COL-CEMCA and YCMOU Collaborate to Advance Graduate Employability

New Delhi, 05 December 2025

The Commonwealth of Learning (COL) and the Commonwealth Educational Media Centre for Asia (CEMCA), COL's regional centre, entered a contribution agreement with Yashwantrao Chavan Maharashtra Open University (YCMOU) on 05 December 2025, at the COL-CEMCA office, New Delhi, to participate in COL-CEMCA’s Graduate Employability Project.

This initiative aims to enhance learners' employability skills, building on YCMOU's existing Employability Framework. The programme is part of a broader effort to improve graduate employability in India, with COL-CEMCA working with 17 open universities to develop institution-specific frameworks and skill-based courses.

Dr. B. Shadrach, Director, COL-CEMCA, and Professor Sanjeev Sonawane, Vice Chancellor, YCMOU, discussed various topics, including enhancing agricultural education and empowering farmers through technology. The meeting explored collaborations to create a more integrated system, focusing on digital universities, blended learning, and farmer training programmes.

Efforts are underway to enhance collaborations, promote vocationalisation of open learning, and improve enrollment and graduation rates, aiming to make open education more relevant and effective.