One of the significant highlights of Pradhan’s trip was his productive meeting with Singapore’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance Lawrence Wong. The discussions centered around fortifying the existing cooperation between India and Singapore, with a particular focus on deepening engagement in skill development. 

Both parties agreed to work together to create avenues for lifelong learning, cultivate a future-ready workforce, and elevate knowledge and skill development as a key pillar of their strategic partnership.

Speaking during the meeting, Pradhan emphasized that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Indian government launched the National Education Policy (NEP) in 2020. The NEP places special emphasis on providing early exposure to vocational education in middle schools, ensuring the market relevance of training, and enhancing the capacity of institutions to offer technical and vocational education.

Additionally, Pradhan highlighted the government’s efforts to integrate skills qualifications frameworks with higher education qualification frameworks and invest in the development of short-term and long-term training programs to provide skilling, re-skilling, and upskilling opportunities. The minister stressed the importance of learning from Singapore’s best practices, fostering collaboration, and customizing strategies to meet India’s specific needs.

Pradhan also engaged in an insightful discussion with Singapore’s Minister of Trade and Industry Gan Kim Yong. The ministers explored avenues to strengthen skill development and vocational training linkages through comprehensive mechanisms, with the goal of establishing a seamless architecture for skilling and lifelong learning. 

Building on the outcomes of the G20 Future of Work workshop in Bhubaneswar, they discussed leveraging Singapore’s expertise and knowledge to address common challenges and transform India’s skills ecosystem.

During his visit to Spectra Secondary School, Pradhan had the opportunity to gain a comprehensive understanding of the school’s best practices and models for workforce training. He interacted with students and teachers, delving into topics such as the teaching-learning environment and pedagogy. The minister was pleased to learn that the school prioritizes skills-based education and focuses on individualized learning to prepare students for future workplaces.

Updated: 29 May 2023, 08:21 PM IST