Aimed at collaboration and program management support for Skill Development Mission of Ministry of Defence [MoD]
– Objective is to build a trained workforce to promote growth and welfare of the Ex-Servicemen (ESM) and provide them with a second career
– Skills Development Network Trust (SDNT) of Wadhwani Foundation will integrate e-content in the curriculum of various training programs to improve employability of ESM
– Vocational Education will be introduced from classes 9–12 in a phased manner at the MoD run schools [excluding Sainik Schools]
– SDNT will undertake NSQF aligned training and development of faculty and key officials or institutional heads within MoD and its affiliates, for knowledge and capacity enhancement towards skill development and entrepreneurship training
– Training and mentoring support will also be provided by SDN Trust for participation of the Defence Public Sector Undertakings (DPSUs) & Ordnance Factories (OFs) in skill development initiatives
New Delhi, February 23, 2016: Ministry of Defence (MoD), Government of India and Skills Development Network Trust (SDNT) of Wadhwani Foundation announced a strategic partnership aimed to catalyze the Skill Development Mission of MoD. Shri Manohar Parrikar, Hon’ble Minister of Defence and Dr. Romesh Wadhwani, Founder & Chairman, Wadhwani Foundation exchanged the MoU in presence of Shri Prabhu Dayal Meena, Secretary, Dept. of Ex-Servicemen Welfare (ESW), Shri Ashok Kumar Gupta, Secretary, Dept. of Defence Production, Smt. Surina Rajan, Additional Secretary, MoD, and Smt. K Damayanthi, Joint Secretary, Dept. of Ex-Servicemen Welfare (ESW).
The partnership aims at using technology through integrated e-content in the curriculum to create scalability for training and employment of 300,000 ESMs and their families in five years. In line with Ministry of HRD’s Vocationalization of School Education Scheme, this partnership will also introduce vocational education in Army/Air Force/Navy Schools, DPSUs, OFB, and other defence establishments from class 9th – 12th at NSQF level 4. In order to achieve this goal, Skills Development Network Trust (SDNT) has committed to provide program management and e-content development for activities in this MOU and leveraging the Ministry of Defence funding towards skill and entrepreneurship development initiatives and schemes.
On the occasion of signing this MoU, Shri Manohar Parrikar, Hon’ble Minister of Defence said, “Skill development is an important aspect of the overall policy of the Government of India.”
As part of this partnership, SDN will co-ordinate with all the program stakeholders – MSDE, NSDC, SSCs and other agencies for effective design and implementation of NSQF aligned program. SDN will support in industry connect, identifying job-role demand and curriculum alignment, providing professional advice and inputs for effective implementation of the program and assist the State Rajya
Sainik Board and Zilla Sainik Boards in skill development initiatives.
Speaking on this strategic partnership, Dr. Ajay Kela, President & CEO, Wadhwani Foundation said, “Our Ex-Servicemen [ESM], most of whom are in the age group of 35-45, represent enormous potential for Indian businesses. Every year 60,000 soldiers retire and most are pigeon-holed into informal Security jobs. The absorption level in the private sector is abysmal and a serious waste of disciplined talent. The strategic partnership between MoD and Wadhwani Foundation’s SDN Trust will accelerate training and employment of this unique talent pool into formal jobs. When adequately skilled, ESM will make a smooth transition to a second career and also empower the corporate world”.
SDN will provide dedicated professionals, resource materials, training modules, knowledge bank and will monitor & evaluate the overall program implementation to bring quality assurance and impact analysis for helping fulfill MoD’s skill development objectives.
About Skills Development Network Trust of Wadhwani Foundation:
To help address the enormous gap that exists between skills needed by the Indian industry and what academia is producing, and the resultant deep fracture in the talent supply chain, Wadhwani Foundation set up the Skills Development Network Trust (SDNT) for facilitating multiple high school, college and employer initiatives for entry level mid-skill jobs. SDNT provides vocational training support to educational and training institutes, and employers for entry-level mid-skill jobs through a video based online platform.
SDNT has since developed and implemented several major skills initiatives with MHRD and State Governments providing support to vocational education programs in 1,400+ high schools, 18 UGC colleges and 100+ companies. To achieve skilling at scale, SDNT is developing multi-media enabled technology solutions for skilling by integrating online/in-class skills education through a digital/video using blended learning, industry driven curricula and pedagogy, and direct industry partnerships. These job-oriented eLearning courses can reach thousands of students simultaneously through the cloud platform. With a proven model, the SDN platform is expected to train over two lakh individuals in 2015-16 alone and by 2020 it aims to develop capabilities to train three million students a year through program management of 50,000 schools and 10,000 colleges.
MoU with MoD – With Release