Prez laments poor skill certification among workforce
New Delhi: President Pratibha Patil today
lamented that large chunk of workforce in India did not have
skill certification contrary to the developed countries as she
pushed for imparting skills to them through distance
education.
"Only five per cent of the workforce in India has some
kind of certification. This is in contrast to over 85 per cent
in the developed countries. Enhancing the skill sets is a
challenge in the country," she said at the silver jubilee
celebration function of Indira Gandhi National Open University
(IGNOU) here.
Patil, however, put emphasis on distance education and use
of technology as a major medium to promote skill development.
"Encouragement of work-integrated learning followed by
examination, certification and accreditation through distance
education will be of help," she said at the function attended
by HRD Minister Kapil Sibal.
There would be a need for collaboration with industry and
other players to achieve the objective, Patil said.
"I believe that Open Universities should also generate a
movement in the rural areas that will impel people to acquire
knowledge and skills for self-empowerment," she said.
Patil launched a Gyan Deep programme, a special programme
being started by IGNOU in collaboration with Indian Army to
create a process of certification of higher education of
soldiers.
Bureau Report