MU ties up with polytechnic institutes to start 14 courses to boost job prospects
Extract
from the article:
The University of Mumbai is poised to launch a pioneering initiative beginning
with the 2025-26 academic year, introducing skill-based courses aimed squarely
at arts students—a demographic traditionally distanced from vocational
training. These courses include practical, employment-relevant skills such as
solar panel installation, electrical work, and web development. This initiative
reflects a progressive response to the glaring employability gap faced by arts
graduates in today’s competitive job market. Instead of limiting education to
theoretical knowledge, the university’s plan focuses on empowering students
with tangible skills tailored to current industry demands, enhancing their
prospects of meaningful employment.
This shift stems from both a governmental recognition and
institutional acknowledgement that conventional academic degrees often fail to
bridge the divide between education and employability, especially in
non-technical streams. Through this integrated curriculum extension, the
University of Mumbai is attempting to democratize vocational training by making
it accessible to all students, not just those in STEM or commerce fields. The
emphasis on solar panel installation signals a strategic alignment with sustainable
energy sectors, electrical skills cater to core infrastructural development
needs, and web development addresses the pervasive digital economy,
collectively reflecting a diverse skill-set designed for future resilience.
My
Take:
A. National
Skills University: Virtual Is the Future of Vocational Training
Reflecting on my blog from 2021, I had already underscored the critical need to
integrate skilling with formal education to meet burgeoning workforce demands.
I wrote, “Despite all efforts, Indian youths entering the workforce are NOT
inspired enough to undertake skilling. They prefer to pursue University Courses
rather than Skilling Courses.” Today’s move by the University of Mumbai
validates this premise by offering arts students what was previously the domain
of technical education: vocational skills.
What strikes me is how prescient the government’s roadmap
was—to skill 15 million individuals over 5 years and introduce mechanisms like
Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL). The Mumbai initiative complements these
broader efforts by targeting the very strata that had traditionally been
overlooked. This reflects a holistic approach that I originally advocated: not
merely skilling but mainstreaming skilling as a key pillar of academic
curricula, ensuring youth don’t merely graduate—they graduate employable.
B. Skill
Courses Planned to Make Graduates Employable
Back in 2019, I engaged with the idea of skill hubs proliferating across India,
questioning the practicality and scalability of such initiatives. The need to
reskill 60 lakh graduates yearly seemed daunting, and I proposed a “much
better/faster/cheaper alternative” via a reimagined Earth Mission, underscoring
speed, breadth, and affordability.
The University of Mumbai’s targeted skill courses echo those
very principles. By embedding skill acquisition within existing university
frameworks, the approach inherently reduces the extra cost and time burden on
students and institutions alike. As I had argued, making skill-building a
natural extension of academic programs rather than a separate adjunct makes
adoption more seamless and scalable—a tangible step closer to that vision I
nurtured years ago.
C. Skill
Capital of the World: Walking the Talk
Recently, Maharashtra’s launch of new Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs)
dedicated to global placement epitomizes the state’s commitment to craft a
skilled workforce aligned with international standards. Adding foreign language
training to meet the manpower needs of non-English speaking countries was a
masterstroke. I highlighted how this multidimensional approach could position
Maharashtra as a global leader.
The University of Mumbai’s new courses dovetail elegantly
with this narrative, emphasizing multidisciplinary, practical training that
goes beyond generic skills to address specialized market demands—solar energy,
electrical trades, and digital tech. I see a natural synergy here:
institutional initiatives like Mumbai University’s courses prepare a robust
feeder pipeline ready for placement in both national and international spheres.
Today’s announcement is not isolated; it is a strategic overlay in Maharashtra’s
larger skill capital ambition.
Call
to Action:
To the University of Mumbai and other academic institutions across India, I
urge you to accelerate this paradigm shift in curriculum design. Skill
integration must extend beyond pilot courses to become a standardized feature
within every faculty and discipline. Policymakers, collaborate closely with
industry stakeholders to continuously calibrate course content to the evolving
landscape of employability across sectors—from sustainable energy to digital
economies.
Employers and private sector leaders: partner proactively to
offer apprenticeships, internships, and real-world projects tied to these
skill-based courses. This collaborative ecosystem is vital to transform
graduates into workforce-ready professionals. The time to act is now—let us
move beyond rhetoric and ensure skill acquisition becomes embedded in the DNA
of higher education, especially for arts and humanities students historically
sidelined in this discourse.
With regards,
Hemen Parekh
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