April 7, 2025: In the presence of the Hon’ble Minister for Skill Development & Entrepreneurship, Nyato Dukam, the Department of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship (SDE) and Wadhwani Skill Network (WSN) of Wadhwani Foundation inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). This strategic collaboration aims to bridge the skill gap and empower Government Industrial Training Institute (ITI) trainees in Arunachal Pradesh with 21st Century Employability Skills. The initiative underscores a commitment to fostering a highly skilled workforce and taking a significant step towards skill development with the right policies & investment to enhanceemployability and job-readiness among ITI trainees, focusing on behavioural and life skills critical for workplace success in today’s evolving job market.
Minister Dukam highlighted that the Departmenthave taken this initiative with Wadhwani Foundation to enhance the soft skills of ITItrainees, ensuring their overall development. He emphasised that this partnership marks a significant milestone, as the 21st Century Skills Program will not only focus on essential life and workplace competencies, but also on building the art of communication, adaptability, critical thinking, teamwork, problem-solving, and workplace etiquette – skills vital for career growth and success. He confirmed that the program will be implemented across all ITIs with immediate effect, reinforcing the government’s commitment to skill development and employability enhancement.
Commissioner of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship, Saugat Biswas, informed that the Department of Skill Development is continuously working to develop ITI trainees, ensuring they are trained to meet future market requirements. He mentioned that the WSN’s flagship 21st Century Skills Program which is in alignment with the DGT Norms will be rolled out in all the ITIs ensuring hybrid model, combining self-paced digital content and faculty-led sessions for optimal learning engagement. Faculty Orientation Program (FOP) will be conducted to build the capacity of selected ITI faculty, enabling them to deliver the program effectively to students.
He highlighted that the department’s key objectives include providing world-class vocational training, aligning with industry-specific training to unemployed and underemployed youth of Arunachal Pradesh, enhancing employability by adapting to changing technologies and evolving needs of Industries.
Sunil Dahiya, Executive Vice President of Wadhwani Foundation, stressed the importance of the collaboration which will bridge the gap between technical skills and workplace-readiness, ensuring that ITI graduates are not just trained but truly employable. This initiative aligns with the broader vision of the state to build a future-ready, skilled workforce and contribute to India’s overall skilling and employment goals.
The MoU signing ceremony was also attended by, Sibo Passing, Director, Riakji Duchok, OSD to Minister, K.V Lincon, Deputy Director, GyatiKacho, Assistant Director, Suman Shukla & Vivek Raturi Senior Consultant.
