Why is it in the News?

The Union Minister of Education and Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Dharmendra Pradhan recently launched the ‘SWAYAM Plus’ platform to offer courses developed collaboratively with the industry.

About the SWAYAM Plus Platform:

• SWAYAM is a Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) platform providing educational opportunities by bringing the best teaching and learning resources to everyone.
• Operated by the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT)-Madras, this platform aims to extend educational opportunities to both traditional students and working professionals, aligning with the provisions of the NEP 2020 for flexible entry and exit points in education.
• By enabling individuals to balance work and studies through online courses, SWAYAM Plus empowers them to enhance their skills and career prospects, thus contributing to India's knowledge economy.

Objectives and features:

• SWAYAM Plus primarily focuses on achieving the following:
  • Building an ecosystem for all stakeholders in professional and career development, including learners, course providers, industry, academia, and strategic partners;
  • Enabling a mechanism that provides credit recognition for high?quality certifications and courses offered by the best industry and academia partners;
  • Reaching a large learner base by catering to learning across the country, with a focus on reaching learners from tier 2 and 3 towns and rural areas and Offering employment-focused courses, based on learner needs – across chosen disciplines with options to learn through resources in vernacular languages.
• Enhanced employability: SWAYAM Plus empowers individuals to balance work and studies through online courses, enhancing skills and career prospects.
• Industry partnerships: Courses are tailored to industry requirements in collaboration with industry leaders.

Key features:

• Multilingual content, AI guidance, credit recognition, and pathways to employment are prominent features.

Implementation and reach:

• SWAYAM Plus aims to offer high-quality courses with credit recognition, reaching learners nationwide, especially from tier 2 and 3 towns and rural areas.

Value-added services:

• Value-added services like mentorship, scholarships, and job placements will be provided, creating a digital ecosystem for upskilling and reskilling at all education levels.
• SWAYAM, launched in 2017, had enrolled 72 lakh learners by 2023.
  • Now, in line with the NEP 2020, SWAYAM Plus will incorporate courses tailored to industry requirements, developed in collaboration with industry leaders like L&T, Microsoft, and CISCO.