Gyanshree School, Noida – ranked among Delhi NCR’s Top 10 co-ed day schools in the latest EW India School Rankings 2024-25 – was one of the first institutions to act on a CBSE directive and establish a state-of-the-art Gyanshree Skill Hub to provide vocational education & training to children and youth in the age group 15-35 years – Autar Nehru

Sited on a ten-acre green campus abutting the Noida-Greater Noida Expressway, the top-ranked Gyanshree School, Noida (GSN, estb.2014) has gone one better by establishing an on-campus Gyanshree Skill Hub (GSH) to provide vocational education and training (VET) to children and youth in the 15-35 age group. Inaugurated in April last year, GSH graduated its first three batches of 147 students in two three-month programmes (multicuisine cooking and fashion technology) last year. All 147 graduates are currently employed in local businesses and industry.

History. In 2022, the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) announced the Skill Hubs scheme under the Prime Minister’s Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY) initiative directing 24,240 affiliated schools countrywide to set up skills hubs on their campuses to actualize the mandate of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 which recommends integration of VET in school education. The Skill Hub programme envisages utilization of existing infrastructure of schools to provide “skill development training opportunities to in-school class IX-XII students, school dropouts and out-of-education candidates” in the age group 15-35 years, after school hours.

GSN — ranked among Delhi NCR’s Top 10 co-ed day schools in the latest EducationWorld India School Rankings 2024-25 — was one of the first institutions to act on this directive and establish the state-of-the-art Gyanshree Skill Hub funded by its parent-promoter, the Noida-based Haldiram Educational Society promoted by sweets and condiments behemoth Haldiram Snacks Pvt. Ltd (annual revenue: Rs.6,300 crore).

CBSE’s mandate apart, a contributory factor prompting the GSH initiative was the job and financial losses suffered during the Covid pandemic by families in the local community. Consequently, under its CSR (Corporate Social Reponsibility) initiative to “enable and empower the community around Gyanshree School through skills training”, the Haldiram Skill Academy/ Gyanshree Skill Hub was ideated and established. To get GSH rolling in quick time, the management invested Rs.10 crore to repurpose a 40,000 sq. ft auditorium on campus to house GSH on two floors.

“The objective of GSH is to provide professional skills training programmes and enhance the employability of students and youth. As the NEP 2020 rightly recommends, integrating skills training with academics is the prerequisite of boosting employment and employability. Moreover at GSH, we intend to provide Gyanshree School students opportunities to learn vocational skills as well,” says Manohar Lal Agarwal, Chairman of Haldiram Educational Society and Haldiram Snacks Pvt. Ltd.

According to Rita Kapur, Founder-director, Gyanshree School, GSH presents a model and roadmap to other schools to achieve the twin objectives of integrating VET into mainstream education, as well as supporting the local community through employment-oriented skills training programmes. “Gyanshree is the first school in Delhi NCR to sign up for CBSE’s Skill Hub scheme. This scheme gave us the opportunity to establish the Gyanshree Skill Hub to dispense skills training programmes to our students and also fulfill our objective of community outreach by providing local youth sustainable skills-to-jobs programmes. I strongly advise schools to sign up for the CBSE Skill Hub programme to improve employability of our students and help our country achieve the NEP 2020 target of skilling at least 50 percent of our youth,” says Kapur.

Courses. In light of Haldiram’s 87-years invaluable experience and expertise in the sweets and condiments business, GSH’s inaugural three-month course was in ‘multicuisine cook’ divided into Indian sweets, bakery & confectionery, and street food modules. To ensure and maximise practical learning, the management has invested in three state-of-the-art air-conditioned kitchens, an F&B service station and model restaurant, and has recruited top-notch faculty headed by chef Jiten Acharya who has over three decades of industry experience. Open to class X and XII students, the course is certified by CBSE-NSDC (Skill India).

The second course in fashion technology is designed in collaboration with the Gurugram-based Apparel Training & Design Centre (ATDC), specifically to meet strong demand for skilled workers from garment industry hubs in Noida and Okhla. The course, certified by NSDC/Skill India, is open to students/youth with class VIII qualifications, and is free-of-charge. Life skills development programs including English communication and personality grooming for the hospitality and retail industries are also offered. Currently, Gyanshree School class VI-XII students are being provided skills training on weekends, and other youth after school hours daily.

“In all our programmes, modules on personal hygiene, English communication, housekeeping and other skills to make students job-ready are compulsory. After completion of the training programme, students are given two weeks on-the-job training at retail outlets of Haldiram’s. Graduates of both courses have found ready employment in Haldiram’s, local garment factories with some also turning entrepreneurs,” says Kashyapi Puri, program coordinator, GSH, who adds that school managements wishing to adopt CBSE’s Skill Hub programme are welcome (by appointment) to visit the Gyanshree Skill Hub.

Future plans. GSH has set a target to train 500 children and youth over the next two years with plans to roll out three new short-term courses — beauty & wellness, travel & tourism, information technology — in 2025.

Fair winds!