A4e is a private sector organisation with a strong sense of social responsibility. Their aim, in everything they do, is to improve people's lives.
A4e India Pvt Ltd., a subsidiary of A4e Ltd, U.K participated in the just concluded Global Skills Summit organized by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) in collaboration with the Ministry of Labour & Employment, Government of India.
A4e India has been working closely with the Government of India for delivering globally benchmarked skills for the bottom of pyramid clients on a pan-India basis. A4e India aims to create a Credible, collaborative, competency based and transparent skills training system with the government, private and third sector organisation partnerships.
The 4th edition of the FICCI Global Skills Summit, held on the 15th and 16th of September 2011 at the FICCI Federation House, New Delhi served as a central platform for international dialogue on the modernization of vocational education and training (VET) in India. The theme of this year's conference was, 'Vocational Education & Training: Developing Strategic and Implementation Framework'. The conference brought together more than 300 delegates including prominent functionaries from the state and central government departments, chief executives and business heads, training providers and institutions, industry associations, civil society organizations, etc. to focus on discussions around the skills initiatives taken and planned by the key stakeholders of the country and debate ambitions, challenges and solutions to reach out to 500 million people by 2022.
Rt. Hon. David Blunkett, Member of Parliament, UK and A4e advisor honored the event with a special address concerning the importance of skills and knowledge of human resources to address the challenges and opportunities of growth in a highly competitive and globalized world. Addressing the inaugural session, Mr. Blunkett said "India has acknowledged its need to convert its young population into a skilled, trained workforce to continue its phenomenal economic growth. The UK has a strong competitive advantage in the education and skills sector, and is capable of world class skills provision. I am here with one of the largest business delegations of UK education and skills providers to form partnerships with Indian businesses and institutions from which mutual learning and practical action can emerge."
Mr. Roy Newey, Group Board Director, A4e Ltd. and Co-Chair of the UK India Skills Forum presented information on the UK experience of vocational education and training in schools and the importance of improving processes in response to the need for a properly trained 21st century workforce. Presenting at the panel discussion on 'Overseas Collaborations: Key initiatives', Mr. Newey emphasized, "The cost of not providing vocational skills to our young people is unthinkable. It is all about vocational skills and competency, leading to smiles and sustainable employment. Then people feel valued, then they can be financially independent, then you have a legacy."
In addition, the conference also witnessed distinguished guests and eminent speakers who shared their experiences and insightful thoughts on key issues concerning vocational education and training in India. Mr. R.C.M. Reddy, Chairman, FICCI Skills Development Forum and Managing Director, IL&FS Education, stated that there is a dire need for convergence between various government and the private organizations to make the skill development agenda a success.
Mr Abhaya Agarwal, Executive Director & Leader PPP, Ernst & Young, India, gave the theme presentation on "Skills development: Developing Strategic and Implementation Framework". He focused on different aspects related to global skill mismatch, existing framework in India, the global scenario with case studies from key countries and strategies for enhancing skill delivery in India.
Mr. Dilip Chenoy, MD & CEO, National Skills Development Corporation, shared his experiences on how the industry is coming forward to enhance awareness on skill development. Giving the examples of TATA Steel and DMRC, he highlighted the impact and reach that an organization can have towards contributing to skill development.
Mr. R.V. Kanoria, Senior Vice President FICCI and Managing Director, Kanoria Chemicals & Industries Limited underlined the need for a policy framework that includes an awareness campaign and an incentivized scheme for facilitating development of institutions for imparting vocational education.
To showcase the achievements & international experiences from across the country & globe, an exhibition of skills services was parallely organized to supplement the discussions. Organizations including IL & FS, City & Guilds, Future Learning, Bharti Centum, IndiaCan, UKIERI, TUV, etc. showcased their products and services to the delegates and visitors. A4e India displayed its 'Vox Centre' as its exhibition theme and conducted an interesting skills challenge which gave stall visitors an opportunity to learn more about the Vox centre and also win exciting gifts.
Overall, the conference was a huge success and many important topics were presented and shared in front of a large audience. The conference witnessed two days of power packed discussions and nine knowledge sessions covering issues and topics including development of a strategic and implementation framework for vocational education & training, overseas collaborations, national vocational qualification framework, structuring sector skill councils, etc.
The caliber of presenters at the conference was remarkable. The audience was greatly invested in the question and answer sessions held after every panel, and many important inquires into the speaker's research were discussed.
A4e Ltd. is a global organisation that manages and delivers public services in partnership with the Government, public and private sector organisations and the not for profit sector. With presence in 11 countries, the overall goal is to improve people's lives through social change. A4e provides specialised services to its stakeholders for long term and sustainable impact on their lives.
http://www.a4eindia.com
To overcome social exclusion, the community as a whole needs to be involved in the solution, with the understanding that all people have their own unique contribution to make. A4e works in some of the most deprived areas, delivering programmes that offer a range of services like vocational skills, training and support, alternative youth education and specialist support, employment for individuals and households and financial literacy for the most excluded and vulnerable. A4e understands that programmes need to be developed to help address the following issues:
Labour force and unemployment
- 140 million workers are categorised as casual labour, with no regular source of work or income
- 90% of the workforce employed in the informal sector - with no formal recognition of their skills.
- National unemployment rate of 9.6% (49 million residents)
Education and skills
- 270 million people are below the poverty line with little access to formal skills training
- For those in work, 70% are defined as illiterate or educated below primary level
- Youngest population in the world (median age of 24)
- School drop out rate of 90% - with no active, large scale, skills development programmes
for school drop-outs - Structured vocational training/general education only reaches 3% of the population (30 million)
- 2.5 million graduates pass out of college each year without skills connected to employment
Our Commitment
A4e recognises that supporting the Government to drive social change and inclusive growth in India will require long term investment and significant levels of effort and resource.A4e India is committed to working closely with the Government, private sector organisations, private foundations, non-governmental and inter-governmental organisations, industry-led organisations and local community organisations to meet India’s inclusive growth challenges.
Building on A4e's international experience and expertise in skills training and service provision, we plan to focus our efforts initially on the following projects:
- Develop A4e’s Prime Contractor Model to help India scale-up the skills training services, while maintaining the quality of delivery and qualifications and helping government meet the targets for its growth agenda
- Provide sector specific employment skills training for Graduates and Post-graduates to help meet skills shortages in the high-growth sectors.
- Offer vocational skills training leading to certification and sustainable employment opportunities for the unemployed youth in rural areas
A4e India Pvt Ltd., a subsidiary of A4e Ltd, U.K participated in the just concluded Global Skills Summit organized by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) in collaboration with the Ministry of Labour & Employment, Government of India.
A4e India has been working closely with the Government of India for delivering globally benchmarked skills for the bottom of pyramid clients on a pan-India basis. A4e India aims to create a Credible, collaborative, competency based and transparent skills training system with the government, private and third sector organisation partnerships.
The 4th edition of the FICCI Global Skills Summit, held on the 15th and 16th of September 2011 at the FICCI Federation House, New Delhi served as a central platform for international dialogue on the modernization of vocational education and training (VET) in India. The theme of this year's conference was, 'Vocational Education & Training: Developing Strategic and Implementation Framework'. The conference brought together more than 300 delegates including prominent functionaries from the state and central government departments, chief executives and business heads, training providers and institutions, industry associations, civil society organizations, etc. to focus on discussions around the skills initiatives taken and planned by the key stakeholders of the country and debate ambitions, challenges and solutions to reach out to 500 million people by 2022.
Rt. Hon. David Blunkett, Member of Parliament, UK and A4e advisor honored the event with a special address concerning the importance of skills and knowledge of human resources to address the challenges and opportunities of growth in a highly competitive and globalized world. Addressing the inaugural session, Mr. Blunkett said "India has acknowledged its need to convert its young population into a skilled, trained workforce to continue its phenomenal economic growth. The UK has a strong competitive advantage in the education and skills sector, and is capable of world class skills provision. I am here with one of the largest business delegations of UK education and skills providers to form partnerships with Indian businesses and institutions from which mutual learning and practical action can emerge."
Mr. Roy Newey, Group Board Director, A4e Ltd. and Co-Chair of the UK India Skills Forum presented information on the UK experience of vocational education and training in schools and the importance of improving processes in response to the need for a properly trained 21st century workforce. Presenting at the panel discussion on 'Overseas Collaborations: Key initiatives', Mr. Newey emphasized, "The cost of not providing vocational skills to our young people is unthinkable. It is all about vocational skills and competency, leading to smiles and sustainable employment. Then people feel valued, then they can be financially independent, then you have a legacy."
In addition, the conference also witnessed distinguished guests and eminent speakers who shared their experiences and insightful thoughts on key issues concerning vocational education and training in India. Mr. R.C.M. Reddy, Chairman, FICCI Skills Development Forum and Managing Director, IL&FS Education, stated that there is a dire need for convergence between various government and the private organizations to make the skill development agenda a success.
Mr Abhaya Agarwal, Executive Director & Leader PPP, Ernst & Young, India, gave the theme presentation on "Skills development: Developing Strategic and Implementation Framework". He focused on different aspects related to global skill mismatch, existing framework in India, the global scenario with case studies from key countries and strategies for enhancing skill delivery in India.
Mr. Dilip Chenoy, MD & CEO, National Skills Development Corporation, shared his experiences on how the industry is coming forward to enhance awareness on skill development. Giving the examples of TATA Steel and DMRC, he highlighted the impact and reach that an organization can have towards contributing to skill development.
Mr. R.V. Kanoria, Senior Vice President FICCI and Managing Director, Kanoria Chemicals & Industries Limited underlined the need for a policy framework that includes an awareness campaign and an incentivized scheme for facilitating development of institutions for imparting vocational education.
To showcase the achievements & international experiences from across the country & globe, an exhibition of skills services was parallely organized to supplement the discussions. Organizations including IL & FS, City & Guilds, Future Learning, Bharti Centum, IndiaCan, UKIERI, TUV, etc. showcased their products and services to the delegates and visitors. A4e India displayed its 'Vox Centre' as its exhibition theme and conducted an interesting skills challenge which gave stall visitors an opportunity to learn more about the Vox centre and also win exciting gifts.
Overall, the conference was a huge success and many important topics were presented and shared in front of a large audience. The conference witnessed two days of power packed discussions and nine knowledge sessions covering issues and topics including development of a strategic and implementation framework for vocational education & training, overseas collaborations, national vocational qualification framework, structuring sector skill councils, etc.
The caliber of presenters at the conference was remarkable. The audience was greatly invested in the question and answer sessions held after every panel, and many important inquires into the speaker's research were discussed.
A4e Ltd. is a global organisation that manages and delivers public services in partnership with the Government, public and private sector organisations and the not for profit sector. With presence in 11 countries, the overall goal is to improve people's lives through social change. A4e provides specialised services to its stakeholders for long term and sustainable impact on their lives.
http://www.a4eindia.com
