Advancing the Vocational Education Collaboration between India and Australia

Advancing the Vocational Education Collaboration between India and Australia

The Australia-India Skills Roundtable, facilitated by RMIT University in collaboration with the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), has brought together key stakeholders from government, academia, and industry to explore the future of skilling and vocational education.

RMIT and the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) has recently released a summary paper from a roundtable meeting held earlier in the year in New Delhi. The paper highlights key insights and actions aimed at leveraging vocational education to address India’s evolving skills agenda, activate youth talent, and create seamless pathways for lifelong learning. The report sets the stage for collaborative efforts to promote sustainable economic growth and workforce mobility between the two countries.

Highlights from the Summary Paper Report

With a shared vision of equipping the workforce with industry-relevant skills, parties at the roundtable examined key challenges, innovative training models, and collaborative approaches to strengthening vocational education ties between India and Australia. Key themes from the Summary Paper focused on:

  • Overcoming barriers in skills development and credential recognition

  • Innovative training models driven by industry needs and technological transformation

  • Scalable partnerships between educational institutions, government bodies, and the private sector

  • The impact of internationally recognised qualifications on global job mobility

  • Participants emphasised the need for vocational education to move beyond outdated perceptions and to be positioned as an aspirational and future-focused pathway for careers and lifelong learning.

The Industry Leadership Roundtable brought together representatives from RMIT University, Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), India’s National Council for Vocation Education and Training, All India Council for Technical Education, Austrade and BITS. The Industry Leadership Roundtable brought together representatives from RMIT University, Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), India’s National Council for Vocation Education and Training, All India Council for Technical Education, Austrade and BITS. 

Mish Eastman, RMIT Deputy Vice-Chancellor Vocational Education and Vice-President, said the Australia-India Skills Roundtable represented a shared commitment to reshaping vocational education into an engine for opportunity, mobility, and inclusion. 

“As industries across the globe demand a workforce with agile and job-ready skills, vocational education must continue to evolve, integrating cutting-edge technology and industry co-designed learning models,” she said. 

“The collaborative spirit fostered during the roundtable demonstrated a mutual understanding that vocational education can no longer be seen as a second choice. It is a powerful, aspirational pathway to rewarding careers and lifelong learning.” 

Sougata Roy Choudhury Executive Director, Skill Development, Affirmative Action and Industrial Relations at CII, adds that the summary report reflects the shared aspiration to create scalable models for skills development – ones that are rooted in global best practices but tailored to India’s unique context. 

“CII looks forward to leveraging Australia’s successful vocational education ecosystem to develop industry-relevant skills among youth, creating a talent pool that meets the needs of both India and global markets,” he said.
 

You can read the full Australia-India Skills Roundtable report here.

29 April 2025

Share

Return to RMIT News
29 April 2025

Share

Engage

Related News

rmitxacmi-decade-long-partnership-image2-1220x732px.jpg

RMIT renews decade-long partnership as ACMI's Major University Partner

RMIT University is now recognised as ACMI's Major University Partner, marking the continuation of a 10-year collaboration that has become a cornerstone of Australia's screen-based creative industries.

asia-intelligence-challenge-2.jpg

Building the capability of leaders working in Asia

A simulated challenge that helps to build the capability of leaders working in Asia has been held at RMIT Vietnam for the first time.

news-magnetic-microplastics-innovation-1220px.jpg

Magnetic invention removes ‘invisible’ microplastics plus some PFAS

RMIT University researchers have developed a water treatment material that rapidly removes micro and nano plastics and some PFAS, bringing the technology closer to real world use.

rmit-ciemat-workshop.jpg

RMIT and CIEMAT strengthen Spain–Australia partnership on clean energy

RMIT University and Spain's national energy and environmental research centre CIEMAT have met in Madrid to explore new opportunities for collaboration that support the transition to a fossil-free energy system.

Show more
aboriginal flag float-starttorres strait flag float-start

Acknowledgement of Country

RMIT University acknowledges the people of the Woi wurrung and Boon wurrung language groups of the eastern Kulin Nation on whose unceded lands we conduct the business of the University. RMIT University respectfully acknowledges their Ancestors and Elders, past and present. RMIT also acknowledges the Traditional Custodians and their Ancestors of the lands and waters across Australia where we conduct our business - Artwork 'Sentient' by Hollie Johnson, Gunaikurnai and Monero Ngarigo.

More information