The Directorate General of Training (DGT) under the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) and ETS India Private Limited have signed an MoU to conduct a pilot of Test of English for International Communication (TOEIC) Bridge assessments for select students in National Skill Training Institutes (NSTIs) and Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs).
This initiative aims to enhance the English proficiency and global employability of students in NSTIs and ITIs. The pilot program will assess the English Listening and Reading skills of students across 10 states using the globally recognized TOEIC Bridge assessments. These assessments are designed to measure basic to intermediate proficiency levels of English listening and reading for practical, everyday use. By implementing this assessment in NSTIs and ITIs, significant improvements in the students’ language skills are expected.
As part of this collaboration, ETS will provide the TOEIC Bridge Online Learning and Preparation Course to help students prepare for the TOEIC Bridge Listening and Reading assessments. These assessments will be administered in the Computer-Based Testing (CBT) mode to 1000 students selected by DGT.
The MoU was signed between ETS India and DGT in the presence of Dharmendra Pradhan, Hon’ble Minister of Education and Minister of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship; Subhas Sarkar, Hon’ble Minister of State for Education; K Sanjay Murthy, IAS, Secretary, Department of Higher Education, MoE and Atul Kumar Tiwari, IAS, Secretary, Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship during the Akhil Bhartiya Shiksha Samagam (ABSS) in New Delhi on July 30.
Trishaljit Sethi, Director General (Training) of DGT, expressed her enthusiasm about the collaboration, stating, “This partnership with ETS India is a significant step towards enhancing the skillset of our students. The TOEIC Bridge score report will not only serve as a globally valid credential to showcase the English language proficiency of students but also a valuable tool for us to continuously improve their English proficiency levels.”
Sachin Jain, Country Manager of ETS India & South Asia, added, “ The TOEIC Bridge assessments are globally recognized tools that measure English language proficiency specifically in a workplace setting. ETS is committed to bringing globally valid skill-based assessments to India, and we are confident that the pilot batch of students will demonstrate superior outcomes both in terms of employability and mobility.”
The collaboration between ETS India and DGT aims to strengthen the international mobility of students and enhance their employability by providing a recognized certification of their English language proficiency. To ensure the success of the program, trainers from these institutes will undergo comprehensive training workshops provided by ETS India. These workshops will equip the trainers with the necessary skills and knowledge to effectively teach and prepare students for the TOEIC Bridge assessments.
