Chandigarh, November 11 — The Punjab government on Tuesday announced a major step in its education reform drive, with Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann’s administration set to integrate vocational and technical training into school education. The Punjab School Education Board (PSEB) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the non-profit organisation Lend A Hand India (LAHI) to ensure that students graduating from government schools receive both academic and skill-based certifications.
Under the initiative, every student completing Class 12 will earn not only a school certificate but also a vocational qualification designed to improve job readiness and promote self-employment. “Our goal is not just that children pass exams, but that they succeed in life. Every child of Punjab should be confident, skilled and self-reliant — this is the main objective of our education policy,” Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann said in a statement.
Officials said the collaboration will provide students with access to training equipment, practical sessions, and internship opportunities. LAHI, which has been promoting skill-based education across India, will support the state government in integrating skill curricula with existing academic subjects.
“This is not merely an agreement between two organisations — it is a bridge between dreams and opportunities,” a government spokesperson said, adding that the move aims to make Punjab’s youth “12th + skill certified.”
The initiative is part of Mann’s broader effort to link education with employment and social empowerment. “Education should be more than textbooks — it should teach students how to live and earn with dignity,” Mann said, noting that the reform reflects his government’s vision of “skill in every hand and confidence on every face.”
The Punjab government expects the new model to produce a generation of students who are both educated and job-ready, creating what officials described as a “self-reliant and future-ready Punjab.”
