| | November 201719If we deliver vocational and skill development training in a balanced and well-defined manner, talent may be attracted to industryquality, but also saving time by automating the assessment process by latest image recognition technology. The devices are also modest, which is just a web camera attached to Teacher's Computer or laptop.Labs are no more the prerogative of science students at plus two levels. With the advent of technology, modern day classrooms are undergoing change. Many good schools in metros have classrooms where focus is on learning by doing. EdTech Companies like Funscholar, Robokidz Eduventures and 3Dexter are working in this area in India. There are also labs for language like Words Worth English Language Lab that are replacing traditional spoken English tutorials.The government is slowly taking cognizance of the power of `Learning by Doing' at early stage of a student's school years. With a vision to `cultivate one million children in India as Neoteric Innovators', Atal Innovation Mission is establishing Atal Tinkering Laboratories (ATLs) in schools across India. The objective of this scheme is to foster curiosity, creativity and imagination in young minds; and inculcate skills such as design mindset, computational thinking, adaptive learning, physical computing and many others. AIM will provide grant-in-aid that includes a one-time establishment and operational expense for a maximum period of five years to each ATL. The NITI Aayog has recently announced the list of 257 schools selected to establish Atal Tinkering Laboratories.Learning can be greatly reinforced by practice. Gamification in education makes practice fun and leads to greater retention of knowledge and learning.MOOCS (Massive Open Online Course) and LMS (Learning Management Systems) coupled with advances in smartphones is making learning personalized and flexible. Classroom-based distance learning along with MOOCS and LMS are becoming popular among working professionals, but we have a lot of catching up to do in this area. Although we are witnessing exponential changes in the way the education is delivered, one thing that remains constant is the presence of a human educator. The role of this person needs to change from an enforcer to enabler. Emerging economies like India, carrying a colonial legacy of education system, are still hesitant to adopt technology. EduLift Solutions is one such startup which is working with schools and institutes across India to change this mind set and connecting them to some of the finest Indian EdTech companies. The Way ForwardAt present, nearly 80 per cent of new entrants to the country's workforce get little or no opportunity for skills education. Merely 2.5 percent of our workforce is exposed to formal vocational training. Enrolling in a vocation training institute or hands-on skill training course can be of great help to candidates looking out for employment opportunities. A number of government agencies and private institutes are imparting skill education in India, but there is little coordination between them. Companies like ICA Edu Skills are partnering with various state and Central government departments in offering skill building programs for the country's potential workforce in diverse sectors such as agriculture, IT-ITES, retail, telecom, banking and accounting, among others. Private vocational institutes can give the government a big helping hand in skilling India and providing industry with job-ready candidates.
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