Is Training Skills Mere A Trend or Necessity?
I often move around in my own city or other cities in India while travelling. Often I see teenagers moving in small groups with notepads in their hands. I even watch several institutes mushrooming in all cities, imparting training skills and conducting training skills courses.
I often move around in my own city or other cities in India while travelling. Often I see teenagers moving in small groups with notepads in their hands. I even watch several institutes mushrooming in all cities, imparting training skills and conducting training skills courses.
This
current scenario engages me in thinking, “Is Training Skills becoming
a Trend or Truly a Necessity?”
During my quest, I came to meet a young, dynamic professional addressing and orienting a bunch of youth in a training institute.When the session got over we sat down and talked while sipping tea. I was curious to know more about the kind of training in skills being imparted in her institute to get a glimpse in this new sought arena to equip ourselves. Here I share ‘Rendezvous’ with Meenakshi Mahalwal.
In Conversation
with
Meenakshi Mahalwal
Ina : Hello. Today begins with a difference for
having met you.
Meenakshi Mahalwal : Oh Really!
Ina : Yes, fresh day break, with your
sunny address.
She smiles and a glitter warms up her eyes.
Ina : I learned you are associated with training skills and development program.
Meenakshi : Yes,I’m associated with F-TEC, a
Foresight Initiative in Skill development, empowering India & Indians. It
is a government registered & an ISO certified organization.
Ina : Interesting, how do you go about it?
Meenakshi : I look after Business development
and operation, as a Senior Program Manager.
Ina : That’s a real high profile job!
She
chuckles & it unfolds an unassuming personality beyond
her professional attitude.
Ina : How do you network to aware the
people and the perspective job aspirants?
Meenakshi : Yes, we do so through our PAN
network connected to a number of centers across the nation.
She continues, initially we started with short term &
then the long term certificate and diploma courses. Imparting training,
developing skills as needed in several professions.
Ina : Is your training skills based program affiliated
to state and national level educational institutes?
Meenakshi : F-TEC is now affiliated to
vocational institutes; attached to the main stream Universities, as in Delhi,
the capital of India.
Skills Equip Job Seekers & Homemakers
Ina : Do you consider acquiring skills as
a fundamental asset for seeking a job in the contemporary ‘world of work’?
Meenakshi : Acquiring skill in a particular
area helps youngsters to get foothold in the world of work. Jobs which do not
exist today will be generated in future. Thus jobs oriented education coupled
with acquired skills will prepare the perspective workforce in the future.
Therefore, skill development plays a vital role creating new
jobs and meeting new job demands.
Further, appropriate skills give directions to fresh thinking
and problem solving abilities according to the current market.
Ina : What would you like to suggest to the modern
youth preferring short term skills rather than going for the long term degree courses?
Meenakshi : Coming to employ-ability, short term
skills are the great way to bridge the gap between education & employment.
Skills build competitive edge; support the job aspirants to be on top in the
game of selection.
Then certificate or diploma holders in varied skills,
sometimes earn more than the degree holders. At the same time, it doesn’t mean
a certificate is a better option to a degree. F-TEC supports the youth to
enhance their skills.
Ina : What do you think, about the teenage
girls with only school level education, and the women home makers? Do you have
any suggestions to make, regarding training skills development program available for them?
Meenakshi : Home makers and teenage girls get
stream lined with the workforce by acquiring technical and entrepreneurship
skills. Moreover soft skills help them grow, if they like to choose and join
relevant fields of work.
F-TEC is playing a pioneering role in the nation’s skill
development program, even to the teenage girls and the homemakers as well.
Ina : This Rendezvous was so surprising as if striking another Aladdin's lamp. It gave me a completely new perspective of contemporary and also emerging careers and lifestyles to fit into Fourth Gen Revolution. Why and how to skill ourselves. Thank you indeed, Meenakshi Mahalwal for your enriching conversation.
Skills Bring Personal Edge
It is an
undeniable desire of ours that we all love to see feathers on our caps on our
professional ladders. However, in a fast paced, rapid modernizing world, skills chosen thoughtfully , update our professional profiles and lend professional edge to perspective job aspirants as well.
Even though acquiring skills cannot compensate for professional degrees, yet
complement higher education greatly. And those of us who are home makers or
modestly educated, our hands on skills, Such as training in entrepreneurial skills, or training in employ-ability skills, prove gateways to the world of work,
further opening up many avenues to monetize. How can we forget, two skilled
hands crafted the first wheel, brought us to this day, riding on it. Leaving
all doubts, skills face-lift us to act smart, relevant and engaging in the
contemporary world.
Interviewed By: Ina,Writer
Meenakshi
Mahalwal has been as a Senior Program Manager at the time of interview, F-TEC, Skill Academy,
located at Delhi, India. She has been actively engaged in Business Development
and Operation. Beside being a motivational speaker orienting the youth with upcoming
skills in the area of Emerging Technologies.
F-TEC Skill Academy
