India, as one of the world’s youngest nations, grapples with a perplexing paradox. Despite a substantial demographic dividend, with over 62% of its population in the working-age group (15-59 years) and more than 54% under the age of 25, there’s an alarming shortage of necessary skills among our youth. This disparity puts India’s development and economic growth in jeopardy, underscoring the essential need for efficient skill development in tandem with top-notch education.
The innovative policy of National Credit Framework (NCrF) was introduced under the New National Education Policy (NEP 2020) It may be able to address the vulnerable spot of Indian education: bridging the employment-education gap. The NCrF seeks to equip a generation of knowledgeable and adaptable students who are ready to take on the challenges of a constantly changing global economy.
NCrF has been designed as an overarching framework with a single unified credit level that applies to all the frameworks, such as National School Education Qualification Framework (NSEQF), the National Higher Education Qualification Framework (NHEQF), and the National Skills Qualification Framework (NSQF).
This framework is quite like the old Indian Gurukul system, where skill development was an essential part of all-encompassing education. It promotes an all-inclusive and multidisciplinary approach to education, allowing students to select their courses based on their interests and skills and progress at their own pace.
NCrF opens a promising avenue for industries in talent acquisition and retention. Following are the reasons why this policy is ground-breaking-
This approach allows the students to acquire real-world experience that gives them the skills they need to be employable. Additionally, the organisations gain from a ready supply of qualified workers, which lowers training costs, increases productivity, and decreases attrition. The industry led educational models can potentially improve the affordability of higher education, enhance the Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) in higher education, and contribute significantly towards the mandate of NEP2020.
The “Recognition of Prior Learning” provision of the NCrF is a powerful tool for empowering working professionals. This policy allows people a chance to have their formal knowledge and credentials—acquired through years of experience—recognized and validated. For those in the Indian workforce who have acquired knowledge formally but lack the official academic qualifications to support it, it is a blessing.
The NCrF paves the way for a lifelong learning culture. It extends beyond the conventional boundaries of academic topics, acknowledging and awarding success in extracurricular activities like sports, music, art, and competitions for world skills. This creates opportunities for students to explore their passions and skills outside of the bounds of conventional academic subjects, resulting in a more inclusive and fulfilling educational experience.
Here are a few alterations that National Credit Framework proposes to bring to the higher education system-
- It allows for innovative subject combinations and flexible course completion schedules. Majors and minors can throw up interesting combinations, from Microbiology to Music, thereby fostering a multidisciplinary and holistic education.
- Skills training and vocational education are equivalent to higher education, higher education institutions (HEIs) will be able to incorporate credit-based modules that are competency benchmarked into their programme curricula.
The National Credit Framework (NCrF) offers the industry a viable path for attracting and retaining talent. It embodies the National Education Policy 2020’s revolutionary vision, which aims to reshape India’s educational system. For the Indian educational ecosystem, the launch of NCrF under the auspices of NEP 2020 is a momentous occasion.
(This article is authored by The Pravesh Dudani, Founder & Chancellor, Medhavi Skills University, Sikkim)
