Punjab, IIT Madras Team Up to Train Teachers as Mentors

• Punjab partners with IIT Madras to train teachers as career mentors.
• Over 5,000 educators to receive free training in career counselling.
• The initiative focuses on rural, underprivileged students for future-ready guidance.

Punjab has partnered with the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Madras, to launch a statewide career guidance initiative aimed at training teachers as career mentors.

Punjab's education minister, Harjot Singh Bains, announced that more than 5,000 teachers will receive training to help students make informed and future-ready career decisions through the ambitious teacher-upskilling initiative.

Bains stated that the initiative will provide educators with complimentary online training in basic career counselling, classroom session skills, and personalized support. They will obtain access to the top 100 in-demand professions, organized evaluation instruments, and an extensive support structure aligned with developing national and international career patterns. IIT Madras Pravartak will offer ongoing academic assistance and digital tools.

"Our goal with this collaboration is to make a meaningful impact by enabling teachers to serve as effective career mentors in their schools. Through this engagement, teachers will serve as the backbone of a structured career guidance ecosystem," Bains noted that Punjab is now the first state to launch a career counselling guidance program for teachers at the state level.

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Bains mentioned that once trained, educators will be prepared to assist students in recognizing their strengths, investigating modern careers, and selecting paths based on evidence and ability, rather than speculation or rumor.

PSEB chairperson Amarpal Singh stated that this initiative is anticipated to especially help students in rural and underprivileged regions, providing them with access to superior guidance that was previously only available through private counselors. In the upcoming months, numerous teachers will gain new skills, increased confidence, and an enhanced capability to influence the futures of thousands of children.