Reasons why Vocational Training is catching up pace in India
The education system in India is highly focused on academic courses that are aimed at preparing students for conventional courses in colleges and universities. Vocational training, which is also known as career and technical education, focuses on learning skills related to a specific vocation or trade. According to government figures, fewer than 5% of India’s 487 million workers have received any formal skills training. In other industrialized countries, this figure is closer to 60%. Citing these growing concerns Skill India campaign was launched by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi on 15 July 2015 which aims to train over 40 crore people in Indian different skills by 2022.
Better Employment Opportunity
The term “vocational” means “job-related. Vocational graduates have better employment opportunities as compared to students studying in conventional programs. Vocational Programs are shorter in duration as compared to other conventional courses and are more focused on skill development.
Practical Skills
Most importantly, vocational training is focussed on practical skills that students can put to use in a job immediately. Vocational training programs typically focus on teaching students how to perform the tasks that would be required of them in the workforce in various fields, such as air conditioner repair, automobile repair, and mobile repair. Some students are able to learn easily through reading, discussion, and lecture while others may excel at learning through hands-on training, experimentation, and trial and error. There are various types of research that prove that vocational training focuses on hands-on activities, which can be beneficial for students that prefer active experiences to more passive activities.
Cost
Vocational training programs tend to be less expensive than longer academic educational programs; therefore, they result in considerably less debt and greater freedom with income. In addition, technical colleges often offer programs that prepare students for specific career fields in two years or less, which is a significantly smaller commitment than attending a regular college. Getting into the workforce faster means students can start earning income and saving sooner.
World Wide Acceptability
Many corporations across the globe prefer to have staff trained in specific skills or trades. It has been established through various research conducted on students trained in hands-on activities and those trained through reading, discussion, and lectures that the former have an edge over the latter in understanding and performing the tasks in a better way, thus giving them global acceptance.