Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh) [India], January 22 (ANI): South Korea's model of cultivating a skilled workforce, a key driver behind its rapid economic growth, is now being extended to India, as the two countries deepen cooperation in vocational education and industrial skill development. The initiative aims to support India's expanding manufacturing and new-age industries by systematically developing practical talent, while positioning Korea's Meister High School-based vocational education model, adapted to India's education and industrial ecosystem, as a potential global best practice for workforce development.

Furthermore, this cooperation is expected to lay a crucial foundation for a future industrial partnership in which both nations grow together.

KOICA (Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA)) held a launching ceremony for the Project of 'Strengthening Vocational Education and Training in Mechatronics in India' in Bhopal, the capital of Madhya Pradesh state, on the 20th, signalling the full commencement of Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) cooperation between Korea and India. This project represents the first 'project-form' of G2G technical cooperation led by the Korean government with the partnership of the Indian government, according to a release from the Korean Cultural Centre India.

The launching ceremony, designed to formally announce the Project's commencement widely and to solidify the cooperation framework between key institutions, was attended by Ambassador Lee Seong Ho of the Republic of Korea to India, Sanjay Kumar of Secretary of the Ministry of Education, Dinesh Prasad Saklani Director of the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT), along with approximately 250 representatives from key institutions in both countries, including KOICA, KCCI (Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry and KRIVET(Korea Research Institute for Vocational Education and Training) as the Project Management Consultant, India's PSSCIVE, and RIE Bhopal and DMS. The event featured a sharing of the Project overview, future implementation plans, and the direction of cooperation of KOICA and NCERT.

The project of 'Strengthening Vocational Education and Training in Mechatronics in India'' was conceptualised to address the rapidly increasing demand for skilled personnel in manufacturing sectors, in line with the Indian government's 'Make in India' policy - a national initiative prioritising manufacturing-focused industrial development. Through this Project, KOICA will establish a mechatronics Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) system situated in the Multi-Purpose Demonstration School (DMS) in Bhopal by 2027. Bhopal hosts educational institutions such as PSSCIVE and RIE, as well as the DMS, within the same complex.

The employment linkage potential of the area is enhanced by its proximity to an automotive industrial complex in the surrounding region.

The specific components of the project are outlined as follows: Policy advisory for the approval of the mechatronics curriculum based on India's National Skills Qualifications Framework (NSQF), development of students' textbooks and teachers' guides, support of 41 types of advanced training equipment, including CNC (Computer Numerical Control) and PLC (Programmable Logic Controller) and invitation training programmes in Korea for Indian education policymakers and teachers.

In particular, the focus of this project will be on benchmarking Korea's Meister High School model, with the objective of enhancing the practical instruction capacities of local teachers. The efforts made in this regard include the activation of industry-academia cooperation networks through the facilitation of seminars connected with industrial partners and the organisation of practical workshop tour programmes.

Ambassador Lee Seong Ho of the Republic of Korea to India stated in his congratulatory address that 'This project holds significant meaning as it is the first technical cooperation initiative jointly pursued by the Korean and Indian governments, and it is being implemented in Madhya Pradesh, the heartland of India, which holds great potential for Korean companies.' In addition, he stated that 'The Korean government will be a steadfast partner of India to fulfil the 'Viksit Bharat 2047' vision.'

Sanjay Kumar, Secretary of the Ministry of Education, remarked, 'The history of ties and exchanges between India and Korea spans from the legend of Princess Suriratna of Ayodhya and the 'Lamp of the East' by Rabindranath Tagore to contemporary Korean Wave content like K-pop.' He also articulated his vision for the Project, stating, 'This initiative will systematically introduce the economic growth process based on Korea's education system in skilled human resources development and disseminate it across India.'

Dinesh Prasad Saklani, the Director of NCERT expressed his expectation of the successful outcome of the project, 'Based on this project, the model of vocational education scheme will be adopted by other RIEs nationwide and applied to their DMSs as well' and underscored the necessity of national education reforms in more practical way, 'the National Education Policy (NEP) prioritises human resources development in terms of employability and skill development, focusing the acquisition of capacities that align with the industrial requirements.'

Jeong Minyoung, KOICA Country Director in India, mentioned that 'The Indian government shows wide interest in Korea's experience and history of economic growth achieved through fostering manufacturing-centric industries and cultivating skilled technical personnel.' He added, 'KOICA will closely communicate with Indian stakeholders and meticulously manage the project to ensure this interest and expectation will be actualised into positive outcomes.'

Following this launching ceremony, KOICA plans to complete the baseline surveys and continue the scheduled curriculum and textbook development activities, with joint participation by Korean experts and staff from NCERT, PSSCIVE, and RIE. In addition, KOICA will invite Indian TVET policy-makers to Korea this year to support vocational education policy formulation and implementation, establishing quality vocational education models to contribute in increase in youth employment and sustainable growth. (ANI)