoodconsumerforsuchcandidatesmayinclude

IT/ITES (Low level TestingAnalysts, BPOAssociates),Retail (SeniorCustomer ServiceAssociates),

Hospitality (Operations Managers in Front Office, Housekeeping and Food & Beverage, Travel

Agents),Automotive (Service Associates), Banking, Financial Services and Insurance/BFSI (Sales,

DeskAssociates),etc.AmorecomprehensivelistofcoursesisenclosedinAppendixA.

3. ImplementationModelThe NVEQF Levels 5 and 6 (and modules thereof) can be implemented within Skills College

programs offeredwithinHigherEducational setupwith equivalanceand transferability to regular

streamsasreflectedinFig.5below:

Fig.5HigherEducationIndustryJoborientedNVEQFProgramsviaSkillColleges

Skills Colleges offering Associate Degreeswould integrate such programs within Current System

(existingInstitutions,butDistinct).TheyalsocouldbestandaloneAssociateDegreeColleges. Skills

Collegeswilleitherbepartoforaffiliatedwithexistingcolleges/universitiestoassuretransferability

ofNVEQFandcross-fertilizationbetweenskillstraining&academia.However,theprogramswould

bespecificallydesignatedandrunasdistinctprogramswithinthegeneralofferings.

Fig.6Programsofferedwithinexistinginstitutionsbutwithdistinctidentityandexecution

They could also be offered by Registered Education and Training providers (RETPs) in a similar

mannerwithappropriatesafeguardsandacademicaccreditationofferedbyrelevantbodiesinthe

region/domain asprescribedbyNVEQF. This entity could evolve into a new, dedicatedAssociate


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Degree (upto Level 6) granting institution which is aligned with these principles right from the

inception stage and hence builds the appropriate DNA within its systems and personnel.

Infrastructure needed for practical labs or industrial training can be inhouse or arranged from

externalinstitutes(ITIs,Industries,etc.)asshowninFig.6.

Thereisevidencefromtheexperienceofothercountriesthatsuchskillorcommunitycollegeswillimproveaccessibility,increaseinclusiveness,lowercostsandcreateupwardmobility.

3.1 ChallengesforimplementingNVEQFinHigherEducationThecollegiatesystemimposescertainadditionalconditionsonimplementingNVEQFasinFig.7:

Fig.7.Schoolvs.HigherEducationNVEQFRequirements

NVEQFrollouthasinitiallybeentargetedatschooleducation,whichisprobablysimplerbecauseof

monolithicstreamsorsyllabi,central/statecontrolforbothpublicandprivateschoolsandlimited

pre-requisites as it begins here. The Higher Education collegiate and University System ismore

fragmented with multiple programs/specializations offered under several autnomous universities

and complex regulatory systems as indicated in Fig.8 below. Colleges are fewer with uneven

geographicalspreadandmuchmorediscretionaryfromastudentenrollmentstandpoint.Sincethey

startatNVEQFLevel5,studentswillneedtomeetthepre-requisitesofLevel1-4.

Fig.8FragmentedandDistributedHigherEducationSystemNeedsFocusedImplementation


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Toeffectivelyintroducethisnewsysteminsuchadiverse,distributedandwellestablishednetwork,

thestrategyandimplementationneedstobewellthoughtoutandfocusedtoensurefidelitytothe

originalconceptofNVEQF,itsdesignanddesiredresults.

3.2 AnchorsforDeploymentInordertoactualizethevisionofNVEQFameasuredandwellthoughtoutimplementationapproach

isnecessary.Atthehighestlevel,therecanbeatwoprongedapproach:

1. Within Current System. Such programs certificate, diplomasand leadingupto a 2-yearassociates degree can be implemented within existing Higher Education Universities/

Colleges physical infrastructure,but with distinct identity and separation in termsof soft

infrastructure (content, teachers, industry linkages, assessments, etc.). Classes and Labs

couldbeusedafter-hourstoincreasecapacity.Thishasbeendescribedaboveinsection2.

2. AsnewDedicatedSkillsCollegesgrantingAssociateDegrees.ThiscouldbetiedtonewvocationaluniversitiesthatwouldbesetupandwouldbefocusedonmeetingKnowledge

Economyskillsneedsfromthebeginning.Hencetheycouldbedesignedandevolvedwitha

NVEQFsysteminmindmuchliketheCommunityCollegesintheUS,ProfessionalColleges

intheUKorVocationalCollegesinGermanyorSwitzerland,etc.

The advantage of implementing within theexisting Colleges under University system is that the

transferabilityof the1 year or2year programto highereducation/degree courseswillbeeasier

underthesamesystem.Atthesametime,keepingitseparatefreesitfromtheconstraintssothat

itcanbedevelopedasatrulyemploymentdrivensystemwithhighindustryinvolvement.

3.3 ApproachforRollingOutInthe12th5-yearplan,a proposaltoimplement100communitycollegesonapilotbasishasbeen

mooted.Thisisexpectedtoevaluatethesuitabilityofthismodeltoaddresstheneedsforhigher

skilled knowledge workers and adapt it to suit Indias needs. A 7-member committee of state

ministers have been setup under whose direction detailed concepts and plans are being put

together.Baseduponthisinitialpilot,a3phaserolloutplanissuggestedwhichwouldcompriseof

Pilotingthe100communitycollegeshousedwithinexitingCollegesandinfrastructure(80colleges,

20polytechnics),ExpandandSaturateasshowninFig.9below:


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Fig.9NationalImplementationApproachPilot,Expand,Saturate

Anholistic4SapproachcomprisingofSelect,Scope,StandardizeandSupportisproposedforrolling

outthisprogram.ThisisillustratedinFig.10.

Fig.10NVEQFHigherEducationImplementationSuccessApproach4-SModel

Eachofthesecomponentsiselaboratedbelow:

1. SELECT: 1-2statestobeselectedforthepilotwhoshowwillingleadershipandhungertoadoptNVEQFinhighereducationandwhoalsohavetheeconomic/demographicconditions

conducive to such mezannine level jobs should be selected. 1-2 universities should be

designatedasInnovativeuniversitieswhichcanbeaprestigioustagsothatuniversitiesare

incentedtoparticipateinintroducingNVEQF.BetterColleges,ideallyautonomous(toadapt

their own curriculum), within the selected universities, locatedclose to the relevant and

possiblepartnerindustry/companiesshouldbeselected.Someaccreditedprivatecolleges

orVETprovidersmayalsobeselected.

SelectingInitialPilots

I.SELECTINITIALSTATES.

Theseneedtobeselectedbaseduponvariouscategoriesincluding:

a.Motivationofthestategovernment

IftheEducationMinster/ChiefMinisterisenthusiasticaboutit,thenecessarytoplevelpush

willcome.Existanceofsimilarinitiatives,politicalandadminstrativesupport,etc.willhelp


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b.FavourableSocio-economicconditionsinthestate

Existanceofhighdemandindustrystrugglingforskilledworkforce,Needforknowledge

workforce,supplyofsurplusstudents(manypost-12thstudents),Economicneedfor

population,joblessness,etc.

c.Infrastructure&Insitutionsinthestate

Existanceofprogressiveuniversitiesandstrongschoolsystems.

II.WITHINTHESESTATES,SELECTSTRONGINDUSTRYSECTORSANDCOMPANIES

SectorSelection

a.HighGrowthsectors

b.SkillGap/Needforhigherskilledknowledgeworkers

c.Needforlargenumbersofworkers

d.Strongrootsinthestate

CompanySelectione.Takewithintop5leaderswithinthesectorandstate

f.Ideallywithmultiplelocationsinthestateand/orlargesupplierbase

g.Progressive,opentohiring

h.Locatedclosetomajoruniversities(whoarecandidates)orgeographies/districtswhich

havegoodschools/collleges,goodstudenthinterland

III.POSSIBLYINPARALLELWITH(2)SELECTSTRONGUNIVERSITIES/COLLEGES

Selectstronguniversities/colleges

a.ProgressiveViceChancellorandmanagementwillingtoembracenewmodels

b.Strong,innovativetrackrecord(shouldbeoverxyearsold?)

c.ExistingIndustryLinkagesifpossibleintheabovesectors/companies

d.On-campusPlacementcellsthatareactive

e.Widearrayof(industry-relevant)coursesofferedlikeBCom,BA,BBA/MBA,etc.

f.LocatedclosetoIndustrialcenters/connectedhub

D.POSSIBLYINPARALLELWITHORASINPUTTO(2)AND(3)SELECTSTRONGDISTRICTS

Selectgooddistricts

a.StrongDistrictEducaitonalandgeneraladminstration

b.Goodcenterforpeople/Studentsandindustryaswellascolleges

c.Accessiblebyroad/rail/airwithgoodinfrastructure

2. SCOPE.Withinthesecolleges,focusonspecificindustriesandjobsthataredefinedbySectorSkillCouncilsdefinedNOS (NationalOccupationalStandards).Selectthe jobs thatmapto

thelocalindustry

3. STANDARDIZE.EachoftheinstitutionsneedstotakethegivenNVEQFframeworkandNOSrequirementsandinstantiateintodelivery.TheNVEQFframeworkbeingamodularmulti-

tierarchitecture,efficientexecutionandconsistencyinqualityofdeliverywillrequirehuge

effortsinstandardisation,e.g.inCurriculumandAssessments,aswellasenablingteachers.


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Astheseprogramswillhaveto bedevelopedin closecoordinationwithlocalindustries,a

finebalanceofcustomisation/localisationandstandardisationwillbethekey.

4. SUPPORT.Forthepilot,theinitialinsitutionsofferingthiswillhavetobejumpstartedwithcurriculumandcourseware,teachertraining,etc.Commoneffortsthatareneededshouldnt

beduplicated.Globalanddomesticbestpracticesshouldbeadaptedintocommonofferings

andanenablingtechnologyplatformshouldbeprovidedtoallowstandardizationandmulti-

media,interactiveprops,etc.

Both Standardization and supportneedan institutional support infrastructure not just to ensure

righteffectiveinitialpilots,butalsoenablequick,robustramp-upofsubsequentprograms.

3.4 PlanandSupportingElementsAsuggestedplanfortherolloutoftheprogrambaseduponleadingwith100pilotsisbaseduponthe

typicalbellcurveadoptionofnewconceptsofinnovators,earlyadopters,earlyandlatemajorityand

laggards.AroughcutplanisdepictedinFigure11below:

Fig.11ProposedTimelineforImplementingCommunityCollegesinPilotandMainstreamingit

The 100 community colleges can beestablishedwithin the first2 years followedby amid-term

evaluationandconsolidationperiodinthe3rdyear.Ifsuccessful,fromthefourthyearonwards,this

modelcanstarttobescaleduptolargernumbersasshownabove.

Organization

TheOrganizationtoimplementthisprogramneedstobebothdrivenandsupportedbyacentral

teamtoprovidetheoverallframework,guidelinesand,perhaps,initialfunding.Thestateswillhave

aself-containedimplementationunitwhichwilloverseeallactivitiesanddrivethestatecolleges.

EachUniversity/Collegeinturnwillhavetodrivetheirownprogramsatthecourseofferingand


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industryinteractionlevel.Ateachlevel,governancewillbeprovidedbycross-functionalcommittees

whichwillcompriseofindustryaswellasacademics/government.ThisisdepictedinFig.12below.

Fig.12.ProposedOrganizationforImplementationRollout

Therolesandcompositionofeachoftheunitsintheaboveorganogramcanbefurtherelaborated

asinthefollowingtable:

Level ImplementationTeam GoverningCouncil Others

Centre Definestheconcept,selectsthestatesand

(withthem)pilots,

programguidelinesand

supportwithcapacity

building

MHRD,Nonrofit,FewComm.Colleges

Consultants,etc.

Providesoverallguidanceandvalidation

fornationaldirection

MHRD,CentralUnivsAcademics,Industry

Associations,NSDC,etc.

GroupofStateMinistersforinitial

Directionandoverview

AdvisoryTeamselectAcademics,Industry

andConsultants

CapacityBuildingviaNonprofits,etc.

State ImplementationCellinStateDeptofHigherEd.

Govt,SelectAcademicassigns,Nonprofits

GuidesStateActivitiesGovt,Academics,StateIndustryAssoc.,

Nonprofits

Statelevelcapacitybuilding

DistrictDistrictEducationOfficer,DICs,etc.

N/A College SetsupInfrastructure,

staff,material,etc.and

readiesforoffering

courseware

1Industry,ConsultantandCollegeofficials

Professors,

Adminsistration,etc.

AcademicBoardconsistingofUniversity,

CollegeandIndustry

Drivesadmissioncriteria,curriculum,

assessments,faculty

trainer,exams


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Funding

Fundingwillbeneededfor3mainreasons:

1. ProvideCatalyst/ImpetusforStatestolaunchtheprogram(viaaCSS/Schemeofco-fundingfromcentreandstate)anddotheinitialinvestment.

2. GetengagementandinvolvementfromkeyimplementingplayersCollegesandIndustriesaswellaspossibleimplementingagenciestoinvestinlaunchingthisprogram

3. Makethisprogramaffordablefordeservingendstudents.

Theareaswhichwillneedfunding/investmentare:

1. Infrastructureneedsforrunninglabs,etc.2. Coursewarecontentdevelopmentandassessment3. Teachershiringandtraining4. Industryinvolvementforinternships,etc.5. Adminstrativeoverheadimplementationteams,etc.6. CostofMonitoringandEvaluation7. Costofimplementingagenciesifany(?)

Fundingcanbeprovidedbyvarioussources:

1. CentralSchemeforpartialfundingonaperprogrambasisforeachofthe100colleges(canbe5075%forinitialwork)forsoftinfrastructureprovision(content,additional

infrastructure(incremental),programmanagement(partial),initialCapacityBuilding,etc.)

2. Stateshareoffundingandphysicalinfrastructureprovision(fundingforongoingcapacity,runningandoperationalcosts,teachers)

3. ConsortiumofFoundationwhoareinterestedinEmploymentdrivenHigherEducationlikeWadhwaniFoundation,DellFoundation,etc.

4. OtherStakeholdersa. Colleges(fromallocatedUGCandotherfunding)b. Industries(forstipend,inkindwithsharingofinfrastructure,internships,etc.)c. Students(intermsoftuition,etc.)

Principlesoffunding:

1. Eachentityprovidesfundingfortheareasthatcatertotheirobjectives2. Partialfundingnotcompleteforeachentitytohaveskininthegameandbevestedin

makingthisprogramsuccessful

a. Centretocatalyzethiseffort.Initial,creationofnewmaterial(softinfrastructure)andsubsidiesforhardinfrastructure)

b. StatePhysicalInfrastructure,statecapacitydevelopment(teachers,etc.)c. Industrytodevelopskilledresources,getcommunityoutreachd. Studentgetajob


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4 DrivingSuccessbynurturingimplementationsinPilotandbeyond:All theabovefourcomponentsof implmentationneedan institutional supportinfrastructure that

willbeessentialfortheinitialpilotsandwhichwillalsosupportimplementationsbeyondthatto

ramp-upquicklyandeffectively.

InthecycleofNVEQFimplementations(Fig.11),deliveryliessquarelywiththedeliveryinstitutions.

However to get started, what to teach (curriculum and courseware), who can teach (Faculty

Development)andhowtoteach(enablingtechnologyforcontentandreacheLearning,Satellite,

etc.)areareastheyneedhelp.Notjustfortheinitialperiodwheremuchofthisisbeingdefined,but

alsointhefuturewherenewinsitutionsornewindustriescomeonoroldermaterialneedsupdate.

Fig.11ImplementingNVEQF&NOS:intoContent,Teachers,DeliveryandAssessment

Giventheplethoraofdifferentcolleges/universitiesandotherEducationandTrainingProviders,if

eachoftheminterprettherequirementsindividuallyanddevelop/deliversuchcourses,thiswould

resultinwidelyvaryingqualityandconsistencyofinterpretation,nottomentionduplicateefforts.

Thelargerreputedinstitutionsmaybeabletoinvestmoreincreatingbettercoursecontentand

improve delivery capacity (teacher training, systems, etc.) whereas the smaller, less-resourced

colleges efforts may be more ad-hoc. However, in both cases, the shift from an academically

oriented,classroom lecturetypepedagogyto a industryjobsdriven, experiential,hands-on,work

orientedteachingmethodologywillneeddeliberateparadigmshiftsandefforts.Also,investingfora

franchiseelikedepth andreusabilityacrossmany institutions in thecurriculum ratherthan a

one-timeteachingpreparationwillneedexternalsupport.

Suchasupportinfrastructurewillreduceduplicationofefforts,ensuresmoreconsistentqualityand

jumpstartcollegesonNVEQF


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4.1 NationalSkillKnowledgeNetwork(NSKN)To support such a implementation resource and knowledge network, Wadhwani Foundation is

committedtoseedingandanchoringaNationalSkillKnowledgeNetwork(NSKN)asaPPPwiththe

Government and possibly other Foundations. This network can provide Implementation support

servicestojump-startInstituteswithcurriculum,facultytrainingandbest-practicesshowninFig.12:

Fig.12NationalSkillKnowledgeNetwork(NSKN)NurturingNVEQFImplementations

NationalSkillKnowledgeNetwork(NSKN)willaimtocatalyzethecorrectadoptionofNVEQFmodels

inIndia.Somecharacteristicsofthisentitycouldinclude:

1. Public Private Partnership inMissionMode. Wadhwani Foundation, theGovernment ofIndia(MHRDorappropriateentity),andpossiblyotherNonprofits,etc.canjointogether

2. Goal. Is to democratize quality Implementation across all categories of providers forscalabilityandequity.ThiswillhelpmakeNVEQFinHigherEducationsuccessful.

3. Governance and Framework. The boardof governors will beamix ofall stakeholders Government,Industry,NonprofitsandAcademiaasshownbelowinFig.13.

Fig.13.GovernanceofNSKN:AkintotheNSDCstructure


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Government Secretary Higher Education MHRD, Labour & Employment, Finance, etc.

Industry Chairman NSDC, CII, FICCI, ASSOCHAM, Select Sectoral Associations/Firms

Academia AICTE Chairman, UGC, NAAC, Select VCs from concerned States

NonprofitWadhwaniFoundation,otherswhocouldbeinvolved.

Theimplementationteamcanbetwo-tieredatthecentralandstatelevelasshowninFig.14

below.UndertheStateprojectteam,sub-teamsforworkingwithindividualuniversitiesand

collegeswillexist:

Fig.14CentralandStateCoordinationTeams

Thecollegestructurewouldincludethestandardframeworkwithlocalindustryinvolvment

and would include Governing Board, Academic Committee, Examination Committee,

External Quality Assurance. Local Industry leaders and relevant state Industry sectoral

associations would be an integral part of these comittees for the relevant

universities/colleges.TheApexbodies likeAICTEwouldbelogicalmembersof theCentral

Coordination Steering team and also could possibly vet and approve the academic

curriculumwithIndustrySSCsvettingthevocationalpart.

4. NationalScale.butwithRegionalPilotstostartwithasdescribedabove.5. Shared Common Services. These would be developed for the initial implemenations

adaptingbestinclassofferings.Thesewouldinclude:

a. Curriculum/Courseware.These would include Industry (SSCs/NOSes) ClassroomInstructional Material, Learners Guide, Faculty Guide and Faculty Development

material/courses.ThesewouldbecodevelopedalongwithmemberInstitutes

b. TeacherTraining.Teacherswouldbetrainedinsoftskills,languageskills,DomainskillsandPedagogy.

c. EnablingTechnology Platform. This would allow ContentManagement System toaccessanddevelopcontent,eLearningandSatellitemethods,etc.


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d. AssessmentGuidelines.Assessmentguidelinescanbedevelopedjointlytomeettheneeds.

6. Co-Funding,inmissionmodeandforlimitedtime,decreasingovertime.ThefundingratioscouldbeasshowninFig.15below.Wadhwani+indicatesthatthefundingmaycomefrom

otherfoundationsororganizationsinadditiontoWadhwaniFoundation.Theintentisthat

over time, the Network should be self-sustaining (funded by beneficiaries Industry,

Institutes(association),students):

Fig.15Co-fundingModelwithGovernmentandotherEntities;Decreasingovertime.

7. Funding.ThetotalbeneficiariestouchedandthetotalfundingneededisapproximatelyasshownbelowinFig.16.Thisneedstobereworkedforhighereducation/updatedcosts:

Fig.16.ProgramBeneficiariesandCostsofCapacityBuildingServicesdevelopment

TheexistingSchemesshouldbeutilizedtoseekco-funding.E.g.theModelCollegescheme(targeting

374backwarddistricts)withsignificantfundoutlaysin11thplanhasbeenunderutilzedandisbeing

transferredtothe12thplan.SimilarlytheNVEQFprogramcanbeinstantiatedselectivelyinsomeof

the14InnovativeUniversitiesinthe11

th

plan.

5.BenefitsandNextSteps:

This program if implemented right can get 3million additional students into employable higher

educationviasuchprograms 1.Thisinnovationinemployabilitydrivenshortcyclehighereducation

1Currentlyapproximately4.5millionoutof7millionstudentspassing12

thclasseachyeardonotpursue

highereducation.AssumingpopulationgrowthanddecreasedschooldropoutsduetoRTEandother

governmentinitiatives,evenifwetargetlessthan2/3rdofthisration,wecancreateadditionaluptakeof3

millionstudentsintosuchprograms


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under NVEQF will benefit all stakeholders Students, Industry, Educational Institutions and

GovernmentasshowninFig.17below:

Fig.17PositiveimpactofthisnewparadigminHigherEducation

WadhwaniFoundationiscommittedtodevotesubstantialeffortandresourcestothiscauseinaPPP

modewiththeCentralandStategovernments.Ithasalreadyinvestedover$30million(USD)inthe

last decade in higher education and job-creation initiatives. WF has significant investment in

curriculum development, faculty development, technology platforms as well as international

networksacrossalllevelsasshowninFig.18:

Fig.18CrossSpectrumEngagementofWadhwaniFoundationinIndustryDrivenEducation

AtaschoollevelinNVEQF,itisplayingtheProgramManagementroleforrollingouttheprojectin

Haryanaandit isalsoengagingwithWestBengal ina similarcapacity. ItisenteringanMOUwith

PSSCIVE, a division of NCERTwhich caters to vocational education at school level. It is running

industry driven pilots in the BPO industry and launching a Faculty Development Insitute inpartnership with Jindal Education Initiatives and Montgomery College USA. It has entered a

partnershipwithVirginia CommunityCollegeSystemto leverage theexpertiseof its collective23

community collegesin the state ingovernanceand technicalknow-how. It can play a role asan

enabler,catalyzingpilots,startandscale-upoftheSkillCollegesbyprovidingcommonandshareable

ProfessionalServices(creatingbest-practicesoftinfrastructurelikecurriculumdevelopment,faculty

training and technology platform) and coordinating PPP efforts by interfacing between industry,

government,andacademicfrontstodriveprogressforward.


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AppendixA.SampleCoursesinVariousIndustries:

Avarietyofjobrolescouldbesatisfiedbyindustryrelevantfocusedshortcyclehighereducation

courses along the lines of a Diploma orAssociate degrees. E.g. CBSE plans tooffer around 250

competency based modules (some across industry sectors) to support vocational courses. Thesecouldinclude:

IndustrySector JobRole CourseType CourseContent

IT/IteS QA/UnitTest

Analyst

AssociatesDegree ComputerBasics

QASystems&Process

BasicProgramming

Tech.Documentation

ProgrammerAnalyst AssociatesDegree ComputerBasics

BasicProgramming

Language(Java/C++)

SystemsArchitecture

VoiceERO AssociatesDegree ITBasics

EnglishCommunication

SoftSkills

ChatERO Diploma ITBasics

WrittenCommunication

SoftSkills

Retail Sr.CustomerService

Associate

Diploma Sales&Marketing

Merchandizing

SupplyChainMgmt

Merchandizer/Buyer AssociatesDegree Marketinginformation

Accountinginretail

Merchandiseplanning

Salespromotion

Inventorymgmt

BFSIBankingand

Financial Services

andInsurance

FieldSales Diploma Sales&Marketing

Accounting

FinancialInstruments

ITBasics


SoftSkills

DeskService AssociatesDegree AccountingSystems

ITBasics


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IndustrySector JobRole CourseType CourseContent

Associates EnglishCommunication

Hospitality FrontDesk

OperationsManager

AssociatesDegree EnglishCommunication

SoftSkillsGrooming

HotelOperations

Housekeeping

OperationsManager

AssociatesDegree EnglishCommunication

SoftSkills

HotelOperations

Food&Beverage

Manager

AssociatesDegree CulinaryScience

SoftSkills


KitchenManagement

Automotive ServiceTechnician AssociatesDegree OralCommunication

SoftSkills

AutomotiveKnowledge

iTeamLease, 2009.

iiIMaCS, 2008.

iiiCII-Aspire Report, 2008.

ivPRS Legislative Research, 2010.

vThe Hindu, Oct 8

th2011

Documents

Building knowledge workers through skill colleges