The Punjab Government is all set to start career counselling programme in all its high and senior secondary schools.
Announcing this, the state Technical Education and Industrial Training Minister Charanjit Singh Channi on Sunday said that the career counselling programmes would be started in all government schools as parents and students are not aware regarding field of study suitable for their children after completion of matric and higher secondary studies.
Earlier in the meeting with senior officials of the Union Ministry for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, Channi stressed on the need of career counselling programme in the state.
He said that the National Skill Development Corporation has agreed to set up Counsellors’ Training Centre in the state which would train the trainers from across the state and these trained counsellors would provide career counselling in all the schools and other institutes of the state.
Channi added that the Punjab would run self-employment training courses for agriculture and allied services under Skill Development Mission. “Punjab Skill Development mission would provide skill training to the farmers and others to bring in focus issues such as diversification, doubling the income of farmers, arrest of depleting water tables and distress in farmers,” he added. About the decisions taken during the meeting, Channi said that the Punjab Agricultural University and the Guru Angad Dev Veterinary and Animal Sciences University would run the skill development courses for agriculture and allied services.
He said that the Union Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) Secretary Dr KP Krishanan, in principle, also gave approval to set up Indian Institute of Skills in the Punjab Skill University, which is to be set up at Sri Chamkaur Sahib.
“The Centre would be part of the University and work as the certifying authority for the skill centres running in the state,” he said adding that the courses in the Skill Universities would be based on the Embedded Apprenticeship Programme.
MSDE Secretary Dr Krishanan said that the proposal regarding this has been sent for the approval of Union Cabinet.
“As per the proposal, the courses would focus on 70 percent practical training and 30 percent academics. The practical training would be provided not only in the labs but also in the Industry,” added Dr Krishanan. Channi said that the Union Ministry has also approved grant for the Skills Competition to be held in the state before the India Skills competition. After this, the World Skills Competition would be held at Kazan Russia in 2019, he said. Minister said the Union Ministry has approved joint branding and reshuffling of courses as per the need of the industry.