Union Minister of Education and Skill Development & Entrepreneurship (MSDE) Dharmendra Pradhan today unveiled the digital version of the Employability Skills curriculum for students enrolled in India’s Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) at the Future Skills Forum in New Delhi.

The Future Skills Forum is an initiative of the Future Right Skills Network (FRSN), a collaborative effort by QUEST Alliance, Accenture, Cisco, and JP Morgan. It brings together government skills training institutions, civil society organisations, industry and corporate social responsibility partners to help young people acquire critical skills for the future.

Speaking on the occasion, Pradhan spoke about the transformative power of skill in boosting employability, shaping India’s future and preparing a 21st-century workforce. He said the next quarter of the century when India will be completing its 100 years of independence, it would become the largest economy.

”From digital payments to vaccinations, we are already ahead in embracing technology in all walks of life and making best-in-class products and services. In this era of technology where the nature of the workplace is changing rapidly and where new disruptive technologies are no longer limited to a small elite, skill development will be the key to unlocking the true potential of our demography,” he added.

He expressed happiness that industry leaders have come together to strengthen the skilling ecosystem as well as to think about ways to leverage new technologies, like AI, and IOT for creating a future-ready workforce and for the larger benefit of society. As outlined by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India’s capacity would also benefit the globe. The National Education Policy (NEP) has created opportunities for learning while earning, he added.

The digital lessons include modules on financial and digital literacy, diversity and inclusion, career development, goal setting and entrepreneurship. These are drawn from the upgraded ES curriculum which was launched by the MSDE in September 2022.

Aimed at fulfilling the need for any time, anywhere learning, these modules will be accessible to more than 2.5 million learners through the Government of India’s Bharat Skills Portal as well as other platforms.

Developed with active industry contribution, the curriculum includes 12 modules in a bite-sized, gamified format and each lesson is followed by assessments that are designed to help learners assess the depth of their learning.

The story-telling approach followed in the modules provides learners with relatable scenarios that they can apply to real-world situations. The constructive feedback system ensures that learners receive feedback that is specific, timely, and actionable thus enabling improved learning outcomes.

The digital lessons will be instrumental in introducing innovative pedagogical models like blended learning in Industrial Training Institutes (ITI), which will empower educators to create and lead 21st century classrooms.