Strengthening Vocational Education In India And Bridging The Skill Gaps
By Swaleha Sindhi
09 October, 2013
Countercurrents.org
Introduction
Vocational Education and Training (VET) is an important element of the nation’s education initiative. For Vocational Education to play its part effectively in the changing national context there is an urgent need to redefine the critical elements of imparting vocational education and training to make them flexible, contemporary, relevant, inclusive and creative. The Government is well aware of the important role of Vocational education and has already taken a number of important initiatives in this area. The Report of the Education Commission (Kothari, 1964-66) set a number of goals to be pursued; one of them was “to Vocationalise Secondary Education”. Today the training provided in the vocational education and training (VET) institutions in India is not aligned to the demand for skills from the labour market. Evidence for this mismatch exists in the skill shortages for different sectors of the economy on the one hand, and the high unemployment level of VET graduates on the other. Industry surveys such as the ‘Survey on emerging skill shortages in the Indian Industry (2007)’ conducted by FICCI show that significant skill gaps exist in key sectors where one of them is education. (FICCI, 2007, Pg 3-12).
Reasons for failure of vocational Education
In India upward technology bias has come into play at a time when a large percentage of the population has low levels of basic education, and continues to depend on the agriculture sector. Countries as they move on their development trajectories typically begin with agriculture as a dominant sector employing the largest proportion of the population and contributing significantly to the GDP, subsequently the share of manufacturing increases shifting the labour force with it and finally the service sector becomes dominant. In India however the agriculture sector still employs close to 50% of the population. The major weakness of the present education system is the “dysfunctional linkage between education and the world of work” (CRRID, 1985).The introduction of Socially Useful Productive Work (SUPW) as third dimension with a hope “to occupy the central place in the school curriculum” (CRRID, 1985) has been reduced to a ritual and teachers were unable to tune themselves with the original conceptual basis of the SUPW. The Union Government, in spite of being the originator of SUPW, failed to introduce the same in either the KendriyaVidyalayas or the schools under the Central Board of Secondary Education (CRRID, 1985). Basic education is regarded by urban middle class parents as suitable for the rural children and not for their children. Thus, even with the government efforts to strengthen vocational education the country has huge shortage of skilled people and this is hampering the growth of service and manufacturing sectors (Gore, 1995).
Need for Strengthening Vocational Education Programmes
When India is referred to as a ’young nation’ with 28 million population of youth being added every year. Only about 2.5 million vocational training seats are available in the country whereas about 12.8 million persons enter the labour market every year. About 90 per cent of employment opportunities require vocational skills, something that is not being imparted on a large scale in schools and colleges. The major reforms proposed for bringing about necessary ‘flexibility’ in the vocational courses offered and development of ‘modular competency based curricula’ in collaboration with industry to suit the needs of both target groups and the employers (industry) will be useful in reducing the shortage of skilled manpower. It would be beneficial if large number of secondary school children, who have the inclination for vocational education but are compelled to join formal secondary schooling, to be channelized into vocational education. This would lead to a system of education which is more meaningful and relevant in the local context. Gradually the ambit would be expanded to address the needs and aspirations of those engaged in traditional means of livelihoods too. The contribution of such educated youth would boost the state of the Indian economy through the thrust of the Government on universalisation of secondary education, skill development and social justice through inclusive education and training.
Conclusion
The industrial and labour market trends clearly indicate the necessity of strengthening of vocational education in India. The introduction of vocational education at secondary level through bivalent schools and SSC (vocational) will enable to broaden the vocational education base at secondary level of education. A clear pathway for vocational students to enter higher education streams is the way to move forward. Framing of vocational qualification framework, introduction of vocational degrees and setting up of a Vocational University with polytechnics, community colleges, CPs and other VEPs as affiliated colleges are some of the recommendations which require further deliberation at National and State level.
(Ms.Swaleha Sindhi is Assistant Professor in the M.S.University of Baroda, Gujarat. Email: [email protected])
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