IGNOU workshop on graduate employability ends with formation of Indian Public Open Universities Association

A three-day national workshop on graduate employability, hosted by Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) and Commonwealth Educational Media Centre for Asia (CEMCA) at IGNOU headquarters in New Delhi, reached its conclusion with the announcement of the Indian Public Open Universities Association, made by B Shadrach, director of CEMCA.

The association aims to be a united platform for open universities to discuss vocational upskilling for better graduate employability, in order to fulfill the vision of National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, National Skills Qualification Framework (NSQF), and National Credit Framework (NCrF).

Over the three days of the workshop, vice chancellors and senior officials of 17 open universities across India came together to discuss how vocational education can be made more accessible so that the Indian graduate workforce can be skilled and employable. They also discussed inclusivity in distance education and industry-based curriculum.

Distance education in India

Apoorva Palkar, vice chancellor of Maharashtra State Skills University (MSSU), gave a presentation on the integration of vocational skills within academic degrees. Her presentation was titled “Demystifying 60-40”, and she explained MSSU’s success story in combining vocational skills through “structured credit frameworks”.

On the second day of the workshop, Aparajita from the ChangeInkk Foundation presented the BUILD initiative - building university inclusion for learners with disabilities. She focussed on efforts towards bringing learners with Specific Learning Disabilities (SLD) into mainstream education with inclusive curricula adopted by open universities.

Open Universities in India: Vocational training

Another session was led by Gunjan Chowdhary, director of the National Council for Vocational Education and Training (NCVET), ministry of skill development and entrepreneurship. He talked on the theme, “Enabling Quality Regulation through Recognition of Awarding Bodies”. Chowdhary encouraged open universities to register themselves as providers of both vocational and academic degrees under NCVET.

A panel discussion on industry-academia collaboration included a presentation by Jaya Awasthi, principal and head of skill development and livelihood, Confederation of Indian Industry (CII). She emphasised a need for deeper engagement between the industry and educational institutions so that degree outcomes are aligned with the current industry demand.

An open house allowed the participants to interact with the industry leaders directly.

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Distance learning in India

Towards the conclusion of the three-day workshop, an announcement was made to establish the Indian Public Open Universities Association, as a platform to initiate dialogue about potential advancements in the distance learning model.

Shadrach concluded the workshop with the following remarks: “The future of higher education lies in synergy—between institutions, between academia and industry, and between policy and practice. This association will help open universities work together to scale up vocational education.”