SRINAGAR, SEPTEMBER 19: The Jammu and Kashmir Board of School Education (JKBOSE) held a consultative meeting to deliberate on the development of vocational courses tailored to the local needs and emerging employment opportunities in Jammu and Kashmir.
The meeting, held at the JKBOSE headquarters at Bemina here, was organised as part of the Board's process for submission to the National Council for Vocational Education and Training (NCVET) for Dual Recognition and as a step towards developing a new vocational course in the sector of Agriculture.
The consultation brought together experts from the vocational education and agriculture sectors, including Dr T. N. Giri, Director, Vocational Education, NIOS, and Prof V. S. Mehrotra, Head, PSSCIVE, NCERT, Bhopal, besides experts from SKUAST-Kashmir, SKUAST-Jammu and the Department of Agriculture, J&K.
Addressing the gathering, the Chairman, JKBOSE, said the Board was among the few Boards in the country to have received a Letter of Intent (LoI) from NCVET, describing it as an important step towards strengthening vocational education and skill-based learning in school education. He said the Board was focusing on sectors having considerable potential in the Union Territory, particularly agriculture and tourism, with the aim of enabling students to acquire skills relevant to local employment and livelihood opportunities.
In his welcome address, Dr Parveen Singh, Director Academics, JKBOSE stressed the need to establish stronger linkages between school education, skills and the requirements of the job market, while ensuring that vocational courses remain relevant to the socio-economic context of Jammu and Kashmir. The initiative, he said, is aligned with the vision of National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, which seeks greater integration of vocational education, experiential learning and skill development into mainstream school education.
During the meeting, experts deliberated on various aspects of curriculum development, including competency-based learning, sectoral and industry relevance, practical skills, assessment and certification.
The participants also discussed the need for courses that respond to emerging employment opportunities and make vocational education more locally relevant, particularly in sectors with potential for employment and entrepreneurship.
The consultation is expected to contribute to JKBOSE's submission for Dual Recognition under NCVET and the development of a structured vocational education framework for schools across Jammu and Kashmir.
