Swiss vocational course becomes first international advanced diploma to get NSQF recognition

The Vocational Education and Training (VET) course by the EHL Hospitality Business School, Switzerland, has received formal recognition under the National Skill Qualification Framework (NSQF). It was launched in collaboration with the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII).

The course offers Indian youth academic credits under the National Credit Framework (NCrF), as well as an “industry-integrated training”. Officials from the National Council for Vocational Education and Training (NCVET), industry stakeholders, and academic faculty members gathered to inaugurate India’s first international NSQF-approved advanced diploma programme.

The CII also signed an agreement with the Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) to set up a CII-IGNOU Career Edge academy. The academy will enable lateral recognition to students who have passed from IGNOU. These students will be eligible for lateral entry to the Swiss advanced diploma course. The agreement will also allow CII and IGNOU to introduce new “industry-aligned” programmes.

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NSQF recognition event

The event for the vocational training course was attended by Uma Kanjilal, vice chancellor, IGNOU, Vinita Aggarwal and Neena Pahuja, executive members, NCVET, Markus Venzin, CEO, EHL Group, Anil Chadha, managing director, ITC Hotels, Ajit Dias, associate vice president - HR, Indian Hotels Company Limited, and Lokesh Sabharwal, VP of operations, Hyatt Hotels, India and Southwest Asia.

“Designed by EHL School of Practical Arts faculty and drawing from Switzerland’s proven model of combining classroom learning with real-world industry training, this programme is adapted to India’s scale and diversity,” said Venzin.

Kanjilal observed that the NCVET accreditation of the VET programme and the agreement between CII and IGNOU mark a “new era” for skill development in India. She said that IGNOU plans to integrate “industry-recognised” courses into its framework and to expand opportunities across multiple sectors.