Vocational Training-Need of The Hour

Vineet Kumar

Monday, December 28, 2020

The word ‘vocational’ means ‘work-related it means you are learning skills to get some work. Now in new education policy in India , they are called as skill-based courses. They prepare the students for some skill or vocation. These are related more to practical training than academic-based. Such courses focus on applying the skills learnt and are the ideal stepping stone from the world of education to a stable career. Getting trained for a particular vocation is always an added advantage for any job-seeker. And if vocational training begins in school, students can graduate prepared to take a high-paying, skilled job immediately. India has the second-highest population of the working-age (15–59 years) individuals in the world. The skillset of this population group plays a critical role in the growth of the country. It is essential that sufficient skill training is provided to this age group to make them productive.

Forty vocational courses are being offered by CBSE. Several of these courses are in collaboration with professional courses. The vocational courses are offered to help students obtain practical knowledge regarding practical work situations. Students will be offered skill courses or vocational subjects from class 6 onward. Thus, by the time they reach class 11 or 12, they will have the necessary knowledge to make an informed choice about their careers. The CBSE schools can now begin skill courses in three different levels for students:
•For classes 6 to 8 (middle level) - 9 courses
•For classes 9 and 10 (secondary level) - 18 courses
•For classes 11 and 12 (senior secondary level) - 37 courses

The vocational course will be of short duration. The module teachers would have to only spend 12 hours of teaching time on these courses. At Secondary Level, a skill subject may be offered as an additional sixth subject along with the existing five compulsory subjects. As per existing CBSE policy, if any student fails in any one of the three elective subjects (i.e. Science, Mathematics and Social Science), then it will be replaced by the skilled subject (offered as a 6th subject) and the result of Class 10 will be computed based on the best five subjects. However, if a candidate desires to reappear in the failed subject, he/she may appear along with the compartment examination.
Right from IT, hospitality, Banking, Tourism, Agriculture, mass media, AI, marketing and sales, or even subjects like geospatial technology the choices are plenty. More recently Early childhood and Yoga were also included in the curriculum. But the eligibility criteria in higher education institutes for different streams need to be flexible for schools to introduce these skill-based subjects into their curricula. Each of these courses in CBSE has been designed by an independent committee comprising of academicians, educationists, Industry experts including inputs drawn from various Skill sector councils constituted by the National Skill Developed Agency. Training for these courses is imparted to teachers through CBSE Centres of Excellence at the state level and various Industry experts. The curriculum designed for these courses that would be taught classes XI and XII:

•Is industry-oriented
•Focuses from academics to employability
•Will provide excellent opportunities for higher education in the specific area through degree and diploma course
•Will provide employment potential in all sectors

The Economic Forum (WEF) quite recently stated that only 25 per cent of Indian professionals are considered employable by organised sector, demonstrating the need for higher quality vocational education to prepare today's youth for jobs. Vocational training is, therefore, the need of the hour in India to supplement formal education and improve the employability of young India.

Vineet Kumar, Computer Science Teacher, United Indian School, Kuwait

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