Amit Goyal, director, TKW Institute of Banking and Finance, speaks with Nikhil Dawar on the need for skilled professionals in this sector
Elaborate about the skill development in the countryIJ
From National Skill Development Council to, Ministry of HRD to Rural Ministry, all are promoting projects and schemes emphasising on skill development. A skill development programme emphasises on developing skills by giving hands-on practice to the learners. Such programmes provide opportunities to learner to perform skills and make mistakes under expert supervision. The feedback and guidance hence received enables skill development. These skills can be either vocational or professional
What gaps exist in today’s education systemIJ
Our present education system which promotes rote learning equips the students with great knowledge but fails to develop their skills. For example, most students after studying English for over six years can only read or write but can barely speak the language.
How do students choose the right institute among so many that existIJ
Going to college should not be a race for degrees but for knowledge and skills. Besides enquiring about placements, a student must enquire about the teaching pedagogies, faculty and extra-curricular activities.
Do you expect a rise in demand for banking professionalsIJ
The banking sector is showing an unending appetite for skilled professionals. With new banking licenses there will be a sudden vacuum at the top management level which will lead to a massive demand at all levels. Young professionals will have a lot more opportunities in the banking like never before.
How do you see the Government wanting a public-private sector model in the area of skill developmentIJ
The Government is very active in exploring Public-Private Partnership models in areas of skill development.
What are your expansion plansIJ
TKWs Group is already running many educational projects in various A and B tier cities in north India. As far as banking education is concerned we can’t expand in these cities due to shortage of good teachers.
Can your programmes be accessed by students onlineIJ
Not at present. Although our institute uploads a lot of open content on Internet for the entire student fraternity, but a true skill development programme is not possible online. Institutions across the globe have not been able to prove internet as a useful medium for this. We are hoping and continuously exploring any such breakthrough pedagogy.
What are the different scholarship programmes provided by your instituteIJ
As a self-financing not for profit institution we encourage access to our education to deserving students through scholarship programmes. Students can seek admission to merit seats under following scholarship schemes: Aptitude based scholarship: Students scoring above 60 per cent marks and a satisfactory interview performance are offered a merit seat with up to 25 per cent scholarship on tuition fees, Chairman’s scholarship. Under this scheme 10 per cent tuition fee of all eligible candidates is paid by him. Maa Saraswati scholarship: Students who achieve top 3 ranks in Class XII board results are granted 100 per cent scholarship.
What advantage does your institute have over othersIJ
Our biggest strength is our focus on banking. We are also proud of our focus on practical learning and our faculty from the industry. With our strict and comprehensive evaluation process anyone who has a banking diploma from our institute is a banker and has a world of opportunities available.