The National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) and the International Labour Organization (ILO) announced a strategic partnership to enhance skill development and lifelong learning initiatives both in India and globally. The partnership, established under the aegis of the Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship, aims to empower individuals by equipping them with essential competencies and qualifications to improve employability and drive sustainable economic growth.

The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed by Ved Mani Tiwari, CEO of NSDC, and Sangheon Lee, Director of ILO’s Employment Policy. This collaboration marks a significant step towards streamlining skill development initiatives through the implementation of the Skill India Digital Hub (SIDH). Atul Kumar Tiwari, Secretary of the Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship (MSDE), highlighted the digital transformation's potential to enhance efficiency, accessibility, and global impact of these initiatives.

"Workers' and employers' organizations in ILO's member countries will benefit from SIDH by digitizing systems, processes, skills delivery, and job matching, based on a cost-effective model", said Atul Kumar Tiwari. He emphasized that combining ILO's expertise with MSDE's commitment to skilling, reskilling, and upskilling aims to equip individuals to navigate disruptions and foster a sustainable future.

The partnership is designed to facilitate public-private collaborations and knowledge exchange, enhancing Sector Skill Councils, developing micro-credentials, and promoting Recognition of Prior Learning through a global knowledge-sharing platform. By strengthening the comparability of skills and qualifications, the collaboration will deploy digital tools to assess and compare the skills and qualifications of Indian workers with those required in potential destination countries, thereby improving global mobility and employability prospects for Indian workers.

Ved Mani Tiwari expressed optimism about the MoU's potential to align and benchmark Indian qualifications with global skills standards, creating a pool of Indian youth ready for global opportunities. He also noted that India is becoming a preferred destination for Global Capability Centers (GCCs), opening avenues for Indian youth to engage in remotely delivered knowledge work for international markets.

Sangheon Lee highlighted the synergy between NSDC's technological capabilities and ILO's standard-setting functions, tripartism, and global reach, which could significantly improve access to quality training worldwide. He added that promoting quality apprenticeships, work-based learning for employability and productivity, and the development of sustainable enterprises will be a cornerstone of this collaboration.

This partnership represents a major milestone in the global effort to advance skill development and lifelong learning, with the potential to create a more skilled and employable workforce ready to meet the demands of the future.