Business Wire India40 companies and 833 students participated
524 students placed
Hiring companies from diverse industry sectors - Automobiles, Health Care, IT/ ITes, Retail and Security
Himachal Pradesh State Government’s Education Department and Wadhwani Foundations announced the successful culmination of the first ever National Skills Qualifications Framework (NSQF) led placement drive in the state. The initiative witnessed successful placements of 524 students, trained under NSQF and program managed by the Wadhwani Foundations’ Skills Development Network (SDN). National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC), concerned Sector Skill Councils and their affiliated Vocational Training Partners played a key-supporting role along with Wadhwani Foundations, leading to a better future of the students.
The placement drive that recently concluded involved 40 companies and 833 students participating across nine different locations, including Shimla, Mandi, Hamirpur and Kangra. Companies like Eureka Forbes, Fortis Hospital, Max Hospital, Platinum Chevrolet, Saini Motors (Tata), Himtex Textiles, G4S Securities were present at the placement drive to select suitable candidates. The students, who secured placement with the companies, have been offered salary package ranging between Rs. 5,000/- to Rs. 9,700/- per month, with the highest salary of Rs. 15,000/- per month.
Congratulating the students and also the officials dealing with the program for launching and sustaining this visionary program, the State Project Director, Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA) Shri Ghanshyam Chand said, “The only way of expanding skill training is to foray in mainstream education. NSQF has opened window of opportunities for secondary school students in Himachal Pradesh. The program benefits students at grassroots level and improves their future, and its success is firmly established by the success of the graduating students getting employment in organized sector. I must thank efforts of the State Education Department and our Knowledge & Technology Partners, Wadhwani Foundations, whose program management has shown commendable results in quick time. The industry has also shown exemplary commitment and vision in undertaking such a path-breaking recruitment exercise.”
Vocationalisation of Secondary & Higher Secondary Education scheme aligned with National Skills Qualifications Framework (NSQF) was launched in the state of Himachal Pradesh in 2013 with 100 schools and 5000 students. The vocational courses initially included Automobiles, Health Care, IT/ ITes, Retail and Security. Agriculture and Travel & Tourism were later introduced in the second year with an addition of 100 more schools. Himachal Pradesh’s State Education Department, with support from Wadhwani Foundations and other stakeholders, have trained over 500 vocational trainers in implementation strategies and e-learning programs in the schools.
Exhilarated by the remarkable outcome of the placement drive, Manish Mohan, Executive Vice President, Skills Development Network (SDN), Wadhwani Foundations said, “At Wadhwani Foundations, job fulfillment through transformational technology and digital pedagogy led education is our primary goal and the successful placement of over 524 students is a wonderful indicator of the NSQF’s success in Himachal. I would like to thank the RMSA, State Education Department and NSDC for their unstinted support, and the innumerable students and teachers for making this happen. It is now imperative that we sustain this momentum of student placements.”
“The initiative witnessed a dramatic progress with the addition of 300 schools and incorporation of the telecommunication sector in the curricula, taking total strength of schools to 500, with 1200 vocational trainers and more than 42,000 student enrolments in the state, in FY 2015-16.” Manish Mohan further added.
Initially, Wadhwani Foundations focused on setting up the program followed by institutionalizing the basic policies and guidelines, and strengthening of a core program management team consisting of technical officers, school coordinators, principals and district coordinators through specialized training and providing technical support. Regular school visits were conducted by specialists from the Foundations to identify fundamental issues, prospects and hurdles. Skill development training was made more informative and interesting by using multi-media based e-content, which has been widely accepted and appreciated by students as well as the vocational trainers.
Shalini Thakur who completed her XII standard along with Level 4 in Healthcare sector from GGSS Portmore, Shimla is now working with Portea Health Care Company with a salary of Rs. 11,500 per month. She is extremely grateful to her teachers and other mentor on her successful placement. Shalini Thakur says, “I come from a lower middle class family and our financial condition is not good so I wanted to take up a job. When NSQF project came to Himachal Pradesh, I was the student of first batch of Healthcare domain. As I took admission in this domain, I was not at all aware about the benefits of this domain. But thanks to the Faculty, Ms. Hemlata Kaundal, I was taught the advantages of Healthcare domain. Moreover she inculcated confidence in our personality and helped in developing our communication skills, always motivating us to give our best. Now I stand on my own feet.”
Commenting on this placement initiative, Abhineet Malhotra, Sales and Marketing Head of Swastik Solutions said, “We are pleased with the output of students and confident about their productivity. Quality of students who appeared in interviews has been of high standard. I would like to congratulate NSQF and Wadhwani Foundations for giving the industry skilled students who are ready to take on the private world. We conducted interviews in Shimla, Mandi and Dharamshala and received candidates of high skill potential in the Retail sector. All thanks to HP – NSQF for imparting of knowledge and skills to students across government schools in H.P.”
About Wadhwani Foundations:
Founded in 2000 by Dr. Romesh Wadhwani, the Foundations’ primary mission is economic acceleration in emerging economies. With large-scale education led initiatives driving skill development and job creation, the Foundations have launched five high impact education, training and research focused Initiatives in India that will lead to creation and fulfillment of 25 million jobs by 2020.
To leverage entrepreneurship as a catalyst for job creation, Wadhwani Foundations established the National Entrepreneurship Network (NEN) in 2003. NEN inspires, educates and supports emerging entrepreneurs. Since inception, NEN has resulted in 2,000 new start-ups with 12,000+ direct and 50,000+ indirect jobs, and is now tracking 1,500+ new companies each year. For skilling, vocational education and training led job fulfillment, Wadhwani Foundations have set up the Skills Development Network (SDN) which supports multiple high school, college and employer initiatives for entry level mid-skill jobs through a digital/video curricula and pedagogy.
Opportunity Network for Disabled (OND) is aimed at mainstreaming the educated disabled into sustainable high quality corporate jobs through a business value proposition. Research and Innovation Network (RIN) aims to upgrade India’s research eco-system by catalyzing ‘Centers of Innovations’ in partnership with existing research Institutes. Policy Research Centre provides data driven research inputs for informed policy actions towards creating an education led human-capital driven growth economy. Wadhwani Chair on US-India policy at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), Washington, D.C, aims to accelerate India-U.S economic activities primarily through channels of skilling and education.
Photo Caption:
Vocational education class in progress at a school in Himachal Pradesh
Placement Drive for NSQF students in Himachal Pradesh
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