BWI: Germany, India deepen cooperation in Skills Development

Press release from Business Wire India
Source: FICCI
Monday, September 19, 2011 03:33 PM IST (10:03 AM GMT)
Editors: General: Consumer interest, People; Business: Business services, Education & training, Media & entertainment
--------------------------------------------------
Germany, India deepen cooperation in Skills Development
German participation at 4th Global Skills Summit in New Delhi

New Delhi, Delhi, India, Monday, September 19, 2011 -- (Business Wire India) -- Vocational training is a key area in the Indo-German bilateral collaboration. With a view to further expand the cooperation in this field; Germany is participating at the 4th Global Skills Summit on 15th and 16th September in New Delhi.

The event is being organized by Federation of Indian chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) in collaboration with the Indian Ministry of Labour & Employment. The event serves as a central platform for international dialogue on the modernization of vocational education and training (VET) in India. The theme of this year's summit is 'Vocational Education & Training: Developing Strategic and Implementation Framework'.

In his address at the summit, German Ambassador Thomas Matussek said, "The difficult task of reforming the skill development sector can only be tackled by the joint effort of many players, and the summit provides a great platform to exchange ideas and start initiatives."

Ambassador Matussek added, "The National Skill Development initiative is a massive operation and Germany in a committed, strategic partner. For instance, the Indo-German Working Group on Vocational Education and Training cooperates closely. We are glad to bring in our long tradition and expertise in skill development to the table."

The 4th Global Skill Summit brings the educational institutions, training providers and enterprises under one umbrella and provides an opportunity to establish fruitful Indo-German partnerships and business relations. At the Skill Summit, Germany's International Marketing of Vocational Education (iMOVE) is also organizing the German participation in two panel sessions-on structuring sector Skill Councils and on key initiatives in Germany. Additional training will also be presented. India and Germany have already seen some successes in this field. Some of these examples will also be highlighted by iMOVE.

Ahead of the Summit, on 14th September, iMOVE and FICCI jointly organized a special India-Germany workshop titled German Vocational Education & Training in specific sectors-lessons for the formation of Sector Skills Councils in India'. With its strong emphasis on employability, 'Training-Made in Germany' can support the ongoing reform process of the Indian training system.

As India moves rapidly towards achieving ambitious economic and social targets, engaging human resources for skills development will be critical for ensuring success as a knowledge economy. The challenge also magnifies for India due to unprecedented issues of scalability and multiple challenges in implementation. It is projected that 500 mil;l;ion people will require training to join India's workforce by 2022. In the past few years, India has seen a surge in the number of initiatives from both government and industry to tackle the massive skills challenge.

In May 2011, Chancellor Angela Merkel and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh held the first Indo-German intergovernmental consultations in New Delhi. During her visit, VET featured as a core area of discussion. Germany and India also signed three MoUs in this sector. The first one was signed by German Minister of Education and Research.

Annette Schaven and Indian Minister of Labour and Employment Mallikarjun Kharge, covering a broad range of policy issues. The second one was signed between iMOVE and National Skill Development Corporation to cooperate in setting up Sector Skill Councils and training of trainers. And thirdly, a framework agreement was signed between the Rhine-Main chamber of Crafts and Trades and the Indian partner IL&FS (Infrastructure Leasing & Financial Services) to build 100 training establishments on the Delhi-Mumbai industrial corridor.

iMOVE is an initiative of the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research. It promotes international cooperation and supports the initiation of collaborations and business relations in vocational training and continuing education.


CONTACT DETAILS
Pooja Gianchandani, Director and Head, Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI), +91 (11) 23487280, pooja.gianchandani@ficci.com

KEYWORDS
CONSUMER, PEOPLE, BUSINESS SERVICES, EDUCATION, MEDIA

If you wish to change your Business Wire India selection please click on this link http://www.businesswireindia.com/media/news.asp and use your personal username and password to login.

Submit your press release at http://www.businesswireindia.com