The State Government has decided to implement the National Skill Qualification Framework (NSQF).

A high-level meeting to this effect was held under the chairmanship of Chief Secretary JK Mohapatra on Tuesday where Director General National Skill Development Agency (NSDA) JB Roy presented the objectives and utilities of the NSQF. Roy said that since Odisha has taken a number of initiatives in skill development, the NSDA would be happy to have active participation of the State in the National Skill Qualification Committee (NSQC).

The NSQF aims to integrate general and vocational streams of education. The State Government has earlier decided to have an enabling framework for entry and exist between general education and vocational training. The NSQF would provide impetus to it. This would help in alignment of Indian vocational qualifications with international standards.

Roy said the NSQF would be implemented through the National Skill Qualification Committees, which would comprise representatives from key Central Ministries concerned with skill development and State representatives. The sector-specific experts, representatives of regulatory bodies, training providers would also be there in the committee. The NSQF would supersede all other vocational training frameworks in due course.

Within three to five years, all Government-funded training and educational institutions would define eligibility criteria for admission to various courses in terms of the NSQF levels.

The Chief Secretary advised the Department of Employment, Training and Technical Education to work in close collaboration with the NSDA for qualitative skill development in specific sectors like healthcare, pharmaceuticals, construction and mining. It has been decided to start with skill development training programmes in the health sector in the first phase.