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There is scope for skill-oriented education, says Apoorva Palkar, first VC of Maha State Skills University
It was in April 2021 that the then state cabinet gave clearance to the skills’ university mainly to provide skilled manpower to industry and generate employment
Apoorva Palkar, head of innovation cell, Savitribai Phule Pune University (SPPU), has been appointed as the first vice-chancellor (VC) of the Maharashtra State Skills University for a period of two years. A notification to this effect was issued by Manish Verma, state principal secretary, on July 27. It was in April 2021 that the then state cabinet gave clearance to the skills’ university mainly to provide skilled manpower to industry and generate employment. Palkar spoke to Hindustan Times as she takes charge as VC, Maharashtra State Skills University, on Friday, July 29, 2022.
What is your first reaction after your appointment as the first VC of the Maharashtra State Skills University?
“I strongly feel that there is a lot of scope for skill-oriented education which has been missing in our academic system. So, with these skill-oriented studies, people will become more employable, the focus has to be on employability and along with that, it will boost entrepreneurship as through it, we can create more jobs in various fields. Also, we can help graduates who come from the traditional learning process from colleges to get skill-oriented jobs now onwards.”
What are your future plans after joining as VC; what kind of courses will be there in this new university?
As this is a state university, it will have multiple faculties, multiple courses and courses including certificate, diploma, degree and post-graduation level. Also, research on skills will be carried out through this university. As we see, there are several universities that are now conducting various types of research in the field of skills. There will be innovation and incubation centres that will try to build this culture of innovation through this university.
And the sky is the limit for us as our jurisdiction is the entire state of Maharashtra. So, we will be able to reach out to several locations that have been left behind and reach out to the students there. And the administrative experience that I have gained from the SPPU will be useful for me during my work in this new university.
What are the challenges you are looking at as you take up this new position?
We see that all the challenges are turning into opportunities for us. But a major challenge that we often see is of getting funds for new innovations, skill-based work projects, and start-ups. If funds are acquired, it is a boost for the start-up and the person who has initiated it. Whereas now the government is also providing funds on a large scale and the private sector, too, is coming forward to help new start-ups. Another challenge we have to face is changing the people’s mindset towards start-ups or entrepreneurship. Now people have started looking at it positively but that was not the case 10 years ago.
