The Asian Development Bank (ADB) approved $112 million loan for Assam to strengthen skill education and training through establishment of Assam Skill University (ASU). The university is being set up at Mangaldoi in Darrang district.
The ADB on Thursday in a statement said the project will help develop the varsity's management and operating systems, business models, and faculty and staff, and support the design and construction of environmentally sustainable and climate-resilient university campus and facilities to ensure efficient and sustainable operations.
It will also support the design and delivery of industry-aligned and flexible skills education and training programs, including cutting-edge digital skills programs, career development programs and services, and continuing education programs, it said.
The curriculum will focus on applied research and development (R&D), and technology transfer and promote professional development of trainers and faculty members of technical and vocational education and training (TVET) institutions.
"Despite its abundant natural resources and high proportion of young population, Assam is yet to unleash its growth potential. Assam's economy is dominated by low value-added, natural resource-based products and is poorly integrated with global and regional value chains. The state is prone to natural hazards, which are likely to intensify because of climate change. Fewer growth prospects have propelled out-migration for jobs and education, exacerbating shortages of skills in Assam," said a statement issued by ADB.
"The project will improve skills and employability of youth and adults, especially women and disadvantaged groups, and their prospect of getting higher-paying, decent jobs," said ADB's senior education specialist for South Asia, Asako Maruyama.
An additional $1 million grant from the Japan Fund for Poverty Reduction will support the introduction of technologies for smart campus management and integrated teaching, learning, and career development management, the statement added.
