Consultative Meeting on Blended Learning for TVET Institutions in Commonwealth Asia Begins in Chennai
Chennai, 6 October 2025
The Consultative Meeting on Developing a Blended Learning Model for Polytechnic and ITI Institutions in Commonwealth Asia kicked off on 6 October 2025 with a traditional lamp-lighting ceremony. The three-day event (6–8 October 2025), jointly organised by the Commonwealth Educational Media Centre for Asia (CEMCA) and the National Institute of Technical Teachers’ Training and Research (NITTTR), brings together policymakers, institutional heads, and experts from Bangladesh, Brunei Darussalam, India, Malaysia, the Maldives and Sri Lanka to chart a roadmap for scalable, inclusive, and future-ready skills development in the TVET sector.
Welcoming delegates, Prof. Usha Natesan, Director, NITTTR Chennai, outlined the meeting’s objectives and expected outcomes, stressing the importance of regional cooperation and institutional partnerships to build resilient blended-learning ecosystems.
In his opening remarks, Dr. B. Shadrach, Director of COL-CEMCA, articulated the pressing global need for advancing blended Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET). He framed this urgency around 'five key imperatives': inclusivity, quality, relevance, evolving learner needs, and resilience. He further underscored that the integration of technology is absolutely critical for scaling up both the quality and relevance of TVET provision, specifically as a means to bridge the burgeoning skills gap. He also highlighted efforts of COL-CEMCA such as a course on Blended Pedagogy for TVET educators, the development of an Institutional Blended Learning Template, and the creation of a National Draft Policy on Blended Learning.
Delivering the inaugural address, Prof. Dr. Nirmaljeet Singh Kalsi, Former Chairman of the National Council for Vocational Education and Training (NCVET), New Delhi, spoke on strategic blended-learning approaches in TVET. He stressed that blended learning, aligned with the National Education Policy (NEP) and National Credit Framework (NCrF), is central to creating a globally competitive, technology-enabled workforce. Dr. Kalsi later led a deep-dive session on the core components of an effective blended-learning model, focusing on curriculum design, faculty capacity, learner engagement, and quality assurance.
COL-CEMCA’s efforts towards exploring India’s ITI Electrician Course into a blended format mapped to NSQF Level 4, and a model curriculum for blended training in the cosmetology trade were presented by its consultants, Mr George Varughese and Ms Anita Sharma.
The final session of the day examined national experiences from Bangladesh, Brunei, Maldives, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, and India, offering comparative insights into policies, infrastructure, and pedagogical innovations shaping blended-learning reforms across the region.
The consultative meeting will continue over the next two days with collaborative group work and planning exercises to develop national action plans and a Regional Collaborative Framework for Blended TVET, aimed at strengthening skills ecosystems across Commonwealth Asia.
