The Gujarat government intends to update and bring 525 Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) under its Kaushalya The Skill University, which got endorsement in the as of late finished up state Assembly meeting.
Once affiliated to the skill university that will come up in Ahmedabad, these technincal institutes will start awarding degrees and diplomas in place of only one-year certificate courses, according to Anju Sharma, principal secretary, labour and employment.
At present, the ITIs function under the Gujarat Council of Vocational Training (GCVT) as per the National Council of Vocational Training (NCVT) guidelines.
The Gujarat Assembly passed the Kaushalya The Skill University Bill 2021 on the concluding day of its two-day session on September 28. Presenting the bill, Minister of State for labour and employment Brijesh Merja stated that the aim was providing skilling, reskilling and upskilling as well as facilitating research in emerging areas in primary, secondary and tertiary industries.
A budget of Rs 1 crore has been approved in the state budget for the year 2021-’22 as an initial grant to set up the university. Kaushalya The Skill University also aims at “entrepreneurship development” in sync with the state government’s slogan of “don’t be a job seeker, be a job creator and giver”.
Not restricting itself to only technology driven training and skill development, the state government plans to expand into other skills, too. For instance, five schools that have been conceptualised in the first phase of the university include non-technical sectors — applied sciences, service sector, banking and finance, liberal arts and management.
In addition to an academic council, the skill university will also have a skill development council headed by the director general.
“While the academic council will look into matters of general academic interest, the skill development council will have power to supervise policies and give directions on methods of instruction, co-operative teaching among skill colleges and skill institutes as well as improvement in skill and academic standards,” said Anju Sharma.
The skill development council will also “prescribe” development syllabi and courses on the recommendations of departments and faculties, she added.
