Workshop on Education Programme held in Sikkim

Gangtok, October 28, 2013

The Directorate of Vocational Education, Human Resource Development Department, Government of Sikkim organized a sensitization workshop on Education Programme as per National Vocational Education Qualification Framework (NVEQF) with industry and other stakeholders at Chintan Bhawan on October 26.

The main objective of the workshop is to create awareness regarding the newly revamped NVEQF in the state. NVEQF is a descriptive framework that organizes qualifications according to a series of level of knowledge along with skills. These levels are defined in terms of learning outcomes, the competencies which the learners must possess regardless of whether they have acquired through formal, non-formal or informal education and training.

Minister HRDD, N.K. Pradhan in his address said that the State Government has played a pro-active role in the skill development and capacity building measures in the state.

“Today, the state has the Directorate of Capacity Building which is fully functional with about 50 Livelihood Schools being operated in the state. The two Polytechnics are also playing a greater role in providing vocational education to the students,” Pradhan said.

The minister further added that it is the skill and capacity of an individual which helps them to project in the outer world and hoped that this workshop will surely revamped vocational education system benefitting the students who opted for such courses. He also appealed the representatives of different sectors to address on vertical mobility as well and hoped that this newly revamped system will difinately address the unemployment problem in the state.

Principal Secretary HRDD, Thomas Chandy stated that specific guidelines are enshrined in the framework and lot of emphasis has been placed for the candidates who are opting for vocational education. This system is being practiced in western countries since more than two decades. The Secretary hoped that the vocational education would eventually be the backbone of economic development in the state.

The technical session of the workshop included presentations on revamped Vocational Education by Directorate of Vocation Education and also by the different stakeholders in the state. It also included open house discussions with university representatives, tourism stakeholders, pharmaceutical industry, retail industry, SPDC, insurance companies, chamber of commerce, principals and teachers of schools and colleges.