Misconceptions behind skill courses must be changed: Sisodia

NEW DELHI: Over 3,000 students have passed out from the World Class Skill Centre (WCSC) in Vivek Vihar in the past five years and successfully placed for employment, as WCSC students are the real ambassadors of skill courses, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said on Wednesday.

"World Class Skill Centre is a unique institute which imparts practical skill courses in reality and not just the concepts," said Sisodia, while addressing the new batch of students here.

Citing examples from other developed countries, he made special note of the Senai courses in Brazil, the dual VET (vocational education and training) system in Germany, professional courses in Finland, as well as TAFE (technical and further education) in Australia, where skill courses are considered to be a very dignified course, "unlike the importance we give for the graduation courses here."

"A misconception prevails in our mindset, skill means carpenters or electricians, and this needs to be changed," he said.

The Deputy CM added that that ITI Vivek Vihar was chosen as a temporary campus for starting the WCSC.

Presently, the centre is running with four courses in Hospitality Operations, Retail Services, Finance Executive, and Digital Marketing and Web Development, with the world-class facilities for the trainees.

Admissions are offered twice in a year in the WCSC, once in March and again in August, for a total capacity of 1,000 students per year.

The minimum educational qualification for taking admission into the WSCS is passing Class XII and knowledge of English and Microsoft Office.

Technical education director Devinder Singh Nijjer stated that another 25 WCSCs in various other need-based disciplines are to be set up across Delhi. Efforts are on to start at least three before December.

Additionally, an Australian delegation met Sisodia and expressed their willingness to collaborate, with a focus on employability.