>> iMOVE-Trade Mission to India to attend the Global Summit on Skills Development
On September 17 and 18, 2008, as part of the iMOVE Trade Mission to India, German providers of vocational training and continuing education had the opportunity to present their programs at the Global Summit on Skills Development, hosted by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) in New Delhi. In the photo to the right, Mr. Oscar Fernandes, Minister of State (Labour & Employment), opens the Summit.
As the governing body of the Indian manufacturing industry, CII has been representing the interests of 90,000 companies since 1895 and plays a decisive role in the modernization process of Indian vocational training.
iMOVE presented its quality brand Training - Made in Germany - in various forums. At the iMOVE Exhibition Stand, participants of the delegation presented their companies and conducted numerous B2B-discussions with potential Indian partners.
>> The course for sustainable reforms in Indian vocational training is set
Hardly any other topic has garnered as much attention in India these past few months as the fundamental modernization of vocational training. There is no doubt that the Indian government will implement their "national skills development policy".
Headlines in the Indian Press are consistent: India will not be able to sustain its rapid economic development, unless the enormous gap of skilled labour requirements in five key industries, namely, construction, health, automotive, retail and finance, is bridged at the same time, says Oscar Fernandes, the Indian Minister for Labour & Employment.
Practice-oriented vocational training "Made in Germany" is highly regarded in India. The country would like to work closely with those who shape the vocational training system in Germany.
It is clear that the German model cannot be adapted for India overnight or par for par.
>> Germany presented Training – Made in Germany at Skills Conferences hosted by Indian Business Associations
In August and September 2008, the two largest Indian Business Associations, FICCI (Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry) and CII (Confederation of Indian Industry) hosted two international “Skills Conferences” with international participation.
At both events, Germany was able to present its quality brand "Training – Made in Germany":
During the event hosted by the FICCI-Association in August, Germany participated as the official partner country with a high-ranking political and business delegation. At the CII event in September, Germany participated as the Exhibition Partner with an iMOVE Exhibition Stand; companies were able to present their vocational training and continuing education programs on site.
The representatives of the five German companies conducted very intense discussions with many of the 300 visitors during the two conference days; they were very pleased with the results and see a great deal of potential for future cooperation.
The two “education summits“, along with numerous political discussions at the Ministry level, resulted in significant and new momentum for the German-Indian roadmap to vocational training cooperation.
The extent to which Germany is a desirable partner country for India is evident in the visit of high ranking political officials – departmental ministers from India - who came to Germany at the beginning of October, in order to discuss next joint steps.
>> Additional information
- Brochure pertaining to the Global Summit on Skills Development (english, pdf, 2 MB)
- Link to the Confederation of Indian Industry CII: www.ciionline.org
- Link to the vocational training initiative "Skills Development Initiative": www.cii-skillsdevelopment.in
- World Bank Study, January 2008 (english, pdf, 123 pages, 1 MB):
Skill Development in India – The Vocational Education and Training System
