Working Groups for the Eleventh Five Year Plan (2007-2012)

Skill Development and Vocational Training

Dated 6th March 2006

In the context of preparation of the Eleventh Five Year Plan, it has been decided to set up a Working Group on Skill Development and Vocational Training with the following composition.

2.   The Terms of Reference of the Working Group will be:

1. To assess the impact of on-going programmes for skill development under different streams like craftsmen and vocational training including non-formal training system and skill development efforts in the unorganized sector with regard to their relevance in the context of technological change taking place in the economy as well as in achieving the objectives like productivity and incomes, specially in the unorganized sector of the economy;
2. To evaluate the feasibility of providing vocational skills to all entrants to labour force and the feasibility of attaining this target by the end of Eleventh Plan and to suggest a strategy for accomplishing this objective;
3. To review the growth of vocational Training Industry outside the domain of public sector since inception and to suggest appropriate framework for Vocational Training Policy in order to foster its growth.
4. To identify emerging requirements of training, both formal and non-formal; and assess the capacity and potential of the existing institutional set up in relation to the emerging skills requirements
5. To recommend appropriate labour market intelligence system for better matching of demand and supply of marketable skills.
6. To suggest measures for augmenting the role of industry from merely advisory level to that of supplementing inputs for managerial level to further strengthen the industry-institute interaction in ITIs.
7. To examine the aspects of providing autonomy to Institute Management Committees (IMCs) as contrasted with the options like (i) adoption of ITI by Industry Associations and/or (ii) restricting the scope to that of merely technical input rendered by Industry Associations.
8. To examine the functioning of the existing institutions, at national and state level, such as National and State Councils for Vocational Training, Apprenticeship Council, etc.,
9. To suggest appropriate framework for skill development of rural youth.
10. To suggest appropriate framework for skill development needed for women as a means for women empowerment in particular in the rural areas and also in low-income occupations in urban areas.
11. To suggest a mechanism for developing a framework of Nationai Qualification Pathway to interlink vocational education, vocational training and academic education in order to facilitate inter-stream movement of students and vocational trainees,

3. The Chairman of the Working Group may include additional term (s) of reference in consultation with Member (Labour and Employment), Planning Commission, who is Chairman of the Steering Committee on Labour and Employment.

4. The Chairman of the Working Group may co-opt any other Expert as Member of the Working Group.

5. The Working Group will submit its report by April 30, 2006. The Ministry' of Labour and Employment will provide the Secretarial assistance for the Working Group.

6. The expenditure on TA/DA of official members in connection with the meetings of the Group will be borne by the parent Department/ Ministry to which the official belongs as per the rules of entitlement applicable to them, The non-official members of the Group will be entitled to TA/DA as permissible to Grade I officers of the Govemment of India under SR190(a) and this expenditure will be borne by the Ministry of Labour and Employment.

7. Shri R.K.Bhatnagar, Director, Room No. 407, Yojana Bhawan, Sansad Marg (Tel. 23096535) will act as Nodal Officer and any further communication in this regard may be made with the Nodal Officer.