We could not deny them what they did deserve a decade and more ago! Skills are back to the forefront finally and all careers, courses, and curricula have adapted to the change now. There is an acknowledgement and eagerness for 'SKILLS'. It has been imperative that without skills you do not get employed and with skills you do. CBSE has added Employability Skills as a module to each 'Skill Subject' launched.
The possession of 'SKILLS' enhances our Employability. The FIVE verticals of Skills, listed in our syllabus of Employability Skills are:
- Communication Skills
- Self-Management Skills
- Information and Communication Technology Skills
- Entrepreneurship Skills
- Green Skills
If one has these skills, the business, jobs, or projects – everything is acknowledged. As we know that industry establishment faces tough challenges in terms of environmental clearances. Knowing the impact of our deeds on the environment, being able to have exposure to ICT/computers/IT, etc. having good Self-Management, and being able to Communicate Effectively is the KEY to SUCCESS!
A Note to the Students:
There is no right time than the current one to hone your skills and encash them for good jobs. At a time when the scarcity of skills, lack of consistency in learning, and leadership acumen are not easily found, even a small amount of 'betterment' can bring profitable outcomes. When you are studying a subject in the Skill category, it is not a routine academic syllabus-based set of some topics. You have a chance to engage yourself in the introduction to some of the new-age fundamental skills of life. There might be a day very soon when communication skills will include knowledge about the skills like the ones mentioned. You are a student - a LifeLong Learner - hence the responsibility to make the best of this opportunity is with you. If this exposure to employability skills goes right, you will enter the higher education domain with unprecedented confidence in yourself.
A Note to Everyone:
There are similar topics from Grade 9 to 12, but differences in content. While we get introduced to the skills in 9, we get to see a deeper understanding with comprehensive explanation in the later grades. The execution might be different, based on the applicability of topics. There is nothing like easy or difficult. If you happen to know someone in the corporate or doing job in a metro city, you can easily know the worth of 'skills' and constant 'UpSkilling'. The current day - these years for the next numberless years - is for you and me to talk about Communication Skills. Do not join some tuition or coaching institution which claims to teach you Communication Skills. The truth is that a course or some package can not teach English. We need to make it a participative learning process where they feel responsible for each word uttered - each expression worn and each idea analysed.
A student who gets to study this not-so-important unit of 10 marks in the Skill Subjects, will surely be having an extra edge over others who have come without exposure to the skill subjects. The teachers who get to take this subject at the school level are putting a strong claim on the future course of teaching. We have seen a trend of getting employability-related courses in school subjects. The recently implemented National Education Policy has strongly advocated and marked areas of change in the K-12 domain. Schools are going to be the places where students will get an introduction to what skills are and how they can plan their future based on skills. soft or technological.
As far as the way to teach Employability is concerned, I must put it in straight words. We cannot afford to add ONE MORE SUBJECTS to the baggage on the back of students. Do not be hesitant to take the call to make this segment of learning a NO NOTEBOOK thing. Why make them copy from the book that they have purchased? But YES - you need to ensure that they take notes and make notes. Go for REACTION PAPERS on various things that make them understand the concepts.
The topic of Pronunciation Basics is the BEST opportunity we have to introduce them to Phonetics. This will ensure Accurate Pronunciation in English. We cannot afford to miss this chance as the kids we have in Employability have a kind of drastic need to get corrected. Along with Phonetics, the unit of Green Skills will make the students and teachers see what the whole world is talking about. There has been a passionate following of the Sustainable Development Goals in the world. ESD - Education for Sustain Development has come to the forefront now. The child who gets to know that GREEN matters most now - will have distinct ease in a job or even in entrepreneurship aka business.
Expecting the smartphone generation to know what ICT - Computers are is an illusion. They know the trends but do not know the tactics of using the technology the way it should be. There has been a small part in the syllabus to revise and revive the organised understanding of computers. Hardware might not seem an important thing but skills to use MS Word, PowerPoint, and Excel are going to be a game-changer.
There is a lot to say because Employability Skills, as Part A carry a personal temptation for me. I shall not be able to curb the desire to speak more - say more - share more about the topics and the way I feel this part should be taught. A series of Blogs and Podcasts is on the mind and mission!
More to come... on EklavyaParv!!!
Reference Material by CBSE: CLICK HERE
