The Ampersand Group, as a Knowledge Partner & Program Management Unit for vocational training under the National Skills Qualifications Framework (NSQF), has provided vocational training to over 2,56,000 high school students, in various domains, including Security, IT-ITes, Media and Entertainment, Tourism & Hospitality, Beauty and Wellness, Apparel, Electronic hardware, Healthcare, Telecom, Agriculture, Sports and Physical Education, Plumbing, Self Defence Training to name a few.
NSQF is a nationally integrated education and competency-based framework, under the National Council for Vocational Education and Training that enables individuals to acquire desired competency levels in various fields. It is in alignment with the NEP2020 policy recommendations that aims to make vocational education more structured and practical-based, by conducting a skills gap analysis and mapping of local opportunities to assign vocational courses relevant to that particular area. This government program organizes qualifications according to a series of skill levels, knowledge and aptitude in a domain and is recognised pan-India, across industries.
The Ampersand Group manages delivery of training for students from Grades 9-12 and provides them with qualifications in accordance with NSQF. By providing industry-oriented vocational training along with quality education, the group prepares students for their field of professional interest during the school years. After completing Grade 12, students can then opt for higher professional studies in that chosen domain.
Speaking about the initiative, Anand Dani, Chief Executive Officer-Education, Consulting and Skilling Services, said, “According to recent government statistics, while India has a literacy rate of 70%,however, only 20% of literate youth are employable, as they lack the skills demanded by the industry. Enhancing their employability is crucial to ensure their livelihoods, the growth of our industries and the revival of our economy following the pandemic. This necessitates the broadening of what literacy means, to include technical skills, vocational skills and digital skills to make our youth employable. In this view, NSQF will help strengthen our country’s human capital and help India reap its huge demographic dividend.”
Adding further, Vishesh Saini, Vice President-Education, Consulting and Skilling Services, said, “In order to be employable, it is critical for every individual to acquire competency levels in a chosen domain and to exhibit professional and life skills to sustain and grow. By harnessing domain expertise, trained faculty, innovative pedagogy along with career counselling, we prepare them with the essential skills they need to pursue their desired field. The NSQF program is designed to help increase employability and lifelong professional development of our youth.”
As a Knowledge Partner & Program Management Unit with various SamagraShikshaAbhiyaan with State Governments in India, Ampersand Group is currently managing vocational training programmes in 20 states including Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Jammu and Kashmir, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra, West Bengal, Assam, Rajasthan, Ladakh, Daman and Diu, Tamil Nadu, Meghalaya and Odisha.
