We Are Making Higher Education More Skill-Centric

Out from college, most youths aren’t job-ready or strong in entrepreneurial skills. University Grants Commission chairman D.P. Singh tells Lola Nayar about the steps taken by the statutory body to improve the quality of higher education institutions and make them more vocation-oriented. Excerpts:

 

At a lecture meet recently in Chennai, Infosys co-founder N.R. Narayana Murthy had voiced concerns about a talent crunch in the country imp acting youth and in turn entrepreneurship. What is the UGC proposing to promote innovation and entrepreneurship?

The issue Murthy points out is very important, especially at this juncture. Yes, we should prepare our students more to improve their employability, particularly help them turn entrepreneurs. When we talk about entrepreneurship, it involves niche competency, skills and behaviour, which require the learner or student to have risk-taking abilities, to know the job market and also the potential for employment. The person must also know his/her hidden potentials to be able to enter into new ventures—and not only make themselves employable, but also provide others jobs.

Is adequate thrust being given to promoting vocational education? Which are the vocational/ professional courses finding most takers among students and employers?

Recently, the government has taken several initiatives. In line with that, the UGC has taken certain initiatives regarding skill orientation and vocational orientation to the whole higher education system. We have schemes like community colleges and, in the higher education institutions, the Deen Dayal Kaushal Vikas Kendra for promoting skill-based education. The UGC has already started the BVoc (Bachelor of Vocational) programme, which is totally vocational. We also have masters of vocational programme and also PhD programmes in vocational education. This is a line focused on vocational education that emphasises on development of skills and to make students more job-ready or improve their employability.