India, Australia Hold High-Level Skilling Roundtable to Advance AIESC Cooperation

In her opening remarks, Ms. Debashree Mukherjee, Secretary, MSDE, emphasized the need for greater coherence between regulatory and training institutions on both sides.

As part of the broader collaboration under the 3rd Australia–India Education and Skills Council (AIESC) Meeting, India and Australia held a High-Level Roundtable on Skilling Partnership at Kaushal Bhawan, New Delhi. The meeting brought together senior representatives and experts from both nations to strengthen cooperation in skill development, vocational training, and future workforce preparedness.

Indian participants included officials from NCVET, NSDC, Green Jobs, DGT and NSDC International, while the Australian delegation comprised leaders from Jobs & Skills Australia, the Australian Mining & Automotive Skills Alliance, and the Australian Skills Quality Authority (ASQA).

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Focus on Coherence, Standards, and the Future of Vocational Education

In her opening remarks, Ms. Debashree Mukherjee, Secretary, MSDE, emphasized the need for greater coherence between regulatory and training institutions on both sides. She highlighted alignment priorities between:

• ASQA and NCVET (regulatory bodies)

• India’s Sector Skill Councils and Jobs & Skills Australia (industry-aligned skill bodies)

She reiterated the shared goal of enhancing the prestige of vocational education, and summarised key action points from the bilateral meeting and the preceding 3rd AIESC Skills Session on 8 December 2025.

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Adapting Skill Ecosystems to Technological and Sectoral Shifts

Discussions centred on aligning skilling pathways with rapid technological transformation, including:

• AI-led automation

• Clean energy transitions

• Green workforce requirements

• Advanced manufacturing

• Agri-tech solutions

• Digital economy roles

Both sides acknowledged facing similar challenges in meeting emergent talent shortages, emphasising:

• Industry-integrated training models

• Flexible learning pathways

• Strengthened trainer capacity and assessor standards

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Minister Jayant Chaudhary Calls for Time-Bound Outcomes

Shri Jayant Chaudhary, Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Skill Development & Entrepreneurship and Minister of State for Education, underscored that India and Australia are jointly working to build a globally mobile, industry-ready talent pool.

He called for a time-bound roadmap to ensure measurable progress in:

• Joint certifications

• Mutual skills recognition

• Trusted assessment and quality assurance systems

These steps, he noted, are critical to creating smoother cross-border labour mobility pathways.

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Australia Reaffirms Commitment to Deeper Skills Collaboration

Australian Minister for Skills & Training, Mr. Andrew Giles MP, expressed strong support for strengthening institutional cooperation, while acknowledging the need to overcome operational challenges to deliver tangible, scalable outcomes.

He also highlighted the growing institutional engagement between:

• India’s ITIs and NSTIs

• Australia’s TAFE institutes

This engagement is laying the groundwork for collaborative curricula, exchange programmes, and workforce mobility pilots.

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Consensus on Joint Training, Exchanges, and Annual Skills Review Meet

Both delegations endorsed:

• Joint training programmes

• Trainer and assessor exchange initiatives

• Pilot projects for overseas placements in priority job roles

• The establishment of an Annual India–Australia Skills Meet to

  • review progress

  • share best practices

  • maintain long-term cooperation

This structured annual mechanism is expected to anchor growing bilateral engagement.

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Insights into Labour Markets, AI Disruption, and Clean Energy Jobs

The Australian delegation shared forward-looking insights into global labour market trends, including:

• Rising demand for high-skilled roles

• Faster workforce transition mechanisms

• Greater emphasis on agri-food systems and services

• Accelerating clean energy jobs

• The economic impact of AI and future regulatory frameworks

They stressed the need for agile skilling systems capable of responding to continuous technological change.

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India Outlines VET Reforms and Centres of Excellence

India briefed the delegation on ongoing reforms in its Vocational Education and Training (VET) ecosystem, including:

• Strengthening pathways for equivalence and mobility

• Enhancements to the National Skills Qualifications Framework (NSQF)

• Establishment of Centres of Excellence in emerging and high-growth sectors

These reforms aim to elevate workforce competencies and ensure alignment with global industry benchmarks.

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Shared Commitment to Make Skilling Aspirational

In their closing remarks, Ms. Anna Faithful, Deputy Secretary, Skills and Training (Australia), and Ms. Archana Mayaram, Economic Advisor (IC), MSDE (India), emphasised the deepening partnership between the two nations and the shared goal of making skilling aspirational, modern, and future-ready. They also highlighted the need to establish regular institutional channels to sustain momentum and collaboration.