Qualifications Development - FFSC

Qualifications Development


August 2023

FFSC New approved qualification & revised qualification

Furniture and Fittings Skill Council (FFSC) introduced (6 New Qualifications and 7 Revised Qualifications) at 31st Meeting of National Skills Qualification Committee (NSQC), extending its reach and impact in the vocational training sector. These qualifications cover a range of job roles, each with specific entry requirements, progression pathways, and industry validation.

The six newly approved qualifications are:

  1. Multipurpose Assistant- Furniture Production and Installation (NSQF Level 3)
  2. Assistant Wooden Boat Maker (NSQF Level 4)
  3. Assistant Panelworks Machine Operator (NSQF Level 4)
  4. Panelworks Machine Operator (NSQF Level 4.5)
  5. Multipurpose Draughtsperson (Design and Build) (NSQF Level 3)
  6. Multipurpose Assistant- Furniture Business Development (NSQF Level 3)

FFSC has also revised seven existing qualifications to meet evolving industry standards and requirements.

  1. Assistant Carpenter (NSQF Level 4)
  2. Carpenter with Electives (NSQF Level 4.5)
  3. Master Carpenter (NSQF Level 5)
  4. Draughtsperson (Interior Design) (NSQF Level 4)
  5. Assistant Interior Designer (NSQF Level 4.5)
  6. Interior Designer (NSQF Level 5)
  7. Assistant Project Manager (Interior Design) (NSQF Level 5.5)

Industry Validation: All qualifications have undergone industry validation (30 validations) to ensure that the training provided aligns with industry standards and requirements. This validation underscores the relevance and applicability of the qualifications in real-world scenarios.

The Furniture and Fittings Skill Council continues to play a pivotal role in bridging the skills gap and enhancing employment opportunities in the sector. These new qualifications and revisions demonstrate FFSC's commitment to providing high-quality vocational training and supporting the growth of skilled workers in the furniture and fittings industry. With the new and revised qualifications, the candidates will be presented with more apprenticeship, skilling, re-skill, and upskill opportunities.



July 2023

CBSE signs MoUs with FFSC for teachers’ training, skill development

FFSC signed MOU with CBSE for initiating Skilling programs in Schools, in presence of Minister of State (Ministry of Education).

A big step towards mainstreaming vocational education in schools.

This shall open doors for adoption of our programs by schools and kick-starting awareness and capacity building drives.


FFSC NOS members felicitation during the 8th Foundation Day

FFSC felicitated its #SkillExperts. These dedicated professionals have played a pivotal role in crafting training curriculums and have been instrumental as National Occupational Standard Members. Their expertise and commitment have shaped the skill development landscape in the Interiors, Furniture & Allied sectors.



June 2023

30th NSQC Meeting held on June 23rd, 2023

The 30th meeting of the National Skills Qualifications Committee (NSQC) meeting under the National Council for Vocational Education and Training (NCVET) was conducted through video conference on June 23rd 2023, under the leadership of Dr. Nirmaljeet Singh Kalsi, Chairperson of the NCVET.

The important takeaways from the discussion were as follows:

  • The Committee approved the necessary editorial improvements in the existing templates and the six new certificate templates for Short-Term training (STT) were introduced. These certificates are:
    1. School Boards
    2. Standalone National Occupation Standard (NOS)
    3. Micro-Credentials
    4. Recognition of Prior Learning with Upskilling
    5. Reskilling
    6. Upskilling
  • The chairperson approved the interim extension of validity for 28 qualifications from CSDCI until 29th April 2023 or until the revision of these qualifications, whichever is earlier, to maintain the continuity of the training and certification.
  • The Committee reviewed 181 qualifications and 6 NOSs submitted for NSQF alignment and approval. Qualifications from recognized Awarding Bodies, including CBSE, NIOS, NIELIT, WBSCTVESD, BECIL, Automotive Skills Development Council, Domestic Workers & others, were submitted for approval.
  • The ABs were directed to rationalize the current qualifications based on NSQF guidelines having a duration in multiple of 30 hours and inclusion of Employability Skills (ES) NOS in them.
  • The committee guided the ABs to upload their ToT/ToA calendars on the SIP portal and encouraged all ABs to collaborate with government training centers to implement their ToT/ToA programs.
  • The suggestion to form a committee was proposed to prevent the duplicity of new qualifications with the existing approved qualifications and prepare the guidelines for the same.


Orientation Session & Exhibition at JD Institute : Bengaluru

FFSC and JD School of Design successfully organized the JD Design Awards on June 8th, 9th, and 10th, 2023, at Karnataka Chitrakala Parishad, Bengaluru, Karnataka. Over 110 interior designs were showcased, featuring virtual reality, augmented reality, product design, and interior styling.

During the event, FFSC conducted an informative orientation session for Interior Design students, highlighting various job roles in the industry and addressing the existing skills gap. Certificates were awarded to the winners, runners-up, and all the exhibitors, recognizing their talent and participation.


Redesign Your Classroom Challenge: Vidya Niketan Schools, Kerala

FFSC organized an orientation session and skill competition for middle school students in Kerala. The event aimed to introduce students to the Design Build & Install concept and shed light on various career paths within the Interiors & Furniture Industry.

During the ‘Redesign your Classroom Challenge’ skill competition, students actively participated in classroom recce, sketching their designs, and presenting their ideas to the audience. It provided them with hands-on experience while showcasing their creativity and communication skills.

The event was a great success, inspiring students and helping them explore the exciting world of interior design and furniture manufacturing.



May 2023

29th NSQC Meeting held on May 3, 2023

The 29th meeting of the National Skills Qualifications Committee (NSQC) meeting under the National Council for Vocational Education and Training (NCVET) was conducted through video conference on May 3rd, 2023, under the leadership of Dr. Nirmaljeet Singh Kalsi, Chairperson of the NCVET.

The important takeaways from the discussion were as follows:

  • The Committee confirmed the minutes of the 29th meeting of the NSQC, and approving the editorial changes in the MOM of 25th & 28th NSQC held on 5th January.
  • A detailed account of Action taken Report of the Minutes of 28th NSQC was approved instructing all ABs to check their qualifications for NCO mapping and sharing of the list of qualification not having NCO code or not fitting into any existing NCO code.
  • The NCVET recommended that the Ministry of Labour and Employment organize a capacity-building program for NCVET-recognized awarding bodies to align NCO codes with qualifications.
  • The NCVET appraised the formulation of guidelines for "diploma" and “advanced diploma” qualifications and is in the process of being notified.
  • All ABs are directed to submit qualifications in a bilingual format using the updated Q-file template. The revised occupational map (OM) and career progression template are finalized and aligned with NCrF and NCO 2015, and the same has been circulated to all the stakeholders.
  • NSQC directed all ABs to provide an indicative photograph of the job roles/qualifications being submitted for NSQF alignment and approval.



April 2023

28th NSQC Meeting held on March 29, 2023

The 28th meeting of the National Skills Qualifications Committee (NSQC) meeting under the National Council for Vocational Education and Training (NCVET) was conducted through video conference on March 29, 2023, under the leadership of Dr. Nirmaljeet Singh Kalsi, Chairperson of the NCVET.

The important takeaways from the discussion were as follows:

  • The Committee confirmed the minutes of the 27th meeting of the NSQC, and action taken on the MOM was approved.
  • Two sessions of the “Committee on Mapping of NCO Codes with NSQF Aligned Qualifications” were held to confirm NCO code mapping accuracy with all ABs' having current NSQF-approved qualifications. So far, 256 qualifications have been identified with incorrect NCO codes, and 347 were not assigned NCO codes.
  • The NCVET recommended that the Ministry of Labour and Employment organize a capacity-building program for NCVET-recognized awarding bodies to align NCO codes with qualifications.
  • The NCVET appraised the formulation of guidelines for "diploma" and “advanced diploma” qualifications and is in the process of being notified.
  • All ABs are directed to submit qualifications in a bilingual format using the updated Q-file template. The revised occupational map (OM) and career progression template are finalized and aligned with NCrF and NCO 2015, and the same has been circulated to all the stakeholders.
  • NSQC directed all ABs to provide an indicative photograph of the job roles/qualifications being submitted for NSQF alignment and approval.



March 2023

1st Machine Operator NOS Group Meeting

The 1st NOS Group Meeting for Machine Operator occupation was organized via Online conferencing on March 24, 2023.

This group consists of Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) from across the industry, all of whom have dedicated their time and expertise to developing National Occupational Standards (NOS) and associated courseware relating to machine operator job roles.

The FFSC NOS Group conducted its first meeting, where the discussion of the details of the NOS and courseware was held. The event will provide an excellent opportunity to gain insight into industry trends and hear from field experts.

The list of Machine Operator NOS Group members are as.


27th NSQC Meeting held on February 28, 2023

The 27th National Skills Qualifications Committee (NSQC) meeting under the National Council for Vocational Education and Training (NCVET) was conducted through video conference on February 28, 2023, under the leadership of Dr. Nirmaljeet Singh Kalsi, Chairperson of the NCVET.

The important takeaways from the discussion were as follows:

  • A committee was constituted for the mapping of qualifications with NCO codes. The CEOs from all the sector skill councils were divided into nine groups, each headed by an SSC CEO to provide the details and insights on the NCO codes mapping and challenges they faced.
  • Under the GoI scheme ‘Samagra Shiksha,’ multiple awarding bodies in collaboration with the CBSE/State School Boards are implementing the training and assessment of selected NSQF-aligned and approved short-term qualifications/job roles. NCVET allows the recognized awarding bodies in the dual category like CBSE to train, assess, and certify the candidate with NCVET-aligned job roles on their own or can collaborate with SSC/ABs for the same.
  • The NCVET released the guidelines on using the NCVET logo and issuing certification for the Awarding bodies.
  • The committee directed the NCDC to develop an interface on Skill India Digital (SDI) along with NIELET to issue 12 NCVET-approved certificates used in various training schemes, especially fee-based certificates.
  • Upon the request from MSDE for the training of job roles at NSQF level 4 and above based on industry demand, the committee approved a total of 81 revised qualifications for six months with 210 hours of training duration and other modifications for the usage in STT training.
  • The committee granted the reinstatement to RASCI as an awarding body (standard).



February 2023

26th NSQC Meeting held on January 31, 2023

The 26th National Skills Qualifications Committee (NSQC) meeting under the National Council for Vocational Education and Training (NCVET) was conducted through video conference on January 31, 2023, under the leadership of Dr. Nirmaljeet Singh Kalsi, Chairperson of the NCVET.

The important takeaways from the discussion were as follows:

  • The 128 skill sets for various trades under 19 Institutes of the Tri-Services of India have been identified and mapped to the existing NSQF-aligned and approved Qualifications. NCVET also organized a two-day conference for Armed Forces officials to instruct them on developing and aligning qualifications according to NSQF criteria.
  • NCVET will take the necessary measures to modify NCO codes to incorporate appropriate work categories depending on future needs and offer stakeholders clarity on the standard occupation in the nation. It was recommended that the Committee be chaired by Dr. Vinita Aggarwal, Executive Member of NCVET, and consist of members from the Ministry of Labour and Employment, MSDE, UGC, AICTE, NCVET, DGT, NSDC, and a few Awarding Bodies to be formed.
  • The NSQC approved two new Certificate Templates for Upskilling/ Reskilling and Apprenticeship Qualifications (OT) for ABs other than DGT.
  • NCVET has designed a new Occupational Map template to correspond with the NCrF requirements and incorporate NCO-2015 codes. The redesigned template has been circulated to committee members and other stakeholders for comments by February 17, 2023, to NCVET at director-policy@ncvet.gov.in.
  • The NCVET has archived 874 inactive qualifications initially approved in 2015, 2016, and 2017. All such credentials are now accessible through the NQR portal ‘archive section.


January 2023

25th NSQC Meeting held on January 5, 2023

The 25th National Skills Qualifications Committee (NSQC) meeting under the National Council for Vocational Education and Training (NCVET) was conducted through video conference on January 5, 2023, under the leadership of Dr. Nirmaljeet Singh Kalsi, Chairperson of the NCVET.

The important takeaways from the discussion were as follows:

  • Guidelines on the adoption of Qualifications by Awarding Bodies are now being developed and will be released shortly to make them more inclusive of content requirements, including NOSs, micro-credentials, ToT, ToA, and other needs.
  • A total of 48 qualifications (32 new and 16 revised), 2 NOSs, and 5 MCs were submitted to the committee for approval by different Awarding Bodies (ABs)
  • Additionally, the committee elucidated the usage of the same STT certificate template for the CSR and industry-funded training programs.
  • The committee considered ideas from different ABs for other certificate templates for different Upskilling Courses (other than the RPL certificate template). It directed NCVET to formalize another template for the same.
  • The National Credit Framework (NCrF) draught has been finalized following many stakeholder meetings and public engagement. It will be sent to the relevant authorities for approval and dissemination.
  • All 19 Institutions of the Tri-Services of India, i.e., the Indian Navy, Indian Air Force, and the 17 Directorates of the Indian Army, have been formally integrated into the skill ecosystem of MSDE/NCVET under the 'Punah Sthapan' program by being recognized as Awarding Bodies (dual category).
  • The NCVET-recognized ABs were tasked with affiliating quality Training Centres in accordance with their needs, particularly for fee-based programs in future skills, new technological sectors, or in-demand career vocations.


Introduction to Infurnia Software

Infurnia is cloud-native architectural software that enables you to apply BIM smoothly in your designs, communicate across functions, and manage your data effectively. A central tenet of Infurnia's vision is to create an integrated platform where all stakeholders involved in the design, build, and operation phases of a building's lifecycle can seamlessly communicate over the same digital design. The use case can involve the architects designing the building, the engineers performing strength analysis, the site contractors developing, the facilitators, managers, and the end customers.

The Infurnia Team put up a presentation to provide attendees with an overview of the software's many different capabilities. There were FFSC master trainers, SMSs, and members of the National Occupational Standards Team present for the workshop (NOS). The talks were held on the use of Infurnia in various training initiatives, as well as the ways in which it may be promoted to various stakeholders based on their requirements.



December 2022

8th Board of Standards Sub Committee:

FFSC organized the 8th Board of Standards Sub Committee meeting on 30th November’2022 for the newly elected BoS committee members from Pidilite, Homag, Livespace, and finesse interio. Nominations for convenors of Qualification Development and Capacity Building were initiated. Based on the consent of members, the following members have been appointed as the co-convenors for the year 2022-2023.

Co-Convenors: Capacity Building :

  • Mr. Rajesh Balakrishnan (represented by Dr. Shukla)
  • Mr. Venkatramana Gorti (represented by Mr. Suresh)

Co-Convenors: Qualification Development :

  • Mr. Gopal Dwivedi
  • Mr. Jagdish Mistry



November 2022

CBSE and FFSC to initiate Pilot Project on Introduction of Interiors & Furniture Skill Modules in Schools

The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) will introduce Interior and Furniture based Skill modules for students in schools. The move is in line with the CBSE's vision to prepare students for the future by equipping them with the skills they need to succeed in the global economy. It is also in keeping with the government's 'Skill India' initiative, which aims to provide employment-oriented training to the youth.

The modules have been designed to provide students with the necessary skills and knowledge to pursue a career in interior design and furniture making. They will be taught as part of the regular curriculum in all CBSE-affiliated schools. The modules cover a wide range of topics such as furniture making, furniture design, space planning, color theory, lighting, etc. They also include practical woodworking, modular furniture assembly, and installation sessions. The modules will be offered as elective subjects and conducted by trained professionals. Students who complete the modules will be awarded a certificate by the CBSE. The modules will go a long way in helping students become well-rounded individuals ready to take on the challenges of the real world.


Content Creation Workshop for Skill India by NSDC

National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) has conducted a workshop on Quality standards for Content development and e-courses availability. The objective of the workshop was to sensitize the content developers about the importance of quality standards in content development. The workshop was attended by representatives from various SSCs and their content SPOCs.

During the workshop, the participants were apprised of the various quality standards for content development. A checklist of required specs and SOPs was presented to participants for uniformity in content development across different entities.

They were also informed about the launch of a new web portal by NSDC which will host all the e-content developed by different organizations. The web portal will help in standardizing the e-content and will also provide a platform for learners to access different content under one platform under the vision of “Free Education for All” by GOI. It is a welcome step by NSDC to promote quality content development in the country.


Awareness Workshops on Draft National Credit Framework (NCrF)

The launch of NCrF would act as an umbrella to all the other different bodies, promoting the integration of Academic and Vocational domains. An awareness workshop was hosted by IIT Delhi for the Stakeholders Consultation on Draft National Credit Framework (NCrF) jointly developed by UGC, AICTE, NCVET, NCERT, CBSE, NIOS, DoSEL, DoHE, MoE and MSDE on 21st November 2022 at IIT Delhi.

These kind of workshops would be conducted across PAN India to get inputs from the different stakeholders till 30th Nov. Multiple meeting would be conducted to get the feedback.


Preparation for Launch of PMKVY 4.0

The fourth edition of Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY) is expected to be launched by the Skills Development and Entrepreneurship Ministry (MSDE) shortly. Six Job Roles from FFSC has been selected for the same. FFSC will soon be aligning TOT/TOA Batches to create a pool of trainers and assessors for the selected job roles.



October 2022

Workshop at NSTI, Noida

FFSC team was invited by the National Skill Training Institute (NSTI), Noida to conduct an orientation session and knowledge workshop where students were briefed about the importance of skilling through vocational education and the industry demands in the field of Interior Design.
Students were also given a demo of modular furniture assembly.
The hands-on activity of assembling a chair and a cabinet was also conducted for students by the team.


Meeting at NSDC for Agniveer

Under the Agniveer Yojna all the SSC’s inclung FFSC were invited for the briefing and introduction with the Army officers.
Under the Yojna different trainings and traits given to the officials were mapped against the SSC and small groups were formed for further detailed discussions.
The next meeting was within the group where qualifications were discussed to be mapped against the trait.


Launch of NCrF

Union Minister of Education and Minister of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Mr. Dharmendra Pradhan launched a draft of National Credit Framework (NCrF) on October 19th in New Delhi for public consultation. Propagating the vision of National Education Policy (NEP) NCrF enables the integration of academic and vocational eductaion. Mr. Pradhan said that the NCrF would act as an umbrella for skilling, upskilling, re skilling, accredation and evaluation encompassing our people in eductaion and skilling institutions.
“NCrF recognises no hard separation between different areas of learning, i.e. arts and sciences, vocational and academic streams, curricular and extra-curricular for the purpose of assignment of credits and credit levels,” the draft stated.


Appreciation to NOS Group Members in Furniture Skills Global Conclave

FFSC recognized the contributions of several industry organizations, stalwarts and professionals for their unwavering support and contribution towards the fulfilment of Mission 2025 being the NOS group member of Furniture Installation & Interior Designing occupations.

• Interior Designing NOS Member

• Furniture Installation NOS Member

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