| . | | | | level specialists (eg, Indian Institutes of Technology (IIT) |
| SADAKET MALIK | | | | and engineering colleges) trained as engineers and |
| FOR VOCATIONAL education and training in India, | | | | technologists; diploma-level graduates, who are trained |
| some 17 ministries and departments are involved in the | | | | in polytechnics as technicians and supervisors; and |
| provision and financing, with total annual training | | | | certificate-level craft people trained in it is, as well as |
| capacity of about 28 lakh (2,800,000) students. But as | | | | through formal apprenticeships as semi-skilled and |
| with many matters managed by our governments, the | | | | skilled workers. |
| vocational training system is full of superlatives and | | | | The government of India in recent years has laid a lot |
| potential on the one hand and inefficiency, on the other. | | | | of emphasis on streamlining vocational education so |
| The so called agencies have put their slogans only in | | | | that it fulfills the emerging need of the market by |
| their printed guidelines and handouts without taking into | | | | focusing on employability skills. In consonance with this |
| account the real target populace. In this age of | | | | thrust, the CBSE has introduced a course in financial |
| liberalisation, India is still far from training people in | | | | market management (FMM), under vocational stream, |
| different specialisations. | | | | which is likely to be renamed as professional education |
| Vocational training is to impart specialised skills and | | | | and training. In the budget speech 2007-08, Union |
| knowledge and instilling social and political attitudes and | | | | finance minister announced a scheme for upgradation |
| behaviour patterns essential for successful economic | | | | of 1396 government ITIs into centres of excellence in |
| activities by people engaged in dependent | | | | specific trades and skills through public private |
| employment, self-employment or subsistence work. | | | | partnership. In pursuance of this announcement |
| Vocational training can be of various types, depending | | | | wide-ranging discussions were held with state |
| on the way it has been acquired. | | | | governments, industry associations and other |
| ’Formal training’ refers to all training courses | | | | stakeholders and a scheme named ’Upgradation of |
| held in state or private (but state-certified) institutions | | | | 1396 Government ITIs through Public Private |
| regulated by state guidelines. ’Non-formal | | | | Partnership’ was formulated. |
| training’ covers all forms of training that takes place | | | | The cabinet committee for economic affairs (CCEA) |
| without being subject to state guidelines. In-company | | | | of the Union cabinet in its meeting held on October 25, |
| apprenticeships, both in formal or informal sector | | | | 2007 has approved this scheme ‘in principle’ for |
| enterprises, is one of the most common forms of | | | | the XI five year plan period and has given financial |
| non-formal training. This kind of training also includes all | | | | approval for one year for upgradation of the first |
| programmes and projects offering skills-upgrading for | | | | batch of 300 ITIs at a cost of Rs 774.5 crore. |
| those already active on the labour market, but who | | | | The directorate general of employment and training |
| wish to extend their competencies by attending | | | | (DGE&T) in the ministry of labour, government of |
| evening or weekend courses. There are no | | | | India initiated CTS in 1950 by establishing about 50 ITIs |
| prerequisites for anyone to acquire vocational training. | | | | for imparting skills in various vocational trades to meet |
| Both men and women can get trained at any time | | | | the skilled manpower requirements for technology and |
| during their life. Studies have already proven that | | | | industrial growth of the country. One of the main |
| formal education is not a prerequisite for acquiring | | | | reasons for the lack of market responsiveness among |
| practical skills for income-generation, especially in the | | | | vocational training courses is the limited or no |
| context of the informal sector. However, India’s | | | | participation of the industry in contributing to curricula |
| formal vocational training system often creates | | | | development. It is the industry which has to finally |
| minimum educational prerequisites leading to exclusion | | | | employ the training graduates. Hence, their mandate in |
| of those with lower levels of education. | | | | determining what their future employees need to be |
| In India, vocational education falls under the charge of | | | | taught can hardly be overemphasised. There are |
| the ministry of human resources development (MHRD). | | | | some rare cases of industry participation, as members |
| The ministry oversees vocational courses being | | | | of institute management committees (IMCs) for ITIs. |
| offered in schools in 11th and 12th standard, under a | | | | But even such participation has been found to |
| centrally sponsored scheme called | | | | namesake, at best. |
| ’Vocationalisation of Secondary Education’ | | | | Studies have only reinforced the fact that the majority |
| since 1988. Only the schools affiliated to Central Board | | | | of workers in the unorganised economy of India have |
| of Secondary Education (CBSE) offer the courses in | | | | never been to vocational training institutions and/or |
| accordance with the board’s scheme of studies | | | | school. On the other hand, the formal skills training |
| and the course structure. The courses are of | | | | system, because of its educational entry requirements |
| two-years duration and span six major disciplines, like | | | | and long duration of courses, is designed to exclude |
| dairying, farm machinery and equipment (agriculture), | | | | the underprivileged informal sector workers. |
| accounting and auditing (business and commerce), | | | | Yet, given the vast size of India’s informal |
| electrical technology, air conditioning and refrigeration | | | | workforce, the need to address the skills of informal |
| (engineering and technology), X-Ray technician, health | | | | sector workers is more pressing than any other. |
| care and beauty culture (health and para medical) and | | | | One of the weaknesses of Indian education system is |
| preservation of fruits and vegetables, food services | | | | that it does not gives due importance to vocational |
| and management (home sciences and humanities). | | | | education. As a result, there is a mismatch between |
| Vocational training, on the other hand, broadly refers to | | | | the skilled manpower required and skilled manpower |
| certificate level crafts training (in India) and is open to | | | | available. Every year we churn out millions of |
| students, who leave school after completing anywhere | | | | graduates, who do not have the specific skill sets |
| from grades 8-12. Programmes administered under the | | | | required by the market. If this trend continues, it would |
| craftsmen training scheme (CTS) are operated by | | | | hurt our economic growth in the long run. To change |
| Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) and Industrial Training | | | | this situation, first we need to change our mindset. In |
| Centres (ITCs). This scheme falls within the purview of | | | | India, people are obsessed with attaining a graduation |
| the directorate general of employment and training | | | | degree and generally look down upon vocational |
| (DGET), under the ministry of labour and employment | | | | education. This has resulted in a situation, where on the |
| (MOLE). | | | | one hand there are scores of unemployed graduates |
| At a higher level, the technical education and vocational | | | | and on the other hand there is a huge shortage of |
| training system in India produces a labour force through | | | | skilled workers, such as plumbers, electricians, etc. And |
| a three-tier system — graduate and post-graduate | | | | this must change. |