Innovation Labs Bring New Spaces For Technical Learning To Punjab’s Government Polytechnics

Khunimajra [Punjab], September 28: The state of Punjab is strengthening technical education for all students to explore opportunities, build technical skills and become job ready. As part of this effort, five government polytechnic institutions in Punjab are now equipped with Innovation Labs. The labs have been set up in Khunimajra, Bathinda, Ferozepur, Badbar and Talwara.

The Innovation Labs were inaugurated from the Government Polytechnic College, Khunimajra, by Shri Harjot Singh Bains, Punjab’s Technical Education and Industrial Training Minister, and the Member of Parliament Shri Malvinder Singh Kang. This effort under the ‘Punjab Sikhiya Kranti’ initiative brings together the Punjab Development Commission, Vibha and the Maker Bhavan Foundation.

For young learners, access to a classroom is only one part of learning and becoming job-ready. They also need spaces where they can ask questions and explore possibilities. They need access to resources, exposure to people from different walks of life, and mentors and peers who can help them see possibilities. The Innovation Labs are designed to create more opportunities to facilitate such learning and exploration within government polytechnics.

The wider effort also focuses on helping students prepare for a changing world of work. This will be achieved by building awareness and technical skills through exposure and curated internships. The Innovation Labs thus offer a visible new space at government polytechnics. They give students room to experiment, learn by doing and engage with new possibilities.

Samir Huda, COO, Vibha, said, “Vibha India is proud to support the Government of Punjab’s vision to strengthen polytechnic education through practical, future-ready learning. These Innovation Labs will enable students to turn ideas into real-world solutions, while building the skills and confidence needed for employment, entrepreneurship and innovation.”

There is already progress across several areas of improving technical education in Punjab. So far, 9,400+ first year students have participated in Math Bridge and functional English support at 91+ polytechnic colleges, building a strong foundation for success. Another 3500+ final year students have undertaken semester-long internships. An internship and placement portal has also been established. This has been made possible through the partnership between Punjab Development Commission and Vibha. It aims to make high quality technical education available for all students in Punjab, by focusing on improving employability skills, teaching quality and system readiness within government polytechnic institutions.

Three areas are central to the work: industry integration, academic curriculum relevance and faculty professional development. These areas support the broader goal of helping students build skills that can prepare them for employment, while strengthening the institutions that support them. The goal is to bridge the gap between academic qualifications and employable skills by transforming ITIs and polytechnics into employment-oriented institutions across the state. Vibha works closely with the state government to support monitoring, coordination and accountability. This builds lasting public education institutions, and drives system-level evidence and outcomes.

The approach will lead to strengthened learning outcomes, support smoother functioning within public education institutions and help industry see government polytechnic students as job-ready talent. These newly set up Innovation Labs represent a practical step toward making technical education more connected to the skills, exposure and opportunities young people need as they prepare for work.

About Vibha

Vibha believes every child deserves access to high-quality public education. Instead of helping only a few children escape the system, we strengthen the public education system itself so millions of children can succeed. We work with grassroots organizations and partner with governments to scale solutions that improve learning in government schools. Across 35 years, Vibha-supported initiatives have reached 8.8 million children in India, 2.5 million of them in the last year alone, proving that when systems improve, every child benefits.

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