Major Australia India Skills MoU Breaks New Ground

Australia’s High Commissioner to India, Mr Patrick Suckling, has welcomed a major new skills agreement which puts Australia at the centre of India’s drive to train half a billion Indian students within the next decade. The Memorandum of Understanding was signed by Australia’s largest provider of vocational education and training, TAFE South Australia, India’s National Skill Development Corporation, and Heraud Education and Training.

“Under this agreement all three parties will work to establish a new vocational education college in India that could train 80,000 students a year within a decade,” Mr Suckling said. “India has an enormous appetite for high quality skills and training and Australia’s world class vocational education providers are perfectly positioned to meet that demand. I hope this agreement encourages more Australian providers to explore the exciting opportunities available here in India.”

The agreement was signed in the presence of India’s Minister for State Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, Rajiv Ratrap Rudy, and South Australia’s Employment, Higher Education and Skills Minister, Gail Gago MLC. TAFE South Australia and Heraud will now commence work on a business case for the proposed college and explore how TAFE South Australia could best provide India with educational materials, resources, and teacher training.

Mr Suckling praised all three organisations for their work to find innovative and effective solutions to address India’s skill shortage. “The NSDC is working tirelessly to deliver the quality skills and training which India needs in the coming decades. I’m delighted that TAFE South Australia and Heraud Education and Training have stepped up to help meet this challenge,” Mr Suckling said.