Lucknow, 13 November. Uttar Pradesh has achieved this feat for the first time in the country by including all the five skill standards of vocational education in its training program under the National Education Policy (NEP)-2020. Under this, school students of the state are being given training in technical skills, soft skills, artificial intelligence (AI), digital skills, financial awareness and entrepreneurship.
Two new modules of financial skills and entrepreneurship development have been added to the 'Project Praveen' scheme of Uttar Pradesh Skill Development Mission. The objective of these modules, included on the initiative of Mission Director Pulkit Khare, is to introduce students to the possibilities of savings, financial management, economic decision making and self-employment right from the initial level.
In NEP-2020, emphasis has been laid on linking vocational training with school education. Under this, technical skills, soft skills, AI and digital skills, financial skills and entrepreneurship development have been made the main standards. Uttar Pradesh has made all these a part of the integrated training system through Project Praveen.
Now skill training will be of 218 hours
Under the scheme, students were earlier being given minimum 180 hours of technical skills, 30 hours of soft skills and four hours of AI and digital training. Now two hours of financial skills and two hours of entrepreneurship development training have also been added to it. In this way students will get a total of 218 hours of training.
Under financial skills, they will be given basic information about saving, money management and taking financial decisions. At the same time, through entrepreneurship module, it will help in starting business and understanding self-employment opportunities.
Target of two lakh students of 515 schools
According to Mission Director Pulkit Khare, a target has been set to train about two lakh students from 515 schools of the state in the financial year 2026-27. These include Atal Residential Schools, Sarvodaya Vidyalaya and Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya along with government and aided secondary schools.
Under the scheme, students from classes 9 to 12 are being given employment training along with regular studies. Its objective is to reduce the gap between school education and employment and to prepare students for future needs.
Emphasis on self-reliance with school education
Through Project Praveen, emphasis is being laid on teaching practical skills to the students as per their interest and ability. The inclusion of all five standards will provide them the opportunity to develop economic understanding along with technical and digital competencies. Apart from this, initial information will also be available to adopt self-employment in future and establish your own enterprise.