Dharmendra Pradhan, the minister of education for the union, took part in the “VET: Policy Dialogue on Developing Skills for the Future” today at the Kangan Institute in Melbourne. The potential use of Australian Skill Standards and Certification frameworks in India was discussed as a way to give young people the skills they’ll need in the future, connect them with jobs, and enhance skilling outcomes. Dharmendra Pradhan outlined the goals and initiatives of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to make India a major source of highly qualified and effective labour on a global scale. He stated that India’s young population is her greatest asset in the twenty-first century and that skilled Indians will contribute to both the domestic and international economies.
Pradhan also emphasised India’s desire to work with Australia’s institutions of higher learning. He was grateful for Australia’s desire to work with India to further their shared goals for skill development and to prepare Indian youth for the various opportunities in Australia. He added that there are numerous opportunities for collaboration between Australia and India in the fields of workforce development, qualification and skills recognition, curriculum development, and skills assessment, and that “having a workforce that is ready for the future in our nations will better position us to take advantage of global opportunities.”
Leaders in the Australian skilling ecosystem, including Craig Robertson, CEO of the Victorian Skills Authority, Sally Curtain, CEO of the Bendigo Kangan Institute, and others, participated in the conversation. He also paid a visit to Deakin University in Melbourne and got a thorough tour of the institution, paying particular attention to the research degrees, entry pathways, and courses created with input from the industry.
The implementation of NEP 2020, according to Pradhan, “has ensured that India is teeming with prospects.” Additionally, he extended an invitation to Deakin University and all Australian universities and skill institutions to investigate opportunities in India and develop ways to share best practices in order to transform our economies into knowledge-based ones and ensure the prosperity of our people in both nations. Pradhan also had one-on-one conversations with Australia’s Minister for Skills and Training, HE Brendan O’Connor. According to a statement from the ministry, “They had fruitful conversations on building stronger collaborations in the skill development sector and working together to create a highly-productive and future-ready workforce.”
According to him, “the localised TAFE institutes in India and the harmonisation of qualification requirements between India and Australia will hasten the mobility of the skilled labour.”
