The Odisha government has tied up with AISECT, an organisation offering skill-based education, to provide vocational training in 44 schools.The Odisha government has tied up with AISECT, an organisation offering skill-based education, to provide vocational training in 44 schools.

The government will partner AISECT for implementation of a centrally-sponsored programme, Vocationalisation of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education, under the National Skills Qualification Framework (NSQF), said a senior official.

As part of the collaboration, vocational training will be provided in IT, ITEs and retail sectors in the 44 government-run secondary and higher secondary schools in Mayurbhanj, Keonjhar, Jajpur, Khorda and Cuttack districts, he said.

Around 1,800 students are expected to benefit from the training this year, the official said.In 2016, AISECT had associated with Odisha Madhyamik Shiksha Mission and imparted training in IT-ITEs trade to 2,768 candidates in 42 schools and retail trade in 20 schools of Odisha, said project head of AISECT, Abhishek Gupta.

“Despite a huge demand for skilled workforce, we don’t have sufficient people to fill in these vacancies. We welcome the Odisha government’s initiative with NSQF. As a social enterprise, we are extremely happy to be associated with it,” said Director of AISECT Siddharth Chaturvedi.

Noting that the current education system is heavily tilted towards degree-based education, Chaturvedi said there is an acute shortage of skilled workforce.

“We need to create an appropriate balance between formal education and vocational education. NSQF is a major step in that direction,” he said.