Global Leaders Call for Inclusive Skills Ecosystems as Shri Jayant Chaudhary, Minister of State for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Launches Asia’s First UNESCO Chair on Gender Inclusion & Skill Development at Symbiosis Skills and Professional University, Pune.
Pune, : In a landmark milestone for India’s skilling and education ecosystem, Symbiosis Skills and Professional University (SSPU), Pune, successfully launched the UNESCO Chair on Gender Inclusion and Skill Development- the first of its kind in Asia at International Conference on “Women Leading the Future of Work” organised in collaboration with UNESCO.
The Chair was formally inaugurated by Shri Jayant Chaudhary, Hon’ble Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Skill Development & Entrepreneurship and Minister of State for Education, Government of India, reinforcing India’s commitment to building inclusive, future-ready, and globally aligned skill ecosystems. Ms. Aditi Tatkare, Hon’ble Minister for Women & Child Development, Government of Maharashtra and Ms. Monica Nagelgaard, Hon’ble Consul General of Norway were the Guests of Honour at the Conference.
The UNESCO Chair initiative is spearheaded by Dr. Swati Mujumdar, Pro-Chancellor, SSPU, whose pioneering work in skill development has been instrumental in shaping this initiative. SSPU has developed a unique industry-integrated skilling model, enabling large-scale training of underprivileged girls in different domains with strong employment outcomes. Under the aegis of this Chair, 10,000 girls have been trained on future skills in sunrise sectors such as robotics, automation and semi-conductor technology, advanced manufacturing and defence technology. After undergoing skill development courses each of these girls and women have got job offers and excellent salary packages.
Today, Symbiosis Skills & Professional University offers 21 undergraduate, 9 post graduate and PhD programs in high growth sectors like Defence Technology, Mechatronics, Smart & Sustainable Energy, Data Science, AI & ML along with other courses like Architecture, Digital Marketing, FinTech, Construction, Ports, Logistics, Retail and Nutritional Sciences. Dr. Swati informed that SSPU has started B Tech in Defence Technology last year and this year the University has launched a B.Tech. in Semi-conductor Technology.
Symbiosis Skills and Professional University (SSPU), Pune has Ranked 1st in India in the NIRF Rankings under Skill University Category for 2024 and 2025.
Shri Jayant Chaudhary congratulated Symbiosis Skills and Professional University (SSPU), Pune on this achievement of brining one of its kind chair and mentioned how activities under it will help in bridging the skill gap among youth of India.
Ms. Aditi Tatkare appreciated efforts of Dr. Swati Mujumdar and SSPU’s on reaching women from underserved communities and enabling them with skills that lead to real opportunities. Such initiatives are critical for building confidence, independence, and long-term empowerment among women.
The International Conference on “Women Leading the Future of Work”, brought together global institutions, policymakers, industry leaders, and academia to deliberate on strengthening women’s participation in sunrising sectors and future job roles. The successful launch of the UNESCO Chair and the international conference mark a significant step toward positioning India as a global leader in skill development and inclusive workforce transformation. The Conference had distinct themes focussing on the future of Jobs in emerging sunrise sectors such as Defence Technology, Robotics Industry 4.0, AI, Semi-Conductor and Global Capacity Centres. Over 40+ distinguished industry champions from JABIL, L&T, Barclays, Capgemini, IBM, KPMG, Aten Aerospace, DRDO, UBS, Forbes Marshall, MCCIA, TATA Auto Comp and many more who contributed to this Conference as keynote speakers and panellists. The conference featured keynote addresses by global experts including: Ms. Mary Overington, Trade and Investment Commissioner (South Asia), Mr. Gabriel Bordado, Skills Specialist, International Labour Organization (ILO), Ms. Soledad Patiño, UNESCO Global Skills Academy, Paris and Ms. Priscilla Wanjiku Gatonye, UNESCO-UNEVOC, Germany among other International and National dignitaries.
This initiative positions SSPU as a global hub for skill development, research, and innovation, aligned with UNESCO’s international priorities. Major activities at the Conference were – Unveiling of the Research Compendium and Launch of “Kushal Saathi” initiative to mentor girls in STEM along with Recognition of WorldSkills and IndiaSkills achievers. Over 300+ delegates representing Universities, Higher Education Institutions, NGO’s, and governmental agencies participated in this conference.
Reinforcing industry-academia integration, SSPU signed key MoUs with leading organizations like JABIL to strengthen industry-linked skilling initiatives and also Larsen & Toubro Precision Engineering & Systems to advance training in high-tech sectors.
