New Delhi : Ambedkar University Delhi (AUD) launched its School of Vocational Studies (SVS) on Monday. With this the number of constituent schools in the university has gone up to twelve. Under this school, courses in three Bachelor of Vocation (BVoc) degrees – Retail Management, Tourism and Hospitality; and Early Childhood Centre Management and Entrepreneurship (ECCME) will be offered.
Speaking at the inauguration, Delhi Education Minister, who inaugurated the school said that the “Vocational programme in ECCME will address the age group of 0-6 years, which has not been addressed even in the Right to Education Act.” He also added that “the treatment meted out to our children of this age group has a bearing on the future citizenry which decides the status and prospects of the nation.”
Around 101 students have been admitted in the three B.Voc. programmes introduced by the university and are following guidelines of the UGC and the National Skill Qualification Framework (NSQF) with provision for multiple entry and exit options that will lead to Certificate, Diploma, Advanced Diploma and BVoc Degrees.
The university called their programmes to be unique as “the curriculum has been designed in close partnership with industry experts like the Retailers Association of India, sector skill council like Tourism and Hospitality Sector Skill Council (THSC), institutions like the Centre for Early Childhood Education and Development (CECED, AUD), and National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) as well as academicians from our own university,” explained Cheryl Jacob, programme manager of the General Education Component (GEC).
Speaking about the course, Jacob said that the curricula of the programmes are designed keeping in mind the current trends as well as the future scenario to ensure that the programmes are dynamic and relevant for its main purposes of employability and entrepreneurship.
She also revealed that the programme of their Early Childhood Centre Management and Entrepreneurship is a unique programme and first one of its kind to be designed and offered. Addressing the attendees, Shayam B Menon, Vice Chancellor of AUD said that there has to be an organic linkage between the City of Delhi and the University. “The city has wide heterogeneous population consisting also of semi-rural population and there is a need to understand the interface between the students and the job market as well as space for social entrepreneurship.”
Menon said that the aim is not to flood the job market but to create job for others as well. “The student should not just manage wealth of others rather they should be able to create wealth for themselves too. The concept of SVS and its three pilot BVoc programmes aim at addressing these concerns.” Agreeing with the VC, Punya Salila Srivastava, Secretary of Education said that the government had also been contemplating the idea of skill development and complimented the university for it.
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