FEATURED STORY

Oshwal Academy enhances curriculum to develop 21st century skills

Share
Oshwal Academy Board of Governors chairman Kaushik Shah (left) and Mr Showkat Badat (centre), the Director of Academic Development, Learning Strategy & Professional Development at Oshwal Academy are joined by other guests during the Btec launch.
Share

The growing need for well-trained personnel to drive economic growth in various countries is stimulating change in education systems in favour of vocational training.

To bridge the growing gap between what employers want and the abilities of graduates, schools are introducing vocational components in their teaching to prepare students early for the current skilled working environment.

“The challenge for employers in both the technical and non-technical sectors of the economy has been the absence of a skilled workforce that can adapt to new and more challenging job roles,” said Mr Kaushik Shah, the Chairman of the Oshwal Academy Board of Governors.

Speaking during the launch of BTEC, a vocational skills programme, in its senior school curriculum, Mr Shah said vocational training will produce trained workforce needed to drive the economic growth process in the world economy.

He observed that about 90 percent of employment opportunities require vocational skills, but 90 percent of schools and colleges deliver white collar jobseekers.

SEE ALSO: Tough rules to protect SGR from vandalism

Corporate leaders present during the launch said there’s need to take urgent steps to impart job ready skills in fresh, educated workforce to meet the varied demands of business, trade and industrial sectors.

They said Germany is one of the best performing economy globally, driven by an education system that is heavily vocational.  In fact, international employers such as shell, PWC, Rolls Royce, Hilton have shown preference in hiring graduates with BTEC skills. 

“As an employer, I cannot overemphasize the need for the right mix of education and vocational skills in a person to make him or her more employable in the global market,” said Mr Vir Panesar, the Director of furniture supplier, Panesar Kenya.

Panesar, who studied sports science at Kent University, said sports is the third largest industry after cosmetics and drugs, and is being ignored by most schools.

Mr Panesar said schools and training institutions must seek to equip the future workforce with necessary skills and globally recognized qualifications to make them employable by established players in the industry.

NEXT READ: Teacher wins Ksh37 million SportPesa mega jackpot

Besides meeting their specific current job needs, workers need access to training programmes that support lifelong skills development and focus on future market needs.

“Vocational programmes are a relatively new phenomenon in international education that we see becoming very successful in a couple of years as parents and students choose a more robust curriculum that provides students with practical skills,” Mr Shah.

[crp]

Written by
BT Correspondent -

editor [at] businesstoday.co.ke

Leave a comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Follow Us

Related Articles
Affordable Housing Project
FEATURED STORY

Govt Puts Up For Sale 4,888 Affordable Housing Units: Here’s The Full List And How To Buy

The government has put up for sale 4,888 affordable housing units across...

Geraldine Sande, Channel Sales Leader for Schneider Electric East Africa
FEATURED STORY

How Working With ‘Glocal’ Original Equipment Manufacturers Can Empower East Africa’s Channel Partners For Success

Channel partners in East Africa, including resellers, distributors, system integrators and panel...

Treasury CS John Mbadi
FEATURED STORY

Understanding Tax Amendment Bills: How The New Laws Will Affect Kenyans

The government has announced several amendments to the existing tax laws to...

Prime Cabinet Secretary and Cabinet Secretary for Foreign & Diaspora Affairs
FEATURED STORY

Inside Kenya’s 60 Years of Diplomatic Journey

Kenya is set to commemorate 60 years of diplomacy this week starting...