Taking up a step further to boost vocational education in the state, the Odisha government has on December 17 collaborated with AISECT, an organisation offering skill-based education, to provide vocational training in 44 -government-run secondary and higher secondary schools.

It is expected that around 1,800 students across the state will be benefitted from the training this year.

As part of the project, 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.

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As part of the collaboration, the AISECT, along with regular training sessions, will also provide field and industry visits, best-in-class exposure and reputed trainers to all its units.

The prime objective of the state government in partnering with the AISECT is to implement centrally-sponsored programme of Vocationalisation of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education, under the National Skills Qualification Framework (NSQF).

The NSQF is a centrally sponsored scheme that aims at vocationalisation of secondary and higher education by linking employability education with school education.

“The AISECT had in 2016 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,” Abhishek Gupta, project head of AISECT was quoted as saying by a news agency.

“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 the NSQF,” AISECT Director Siddharth Chaturvedi said, adding, “As a social enterprise, we are extremely happy to be associated with it.”

Highlighting some major issues in the current education system, 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.