Biz education can defy meltdown

According to experts, promoting technical and entrepreneurial education will not only boost empowerment but will also help youth to counter the economic slowdown. Only three per cent of India's total population is technically sound, said city-based Dr Pradeep Wagh, secretary general of Development Education International Society (DEIS). He added that steps should be taken to increase technical education from the present three per cent to about 25 per cent.u00a0We can impart technical education at school and secondary level throughu00a0 Information Communication Technology (ICT), web and television, he suggested. Dr Wagh added, We need to produce about five million new entrepreneurs every year if we want to see India as an economic superpower. But as per Dr Wagh, this is a tall order. The education system in India is not geared for such a thinking process unlike in some developed countries where entrepreneurial education begins in school itself. Dr Wagh said that the vision of entrepreneurial education is to provide an opportunity for every school going child to develop an enterprising mindset.Skills and knowledge is key to economic growth and social development. We, therefore, need a flexible education and training system and also need to make our labour force more skilled, he said.Also, Dr Wagh informed that ICT and the Human Resource Department of Union government is expected to invest Rs 1200 crore in the 11th five-year plan for the promotion of vocational, technical and entrepreneurship education.