New Delhi: Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) conducted a month-long virtual Training of Trainers (ToT) workshop under the SANKALP program in partnership with Kerala Institute of Local Administration (KILA). The workshop commenced on 31 May 2021, with 24-faculty members from KILA who will further impart skill development training to state and district officials from Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Lakshadweep.
The workshop familiarised the participants on how to strategically plan, implement and monitor skilling activities at the state and district level and thus promote decentralized skill planning. The sessions further introduced them to DiSPAK (District Skill Planning Aid Kit), which includes tools like As-Is analysis, District Skill Matrix, and the preparation of District Skill Development Plans. The training was interactive and engaging through active participation and teach-back sessions by the experienced faculty members of KILA
Distinguished personalities from the skilling ecosystem conducted special guest sessions. They built foundational knowledge of the TVET industry and highlighted the challenges faced by state and district-level skill ecosystems. These special sessions illustrated how the skilling ecosystem can be evolved by promoting entrepreneurship through skill training, understanding the voice of training partners, and implementing TVET in schools.
Ms. Juthika Patankar, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, said, “At SANKALP, our primary focus is on decentralization, as it promotes inclusivity, drives optimum utilization of available resources at the district level maximize accountability and most importantly, galvanizes people’s participation. This ToT is one such measure where we wish to develop a better class of faculty members who will take skill training and development to our state and district-level officials.”
Dr. Joy Elamon, Director General (DG), Kerala Institute of Local Administration, spoke about the training program “This initiative by the government of India is an imperative step to help build India’s future, keeping skilling at the forefront of all long-term training and skill development. As trainers, we have always been at the training side of countless programs; however, this initiative gave us the unique opportunity to bring in new knowledge and skill as a trainee. Moreover, it will help us understand the other side better and translate it in the field when we will act as master trainers ourselves and train the state and district officials in the future.”
Ms. Deepti Srivastava, Director, SANKALP, said, “This collaboration with KILA is a much-needed initiative for capacity building of district officials. It will not only create a pool of trainers with expertise on complex skilling-related issues but also address the issue of awareness generation towards the importance of evidence-based planning at the grass-root level.”
The faculty members were also given an overview of MSDE’s skill-building initiatives such as Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY), Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Grameen Kaushalya Yojana (DDUGKY), Rural Self Employment Training Institutes (RSETI), Mahatma Gandhi National Fellowship (MGNF), National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme (NAPS), among others. The faculty members were given a thorough insight on how MSDE and Ministry of Panchayati Raj (MoPR) coming together and jointly taking skill development to the grassroots.
Existing challenges in delivering the skill training programs and conducting sessions virtually were given special attention and specific sessions delved into developing effective IEC (Information Education Communication) and BCC (Behaviour Change Communication) campaigns and practicing aptitude testing and counseling for a holistic outreach.