Curtain Raiser on World Class Skill

Development Centre in Indian States

Some countries are talking about this issue to improve the state of technical
training and give it the same importance that academic universities have. This
makes sense that this discussion is happening since we are seeing a rise in
interest in vocational and technical training and national qualification
frameworks. As India is creating the new NSQF it begs to ask is the
further education really relevant for the skills sector, if technicians go
onto an academic oriented education after acquiring their initial skills then you
are most likely losing a good technician or prospective engineer. So there really
needs to be a higher level skills training and one that operates at the top of the
level in terms of creating effective world class skills. This is important in so
many ways: for benchmarking what good skills are, for dissemination of showing
other institutes and students what can be done.
There is an interesting case of an International Training Centre in South East Asia.
The task given to the local automobile technicians by an experienced American
trainer was to tear down several hundred used automotive engines. The first
thing he did was to set up an example to see how long it would take a typical
ASEAN staff to dismantle the engine. It took about two hours and the result was
a mess with parts all over the place, which meant that it would be difficult to
keep track of the parts and you might lose some before you could clean it and
get it back together. So then he did a demo for all the staff. He took about 10
minutes to organize himself and then it took him only 20 minutes to dismantle
the engine in a very systematic and neat way with all the parts separated and
lined up for cleaning and accounting for.
So in cases like this, the technical professionals do not know what they can do or
what their potential is before they see it. Often having higher class skills means
working in somewhat different ways, more organized and by using time saving
tools in the proper manner. This is what the WCSC can do for these subject
areas. This is not what institutes normally teach. Most technical institutes teach
the basic theory and do some hands on. But they fall short of best work
practices. This is a very important part to productivity which is a growing issue
to all countries as they try to move up the wage ladder. Productivity and training
and wages go hand in hand.
WCSC needs to identify Global Industry Leaders in each subject sector and
involve them in the center perhaps in a committee. There are two elements to
this. The first is to involve a world class industry Association that has
international level standards for training. In the IT area it would be CompTIA, in
the Automotive it would be NATEF, HVAC area it would be ASRAE, in electronics it
could be IEEE. Then the curriculum can be aligned to these and the students
exiting the programs should be eligible where possible to obtain a certification
from those organizations. So students graduating from the Centre would not
only have the local certification/diploma but also an internationally recognized
certification. The Institute of Applied Technology in the UAE successfully did this
and it is a good model. They took a cue from the ITE in Singapore model. They
made links with above quoted international Associations and their policy is not to
offer a course without this dual certification capability (local and international).

The second part is to involve some of the more advanced industry players. This
the WCSC plans to do anyway and having a tie in with the international
Association body give it more credibility. The industry ties will not only ensure
that the training meets the local needs but also provides good links international
employment for the student output.

Methodology for Creation of the Equipment Lists

The creation of the equipment lists have followed a methodology to ensure that
they meet the current needs of India, as demonstrated by the latest versions of
the syllabus. Also to project these lists forward into the future by benchmarking
against other international standards, such as Singapore ITE and those set by
international industry led organizations.

1. India Benchmark: Each of the subject areas equipment lists, have been
thoroughly reviewed against the current syllabus available in India for the
Craftsmen Training Scheme. The Syllabus for the Craftsmen Training Scheme
were developed by esteemed committees of experts in consultation with the
National Council for Vocational Training and formally adopted and issued by the
Ministry of Labour, Directorate General of Employment and Training. Where ever
possible, the syllabus for New Delhi was utilized but in some cases, other sources
were used when there was a more recent issue. One example is Kolkata, which
has a Wireman syllabus which was updated in 2010, whereas the New Delhi
version still shows a 1998 edition. The latest edition was used in all cases when
it was available.

2. International Benchmarks: The equipment lists were also benchmarked

and updated against a variety of sources. These included the Singapore ITE,
Malaysian National Occupational Skills Standard (NOSS), ASEAN Regional
Occupational Skills Standards (ROSS). Also benchmarks from the International
associations were used, as they provided a very good source to see what
industry is currently requiring now. Industry requirements and certifications are
frequently updated, in many cases every two years. So industry sources are the
most current sources available for determining the actual worker skills
requirements for industry (as set by industry), on a global basis. References
from several selected leading industry associations have been utilized, in
particular ASRAE (American Society of Heating, Refrigeration, and AirConditioning Engineers USA), NATEF (National Automotive Teachers Educational
Foundation), and IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers). For the
ICT area in the future COMPTIA (Computer Technology Industry Association) will
be used.
The equipment provided will be able to meet these standards which can aid the
graduates in seeking higher levels of employment within India, however these
qualifications would be a Real World Skill passport for the graduates for overseas
work as well. It is possible that the ITI could facilitate International certifications
for these trades, such as from NATEF or later on with COMPTIA (Computer

Technology Industry Association) when the computer trades ICT labs are set up.
These certifications are recognized around the world and the ITI would be the
first in pioneering this by having a type of dual or even triple certification for the
students (One from India, one from ITE and one from an internationally
recognized Industry Association). This would distinguish the ITI New Delhi
graduates from all others in the country and would even be a remarkable
achievement in the International arena, an achievement that very few schools
have attained. Benchmarking to international industry associations and offering
students dual certifications is currently one of the top dynamic trends in TVET
around the world.

Pedagogical Approach
In the creation of the equipment lists, high consideration has been given to the
pedagogical approach of the equipment and facilities provided so that they will
facilitate the development of the knowledge, understanding and skills as
required by the syllabus and the needs of industry. The classical approach has
been followed in terms of learning, seeing and doing. Through this competency
based approach, the student will learn the basic theory and see how it operates
in order to achieve a meaningful understanding of the constituent components
and how they interact with each other. After that, specific skills as required by
industry are developed which apply to their area of study. The development of
these practical skills, also reinforces the theoretical part of the learning as well.
There is a definite link in understanding which is created after the student is
introduced to the theory and then sees how it is applied and furthermore sees
how it behaves when modified under various conditions. This achieves a deeper
level of understanding of the relationships between the theoretical principals and
behavior (cause and effect) which aid in the development of higher order skills of
diagnostics and troubleshooting. Finally the student is achieving higher levels of
cognitive development through testing and diagnostic exercises that bring all the
previous elements together, so as to form a comprehensive understanding of
the subject.
This development of the higher order skills as required for
diagnostic and repair work is in great demand by industry, but often lacking in
new graduate students from most institutions around the world.
All these considerations above have been viewed through the lens of the 21 st
century learning models which is creating new requirements and challenges for
institutions of learning.
These are characterized by the ability to be a
knowledge worker which calls for the students to have a basic understanding
of ICT technology and to being able to use it in the learning process, thereby
becoming a knowledge learner. Also it is expected that they will be able to
continue to apply these knowledge learner skills to actually become a
knowledge worker. This is why emphasis has been given to provide the
required Computer Aided Instruction (CAI) infrastructure and info-structure which
is infused throughout the equipment lists.

1. Creation of Modular Based Curriculum and Learning materials:

With the provision of the LMS and the CAI learning materials, this will provide the

basis for the content of the curriculum to be delivered in a more modular basis.
The Syllabus in fact is already modular in concept as it divides up the work by
weeks and presents them in a sequence. This is perfect for taking the next step
in organizing and delivering the teaching and learning materials in a modular
format. The advantages to a modular format are many. Modular curriculum is
easier to update. For example lets say a new module on Workshop safety is
developed. With an LMS system this can be applied to and used by many of the
subject areas. Materials from one common subject can be easily borrowed and
reused by other subjects, so this facilitates sharing and development of better
learning materials.

2. Project based/ Task Based Learning: As is common to standard TVET

teaching styles the concept of project based to task based learning has been
incorporated. This still remains the heart of the TVET learning experience and
features plenty of hands on learning activities which is so important to the
development of real skills. What may be a bit different in these lists, is that the
facilities provide for a high level of hands-on and minds-on learning so that
the student is not just confined to seeing a demonstration by the teacher or a
few students. This is a concept as championed by the Singapore ITE. At the
same time consideration has been given to provide enough space and
equipment for all students to be equally engaged collaborating in the activities.

3. Rotational Based Learning at Learning Stations:

In order to
provide variety for the students, the learning station approach has been
adopted. This is now used by many higher quality institutions of learning around
the world. It works by providing enough workstations so that all students may be
engaged at the same time, but perhaps on different exercises. So for example, a
class of 20 students can be divided into 10 groups of 2 and there would be 10
learning stations, each featuring a different application of the relevant
technology. These students would then follow their courseware and exercises for
their respective training station and after completion, would switch with another
group to go on to another different experience. This is a departure from the old
style of teaching whereby all the students do the same thing at the same time.
The problem with the traditional approach is that you need to have a lot of the
same type of training equipment, at least 10 sets of each type. With the
rotational based learning system you can have 10 different types of equipment
so that the end result is that the students can achieve wider learning experience
and the costs of equipment reduced for the school. This works particularly well
for expensive and advance training systems. However it cannot be applied to
most fundamental training situations and is only applicable to the applied skill
development area that is described fuller later on.

4. Understanding the Components and Construction of

Technology: In order to do this, extensive use has been made of wall charts
and sectioned items, which allow the student to see internal construction and
operation of key industrial components.
Also the CAI programs contain
information relevant to this as well.

5. Theory Demonstration: Demonstration units have been incorporated to

show the underlying principles, theory and operation of the technology (often
this is accomplished in the same training system which also has the
troubleshooting features). This will also be complemented by the CAI learning

programs that
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6. Practice units for assemble and disassembly skills:

These are
industrial parts and systems that have been specially set up to facilitate the
disassembly and reassembly of the units. They may consist of live units which
will function after reassembly or dead units which are for lower level practice
so that the student achieves a certain proficiency before moving on to the live
units.

7. Operational Training Systems with Faults: Working units that have

been modified to include troubleshooting for development of higher order skills
and operational skills as well as maintenance/repair skills. These can also be
used for testing and certification. It is often required by the international
certifications to verify and certify competencies in a practical way (besides a
theory test). These training systems with faults can assist in assessing the
practical skills and competency of the student in particular ways so that their
knowledge of applied theory can be tested.

8. Benchwork and Primary Skills: Workshop areas are set aside for the
Benchwork and the development of fundamental and standard support skills that
are required in each trade discipline. This would include and understanding of
materials, marking, cutting , layout, filing, piping, soldering, brazing, welding,
etc. as required by each subject.

Skill Lab Configurations:

The labs have been configured in an overall way to allow for portions of the
subject to be grouped by natural learning activities. This basically is also a
reflection of the trade area and ultimately the syllabus as well. Each trade
involves teaching a number of different things including knowledge, theories,
fundamental skills, applied skills and advanced skills. Each of these phases
requires different sets of training and practice equipment as well as support
facilities. Gone are the days when an entire subject can be taught in one lab.
This is for several reasons, primarily it is inefficient and not practical to do so. To
gather all the appropriate resources and equipment in the numbers with optimal
quantities as required, would necessitate a huge workshop cum classroom cum
testing center. So by dividing the shops into logical smaller units we are able to
accomplish the training more efficiently and effectively while having higher
capacity of students with the same amount of equipment.
The types of labs and their nature is described below;
1. Fundamentals Labs: These would be used to teach the students on
smaller scale systems that are useful to introduce theoretical information and
knowledge. It is more like a laboratory Classroom situation rather than a work

shop. Students would be based at learning stations where by they would

conduct theoretical and applied theoretical experiments so that they can master
the fundamental knowledge that is relevant to the trade area. This lab would
also have a number of support equipment such as test and measurement
equipment to go along with the training systems. Often this lab is the first main
lab for the students when starting the trade.

2. General Lab or Workshop: This workshop cum lab is designed to cover

the development of the fundamental skills that are required for the trade. Here
the student will learn the Benchwork skills as well as other relevant skills with
tools, welding, soldering, machining etc. In many cases these workshop labs
also contain a range of assembly or practice installation training stations as well.
Depending on the Layout of the school some of the workshops could be common
to several related subjects.

3. Applied labs:

These labs would be the place where the student can

develop the specialized skills for disassembly, assembly, operation, servicing and
repair of the technology area under study. It features applied skills trainers so
that the student can operate and explore the various aspects of the technology.
In many cases it also contains trainers with fault insertion systems for
troubleshooting and diagnostic activities.

4. Specialized labs for higher level training: These labs would be on

the higher levels of technology in the selected field. This is where the training is
given on up to date, state-of-the-art, industry driven systems that are in high in
demand from industry, but actually very few schools achieve this higher level of
training. This would be for example, Autotronics in the automotive field, or
Building Automation in the Building Services field, or Mechatronics in the
Automation field.