NSQF (National Skills Qualifications Framework) : Outcomes, Curriculum, Degrees YouTube Lecture Handouts

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NSQF (National Skills Qualifications Framework) : Outcomes, Curriculum, Degrees|NET Paper 1

Title: NSQF National Skills Qualifications Framework

NQF

  • Community Colleges in 2013 - 14 as independent scheme from 2014 - 15
  • B. Voc. Degree
  • Deen Dayal Upadhyay Centres for Knowledge Acquisition and Upgradation of Skilled Human Abilities and Livelihood (KAUSHAL)
  • Government of India, taking note of the requirement for skill development among students launched National Vocational Education Qualification Framework (NVEQF) which was later on assimilated into National Skills Qualifications Framework (NSQF) .
  • Vocational education and also to provide vertical mobility to the students admitted into Community Colleges for Diploma programmes
  • All these three provisions serve a common purpose, all these schemes are merged into a single scheme for providing skill-based education under National Qualification Framework.

NSQF

  • The National Skills Qualifications Framework (NSQF) is a competency-based framework that organizes qualifications according to a series of knowledge, skills and aptitude. The NSQF levels, graded from one to ten, are defined in terms of learning outcomes which the learner must possess regardless of whether they are obtained through formal, nonformal or informal learning.
  • National Occupational Standards (NOS) are statements of the skills, knowledge and understanding needed for effective performance in a job role and are expressed as outcomes of competent performance. They list down what an individual performing that task should know and also are able to do.
  • These standards can form the benchmarks for various education and training programs to match with the job requirements. Just as each job role may require the performance of a number of tasks, the combination of NOSs corresponding to these tasks form the Qualification Pack (QP) for that job role.
  • The NOSs and QPs for each job role corresponding to each level of the NSQF are being formulated by the respective Sector Skill Councils (SSCs) set up by National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) with industry leadership. The curriculum which is based on NOSs and QPs would thus automatically comply to NSQF

NSQF Outcomes

  • Mobility between vocational and general education by alignment of degrees with NSQF
  • Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) , allowing transition from nonformal to organized job market
  • Standardized, consistent, nationally acceptable outcomes of training across the country through a national quality assurance framework
  • Global mobility of skilled workforce from India, through international equivalence of NSQF.
  • Mapping of progression pathways within sectors and cross sectorally
  • Approval of NOS/QPs as national standards for skill training
  • The specific outcomes expected from implementation of NSQF are as follows:
    • Mobility between vocational and general education by alignment of degrees with NSQF
    • Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) , allowing transition from nonformal to organized job market
    • Standardized, consistent, nationally acceptable outcomes of training across the country through a national quality assurance framework
    • Global mobility of skilled workforce from India, through international equivalence of NSQF.
    • Mapping of progression pathways within sectors and crosssectorally
    • Approval of NOS/QPs as national standards for skill training
  • There will be full time credit-based modular programmes, wherein banking of credits for skill and general education components shall be permitted so as to enable multiple exit and entry
  • This will also provide the learner an opportunity for vertical mobility to second year of B. Voc degree programme after one year diploma and to third year of B. Voc degree programme after a two year advanced diploma.
Illustration: NSQF Outcomes
  • The General Education Component shall have 40% of the total credits and balance 60% credits shall be of Skill Component.
  • The Curriculum shall be finally approved by the Board of Studies (BoS) and Academic Council of the University/Autonomous College. The Universities where BoS for Vocational subjects has not yet been constituted, the curriculum may be considered by the BoS in allied subject area or an ad-hoc BoS may be constituted till the time regular BoS is notified in the university
  • The curricula and system of certification for the skill component should be as per the UGC guidelines for curricular aspects, assessment criteria and credit system for skill based vocational courses or as per the provisions in MHRD Skill Assessment Matrix for Vocational Advancement of Youth (SAMVAY) .
  • The general education component may also include the course (s) which are supportive to core trade in addition to communication skills, soft skills, ICT skills, critical thinking, problem solving, environmental studies and value education
  • Skill component of the programmes/courses shall be employment oriented. The institutions shall offer programmes/courses in domain areas which have significant demand in the job market.
  • Professional knowledge is what a learner should know and understand with reference to the subject; Professional skills are what a learner should be able to do and, Core skills refer to basic skills involving dexterity and use of methods, materials, tools and instruments used to perform the job including IT skills needed for that job. Responsibility aspect determines the
    • nature of working relationship,
    • level of responsibility for self and others,
    • managing change and
    • accountability for actions.
Illustration: NSQF Outcomes
  • Computation of Semester Grade Point Average System (SGPA) and Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) : Following SGPA and CGPA computed as per procedure enumerated below.
  • SGPA is the ratio of sum of the product of the number of credits with the grade points scored by a student in all the course components taken by a student and the sum of the number of credits of all the courses undergone by a student in a semester, i.e.. , SGPA (Si) where ‘Ci’ is the number of credits of the ith course component and ‘Gi’ is the grade point scored by the student in the ith course component.
  • CGPA is also calculated in the same manner taking into account all the courses undergone by a student over all the semesters of a programme, i.e.. , CGPA Where ‘Si’ is the SGPA of the ith semester and Ci is the total number of credits in that semester.
  • SGPA and CGPA shall be rounded off to 2 decimal points and reported in the transcripts.
  • The skill component would be taken as one of the course components in calculation of SGPA and CGPA with given credit weightage at respective level.
  • Vice-Chancellor/Principal Chairperson
  • Two Experts (nominated by the Chairman, UGC) Members
  • Two academicians in the relevant fields (nominated by the VC/Principal) Members
  • One nominee of State Higher Education Council Member
  • Representative (s) of industries relevant to the Specializations Members
  • Representative (s) of relevant Sector Skill Council (s) Members
  • One UGC Nominee Member
  • Director KAUSHAL/Nodal Officer CC or B. Voc Member Secretary

The Vice Chancellor of the university or his Nominee or Principal of the college, as the case may be, will be the Chairman of the Advisory Committee and the Director/Nodal Officer will be the Member-Secretary. The Committee will meet periodically to review the functioning of the courses, as and when required, but at least once in six months

The main objectives of the Community Colleges are

  • to integrate relevant skills into the higher education system in order to make higher education relevant to the learner and the community
  • to provide employable and certifiable skills based on National Occupational Standards (NOSs) with necessary general education to Senior Secondary School pass-outs, with general education and/or vocational education background
  • to provide for up-gradation and certification of traditional/acquired skills of the learners irrespective of their age
  • to provide opportunities for community – based life-long learning by offering courses of general interest to the community for personal development and interest
  • to provide opportunity for vertical mobility to move to higher education in future and
  • to offer bridge courses to certificate holders of general/vocational education, so as to bring them at par with appropriate NSQF level.

The objectives of the scheme of B. Voc degree programme are

  • to provide judicious mix of skills relating to a profession and appropriate content of general education
  • to ensure that the students have adequate knowledge and skills, so that they are work ready at each exit point of the programme
  • to provide flexibility to students by means of pre-defined entry and multiple exit points
  • to integrate NSQF within the undergraduate level of higher education in order to enhance employability of the graduates and meet industry requirements. Such graduates apart from meeting the needs of local and national industry are also expected to be equipped to become part of the global workforce and
  • to provide vertical mobility to students coming out of
    • 10 + 2 with vocational subjects; and
    • Community Colleges.

The main objectives of Deen Dayal Upadhyay Kaushal Kendras include

  • Create skilled manpower for industry requirements at various levels. The scheme provides for vertical mobility from short term certificate courses to full-fledged post graduate degree programme, and further research in specialized areas. The courses would be planned/designed to have provision of multiple entry and exit at various levels culminating up-to a research degree level. These shall also include courses which are offered under the Community College Scheme and B. Voc. degree programme of UGC
  • to formulate courses at postgraduate level keeping in mind the need of Industry in specialized areas
  • to network 13 with other such centers and universities and colleges imparting vocational education under the scheme of Community Colleges and B. Voc degree programme in their region and coordinate with them for targeted development of skill oriented education
  • to undertake R&D in the areas related to skill education & development, entrepreneurship, employability, labour market trends etc. at the post-graduate and research level
  • to act as finishing school by providing supplementary modular training programmes so that a learner, irrespective of his/her training background, is made job ready with necessary work skills (soft, communication, ICT skills etc.) and fill the gaps in the domain skills measured against QPs/NOSs
  • to provide for Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) framework for job roles at NSQF Level 4 onwards
  • to maintain ‘Labour Market Information’ for respective regions in coordination with other government agencies and industry associations
  • to develop and aggregate curriculum, content and learning materials for skills development in different sectors.

Manishika