New Delhi, Nov 9 (IANS) India and Australia are taking significant steps toward developing a globally mobile, industry-aligned talent pool, Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, Jayant Chaudhary, said on Tuesday.

Speaking at the third Australia–India Education and Skills Council (AIESC) Meeting, he stressed the need for a time-bound roadmap to achieve measurable outcomes in joint certification, global skills recognition, and trusted assessment systems.

Australia’s Minister for Skills and Training, Andrew Giles, reaffirmed his country’s commitment to deepening collaboration and, at the same time, mentioned the need to navigate through the challenges to operationalise and deliver tangible outcomes.

The progress made by both countries for institutional engagement between ITIs, NSTIs, and TAFEs, he added.

As part of ongoing cooperation under the third Australia–India Education and Skills Council (AIESC) Meeting, India and Australia held a high-level roundtable on skilling partnership at Kaushal Bhawan here.

The meeting brought together senior representatives from India’s National Council for Vocational Education and Training (NCVET), the National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC), Green Jobs, the Directorate General of Training (DGT), the NSDC International, and industry experts while the Australian side included leaders from Jobs & Skills Australia, the Australian Mining and Automotive Skills Alliance, and Australian Skills Quality Authority (ASQA).

Secretary, Skill Development & Entrepreneurship, Debashree Mukherjee highlighted the need for greater coherence across institutions on both sides, such as ASQA and NCVET on the regulatory front, and India’s Sector Skill councils alongside Jobs and Skills Australia, and underscored the shared commitment to elevating the esteem of vocational education, summarising the key action points discussed during the bilateral meeting and the 3rd AIESC Skills Session held on December 8.

The deliberations focused on aligning skill ecosystems to keep pace with rapid technological shifts, including AI-led transformation, evolving industry needs, and sectoral talent shortages.

Participants noted that both countries face similar challenges in preparing their workforce for green sectors, clean energy, advanced manufacturing, agri-tech, and digital occupations. They emphasised the importance of industry-linked training models, flexible learning pathways, and strengthened trainer capacity.

–IANS

aps/vd