Realising that a skilled workforce is an asset and also a prerequisite for sustainable economic development, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has instructed officials to include vocational education in school education, with one trade related to One District One Product (ODOP), the flagship scheme of the state government.
Reviewing the implementation of the National Education Policy 2020 in the state, the chief minister said that it was necessary to include vocational education at every level in school education.
“Trades should be determined keeping in view the local demand and requirements. The focus should be on service, manufacturing and agriculture sectors. One trade in each school should be related to the product selected under ODOP scheme,” Yogi said.
The New Education Policy 2020 has marked a revolutionary change in the education industry, shifting the focus from certificate and degree-based education to learning and skill-based education.
“Through vocational education at school level, elaborate efforts will be made to fill skill gaps. The government is focused on equipping the youth of the state with employable and entrepreneurial skills so that they are able to cope with a changing world and also become active agents of positive changes,” the chief minister said.
The chief minister intends to include the ODOP of each district in their schools as a trade so that the students develop their skills in the manufacturing of these products. This will serve two purposes, first, the state will have a skilled resource and secondly, the indigenous products under ODOP will get a major boost with better quality and innovation with the youth taking up the profession.
In this regard, under the Skill Development Mission Programme, a project for the development of job ready skills through vocational training would be introduced in joint collaboration with the Secondary Education Department and Uttar Pradesh Skill Development Mission.
“Free certification courses would be conducted every working day during the school hours,” the chief minister said.