India is one of the youngest nations in the world with over 50 pc of the population under 30 years of age and it is estimated that by 2025, it would have 25 pc of the world’s total workforce. As the country moves on the high growth trajectory, low educational attainments for a vast majority of population are most likely to undermine growth prospects. We, therefore, have a much greater stake in maximising gains of a young workforce through increasing the pace in vocational education.
In higher education, vocational education initiatives are undertaken by the University Grants Commission and the All India Council of Technical Education. The UGC is implementing three schemes for imparting skill development-based vocational courses offering certificate, diploma, advance diploma, B.Voc. and M.Voc. The schemes are offered in Community Colleges, B.Voc.
Degree Programme and KAUSHAL Kendras. Community colleges in existing colleges/polytechnics offer low-cost but high-quality education locally encompassing both skill development and traditional course work. UGC funds community colleges while AICTE funds polytechnics. Another scheme of UGC is B.Voc. Degree programme with lateral entry and multiple exit options at diploma/advance diploma level under the National Skill Qualifications Framework (NSQF). The objective is to embed competencies required for specific job roles for creating employable graduates, thus enabling them to gain appropriate employment and become entrepreneurs.
The third scheme is Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Kaushal Kendras for Knowledge Acquisition and Upgradation of Skilled Human Abilities and Livelihood (KAUSHAL). It aims not only at creating skilled manpower for industry requirements but also at developing entrepreneurship traits. The AICTE also runs programmes for its approved institutes leading to degree or diploma in vocational education under NSQF. Under this scheme, education component is taught by the institute and skill component is covered by industry partner or skill knowledge provider approved by AICTE or NSDC or any Government agency.
Indira Gandhi National Open University also offers continuing education programmes in vocational and skill areas for updation of knowledge and skills of employed persons and job seekers. IGNOU prioritises strengthening of linkages with industries and other academic institutions. It also develops B.Voc. programme with focus on regional relevance, in accordance with NSQF and Choicebased Credit System (CBCS) guidelines, and collaborates with Directorate General of Health Services for training healthcare functionaries in bio-medical waste management. Similarly, there is collaboration with INMAS (DRDO) for developing and offering specialized technical distance learning programmes for armed forces, paramedical forces and civilians.
In order to provide progression routes within the vocational education system and to facilitate vertical and horizontal mobility of learners across different education streams, a credit framework named SAMVAY (Skill Assessment Matrix for Vocational Advancement of Youth) has been developed and adopted for competency-based skills.
Further, there are 38 sector skill councils (SSCs), including one on education. The SSC (Education) covers job roles other than academic faculty in universities and colleges and teacher qualifications in school education. The schemes of vocationalisation are yet to gather momentum. This could be owing to lack of awareness or societal perception of it as second-rate education or lesser market demand. Experience suggests that vocational education does not emphasise general academic skills. These issues have to be dealt with squarely by evolving a formal system of vocational certification of skills. This would require adequate infrastructure to impart vocational training.
