Vocational programs to go mainstream
April 6th, 2010
Following is an excerpt from a report in Business Standard.
… The HRD Ministry is set to revise its vocational education scheme under which the students will have the option to pursue vocational studies as an exclusive stream on par with arts, science and commerce.
The revised scheme, modelled on the pattern of vocational education in Australia and Germany, is expected to be announced next month.
"Students can study exclusively vocational education at Class-XI and XII. This will be an additional stream to the existing streams of science, arts and commerce," a senior Ministry official told PTI.
The focus of the revised vocational education stream will be industry collaboration at all stages, starting with designing of the courses, teaching and work experience in industry.
It will ensure employability of the students. Students can join any job or pursue further studies in professional courses like B.Tech after completing vocational courses.
… The vocational stream will offer a number of courses in areas like hospitality, automobile sector, paramedics, cooking, truck driving, manufacturing, graphics designing and animation, the official said.
Under vocational stream, the programmes will comprise 70 per cent of subject specific studies and 30 per cent general studies like English and communicative skills.
The revised scheme will be implemented across the country with 100 per cent Central assistance. The government has earmarked Rs 2,000 crore in the 11th Plan for this scheme. The Ministry is preparing a note for approval of Expenditure Finance Committee. Then it will go for Cabinet’s approval.
This is a great direction. When mainstream colleges start offering vocational courses and these programs have tie-up with industries that hire the graduates in apprentice positions with good prospects, the stigma associated with vocational programs in the mind of a typical middle class family in India would significantly reduce.
Entry Filed under: Eleventh plan,India,Technical and Vocational Education
2 Writeup
1. jagmohan swain | April 7th, 2010 at 1:42 am
I hope that it adresses main issue we have, what happens to those 50% that fail in 10th exam every year.If this vocational program provides a some access point to those studenst then it would be of immense help to all those students.
2. Ritu Varuni | April 13th, 2010 at 1:57 pm
Need to give importance to craft skills and hence organise degrees in and around those as well as options. These are dwindling skills like wood and bamboo craft, carpentry, carving, stone inlay work, other traditional skills and will have many takers in the near future. These skills need to be recognised and nurtured before they are lost.