The Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) organised a consultation session with various industries to strengthen and upgrade the Industrial Training Institutions (ITIs) across the country here today. This follows the announcement of the “PM’s Package for Employment and Skilling” for skilling and employment as mentioned in the recent Union Budget 2024 by Finance Minister Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman. Representatives from more than 75 companies attended the industry consultation workshop.  

This consultation was aimed at soliciting views of the industry on designing the industry collaboration component, which may include areas of design of new courses, revamping existing ITI courses, industry faculty for new courses, Training of Trainers (ToT), and On-the-Job Training (OJT) among others. MSDE proposed upgrading 200 ITIs as Hubs and 800 remaining ITIs into the Spoke model. The Hub ITIs will also be envisaged as Centres of Excellence. The role of industry is pivotal, and it was proposed that companies can provide managerial support, trainers, advanced equipment, and even CSR contributions to ensure the smooth execution of the scheme.

Governance structures to oversee the implementation of the scheme were deliberated, with a focus on institutional mechanisms to ensure transparency, accountability, and the effective use of resources. This consultation marks a significant step forward in our mission to create a robust skilling ecosystem that meets the demands of a rapidly changing industry landscape.

Speaking at this event, Shri Jayant Chaudhary, Minister of State (I/C), Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) and Minister of State, Ministry of Education said, “Today we are at an inflexion point where policies, global best practices, partner countries pathways for apprenticeship and internships are being opened. This is an opportunity for the industry to design the path as per their requirement to address their talent shortage. The ITI ecosystem is vast but with the right governance and industry investment in skill development can make us competitive and become the world's Skill Capital.”

The selection of these ITIs will be through a challenge method, along with upgrading five National Institutes for Training of Trainers (ToT). These upgrades will also include upgrading existing courses according to the requirements of the industry and creating new ones.

Reaffirming MSDE’s commitment to driving innovation in collaboration with industry, Shri Atul Kumar Tiwari, Secretary, MSDE, stated, “We are fully committed to fostering Public-Private Partnerships, co-developing a future-ready curriculum, and advancing our Trainer of Trainers (ToT) programs. Recognizing the crucial role of industry-led training, MSDE is set to adopt bespoke training models that emphasize industry-led governance and responsive training methodologies. With regulatory flexibility, we aim to streamline industry engagement, facilitating greater business involvement in the skilling ecosystem. Our unified, whole-of-government approach will ensure cohesive skill development across sectors. We are also dedicated to promoting sustainable and inclusive growth by encouraging lifelong learning and skill enhancement for professionals to stay ahead of industry trends. We have also created a robust digital skill ecosystem in the form of Skill India Digital Hub (SIDH) to tackle the challenges of a digital-first world.”

With the Central Government’s vision to skill 20 lakh youth over the five-year period as well as upgrading the 1000 ITIs into a Hub and Spoke model, this consultation session witnessed participation from various sectors such as Electronics and IT, Textile, Power and Green Energy, Manufacturing, Construction, Automotive, Industry Automation along with industry associations. Participating companies included Shapoorji Pallonji Group, Tata Steel, GAIL, JK Cement, Mahindra & Mahindra, Adani Green Energy, Kia Motors, Wipro Ltd, and industry association Confederation of Indian Industry (CII).

Shri Atul Kumar Tiwari, Secretary, MSDE, Shri Nilambuj Sharan, Senior Economic Advisor, MSDE, Ms. Trishalji Sethi, Director General for Training, MSDE, Ms. Sonal Mishra Joint Secretary, MSDE, Ms. Hena Usman, Joint Secretary, MSDE and DG NIESBUD, Ms. Neena Pahuja, Executive Member, NCVET, Ms. Vinita Agarwal, Executive Member NCVET, Shri Ved Mani Tiwari, Chief Operating Officer, National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) led various sectorial focused discussion to gauge inputs from the industry.

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