New Delhi, December, 2021.

A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed on 07^thDecember, 2021 between Directorate General of Training (DGT) under Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) and National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS) under Ministry of Education (MoE). The MoU aims to put in place a system for academic equivalence to vocational/ITI qualification for opening pathways for candidates of ITI system as well as apprentices who want to attain higher academic qualification in addition to their skills.

Under the partnership, skill courses will be offered through distance learning mode with an aim to create synergies between school education and skill development. Through the MoU, several prospectswill be introduced for Industrial Training Institute (ITI) and National Skill Training Institute (NSTI) pass-outs from regular course of Craftsmen Training Scheme (CTS) for horizontal and vertical mobility. The courses are also designed with a focus on enhancing the employability of these candidates. (Details in Annexure)

Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) under Directorate General of Training (DGT) play a vital role in providing vocation training to craftsmen. The number of Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) have been increased from 11,847 in 2014 to approx. 15,000 in 2019 increased by 25%. While ITIs have been expanded to almost over 700 districts in the country, seating capacities in them have been increased from 16.94 lakhs to approx. 24 lakhs.

Expressing his thoughts on the collaboration, Shri Rajesh Aggarwal, IAS, Secretary, Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship stated, “This is yet another initiative introduced with an aim to increase coordination between school education and skill development. By forging such partnerships and enabling systems for academic equivalence, our common goal remains to empower the youth of our nation. I believe that these courses will provide the right capabilities to our ITI candidates and apprentices in an efficient manner and prepare them with industry-ready skills. In my previous experience as the Director General of DGT, I witnessed competent changes in the ecosystem, giving impetus to skilling in ITIs and NSTIs. I once again congratulate DGT and NIOS on this collaboration.”

In addition to this, the programme will include students with one-year ITI course qualification and one-year apprenticeship training under Apprentices Act, 1961.  This provision opens pathways not only for ITI students but also for those undergoing apprenticeship training for a minimum of one-year duration. The learners will have to take one language from the group of languages offered by NIOS for their secondary course and senior secondary qualification.