Aussies keen to set up centres for vocational courses in India

During the “curry-bashing” period,many foreign students were taking less-than-one-year courses such as hair-dressing,cooking and baking,with some of them using their educational visas to stay on and get residence permits in the country. “We have tried to separate education pathway to migration. The focus is now on Indian students at university level,” said Vargehese.

There are around one lakh Indian students in Australia,mostly from Gujarat,Delhi and Hyderabad,and a majority of them enrol with private service providers for vocational courses (from pastry-making to hair-dressing) for attaining permanent residency.

The High Commissioner said Australia has in fact already commissioned a feasibility study on setting up an institute for mining in India,one reason being the natural resources-dependent Aussie economy is facing a shortage of workers in the sector. Another reason is the potential of Australia and India tying up further in the natural resources industry. Where that institute would come up,however,is too early to say,he said.

The Gujarat factor

Varghese is slated to meet Chief Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday to discuss common areas of interest and potential tie-ups,but ducked a question on whether he would be extending an invitation to Modi to visit Australia.

Varghese was on his first official visit to Gujarat this week,meeting bureaucrats,heads of universities and business leaders. In an interview,Varghese suggested that Australia is looking for tie-ups with the state in the fields of vocational education,institute tie-ups and student exchanges,research and development in renewable energy sources as well as mining and training in the natural resources sector.

Australia’s investment banks are also “keen” to finance some infrastructure projects in Gujarat,said Varghese. He also mentioned the Adani investment in Australia’s coal sector has been followed by two other major investments in other parts of the country,a phenomenon he attributed to the Indian behemoth having “drawn attention” to the sector as worth considering in terms of investments.

Research and development tie-ups with Gujarat in the renewable energy sector — particularly solar and geothermal — are other areas being looked into,and that some scientists are “excited” to have already identified a couple of sites that may be commercially viable.