Universities directed to integrate skill, vocational courses into curriculum

The State government has issued directions to all universities to formally integrate skill-based and vocational courses into their academic framework.

Higher education institutions have also been directed to establish Centres for Skill Development Courses and Career Planning (CSDCCP) as part of a broader push to align higher education with employability and industry requirements.

Universities and colleges are mandated to offer skill and vocational courses in collaboration with professional skill providers empanelled by the Kerala State Higher Education Council (KSHEC) on a self-sustaining basis.

Government-empanelled agencies including ASAP Kerala, Keltron, ICT Academy of Kerala, Institute of Human Resources Development, Centre for Continuing Education Kerala, LBS Centre for Science and Technology, Centre for Management of Development (C-APT) and RUTRONIX have been identified to deliver National Skills Qualifications Framework (NSQF)-aligned courses through the CSDCCP network.

The universities have been directed to scrutinise and approve such courses through their statutory academic bodies and facilitate credit transfer, particularly for courses aligned to NSQF Level 4.5 and above. The government has also permitted joint short-term certificate programmes. The certificates will be issued jointly by the respective university and the empanelled skill agency

In addition, the agencies have been allowed to submit proposals for courses suitable for creditisation either directly to universities or through the KSHEC for academic consideration.

Official sources point out that the initiative is intended to make Kerala’s higher education ecosystem more responsive to emerging skill demands while remaining aligned with the National Credit Framework and the ongoing implementation of the four-year undergraduate programme.