How will Union Government’s focus on upskilling & technology in the Budget will provide impetus to educational platforms & teachers?
Education has always played a crucial role in driving societal progress. With the rise of digitalisation, there is a greater need to upskill and incorporate technology into education. It’s heartening to note that the Union Government has recognised this need and has made it a priority in the 2023 Budget.
PMKVY 4.0: Skilling for the future
One of the key highlights of the budget is the revamped Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY) 4.0, which aims to provide skill-specific training to the youth in industry-demanded areas such as AI, 3D printing, and robotics. This scheme will train millions of youth within the next three years. It will cover on-the-job training and industry partnerships and prioritise aligning courses with industry needs.
The scheme’s emphasis on industry partnerships could create opportunities for educational platforms to collaborate with various government bodies and institutes to provide training and skilling programmes to students. This could help educational platforms to offer more relevant courses and gain valuable insights into industry needs.
Additionally, by aligning courses with industry needs, the scheme could help teachers offer more relevant and effective instruction to their students. Teachers would impart skills and knowledge that are directly applicable to the job market, thereby enhancing the employability of students. On a broader level, the scheme has the potential to close the growing demand-supply gap of the technical talent workforce in the country.
Skill India Digital Platform: A central hub for skilling programmes
The Honourable Finance Minister also shared the government’s plan to launch a unified Skill India Digital platform during the Budget announcement. The platform aims to facilitate demand-based formal skilling, link job seekers with employers (including MSMEs), and provide access to entrepreneurship schemes.
This is a significant development for educational platforms looking to expand their reach and make their courses more accessible to learners. The Skill India platform could serve as a centralised hub for skilling programmes, simplifying the process for educational platforms to offer their courses to a wider audience.
Additionally, the platform’s facilitation of access to entrepreneurship schemes could provide educational platforms valuable opportunities to collaborate with non educational MSMEs and other businesses. This could lead to meaningful partnerships, to train their staff, create innovate solutions, exchange ideas and succeed together. Overall, the Skill India Digital platform has the potential to provide a significant boost to the skilling sector and open up new avenues for collaboration and growth.
Revamped teacher training programmes: Improving the quality of education
While skill development is one aspect of providing quality education in Amrit Kaal, the government has demonstrated its dedication towards improving the quality of education at the grassroots level.
The budget 2023 focuses on redesigning teacher training programmes through innovative pedagogy, professional development, and surveys. The revamping of the District Institutes of Education and Training into centres of excellence will provide opportunities for continuous professional development, enabling teachers to develop the right attitude and skills to prepare future leaders for the vision of New India.
This can potentially increase the demand for teacher training programmes and certifications educational platforms offer. This will not only improve the quality of education but will also ensure that every student receives the education they deserve.
Moreover, the government’s plan to conduct surveys to evaluate the effectiveness of teacher training programmes will offer valuable feedback and help to identify areas that need improvement. This can help educational platforms to continuously improve and refine their teacher training programmes and ensure that they are aligned with the needs of the education system.
Centres of Excellence for AI: Bridging the gap between academia and industry
Establishing centres of excellence for AI can provide valuable opportunities for educational platforms and teachers. This can help them stay up-to-date on the latest technology and innovation and better equip students with the skills and knowledge needed to succeed in the field of AI.
For instance, let’s say an educational platform offers a course on artificial intelligence (AI). With the establishment of the centres of excellence for AI, the platform can partner with these centres to provide students with the latest information and tools. This partnership could also enable the platform to offer more practical and hands-on experience to students.
Similarly, teachers who have been trained at these centres of excellence would have the latest and most advanced knowledge and skills in AI. They could then incorporate this knowledge into their teachings and enhance the quality of their instruction. This would also help to bridge the gap between academia and industry, providing students with the skills they need to succeed in the job market.
Summing Up
The Union Government’s focus on upskilling and technology in the 2023 budget has the potential to provide a significant boost to educational platforms and teachers. The revamped PMKVY 4.0, Skill India Digital platform, revamped teacher training programmes, and centres of excellence for AI all have the potential to improve the quality of education and provide students with the skills they need to succeed in the job market. With the government’s support, educational platforms and teachers can collaborate to create an inclusive and technologically advanced education system that drives societal progress.
(The author is Mr. Rishabh Khanna Founder and CEO of Suraasa and the views expressed in this article are his own)
