India’s young workforce
The preparation of teachers to provide learners with quality Vocational Education and Training (VET) is a global concern. In an era of rapid technological progress, teachers must continually update their expertise in order to keep up with developments for the benefit of their students. This article aims to highlight the Vocational Education and Training in India and provides an overview of various VET teacher preparation programs, recent government initiatives to boost VET, challenges and potential future directions for boosting VET in India.
Vocation signifies a profession by which a person earns a living. Thus, vocational education aims to train students to develop skills and ensure success in the field of their choice (Kumar, 2012). India has the world’s highest population density and the fifth-largest economy. The National Policy for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (NPSDE) which came up in 2015, stated that India is currently one of the youngest countries in the world with more than 62% of its people at work age ranging from (15-59 years) and more than 54% of its overall population being under the age of 25. Over the following ten years, the population pyramid is anticipated to bulge across the 15–59 age range. The policy document in 2015 predicted the average age of the population in India to be 29 years old by 2020, compared to 40 years in the USA, 46 years in Europe, and 47 years in Japan. In fact, it is predicted that over the next 20 years, the labor force will drop by 4% in developed nations while rising by 32% in India (NPSDE, 2015). This presents both a significant challenge and an extensive opportunity. India has a substantial young population, but to capitalize on this demographic dividend, it is also crucial that these individuals are well-educated and have the skills required for the development of both agriculture and industry. By fully and optimally utilizing the human resource base, skill development through vocational education can assist in achieving this national goal.
In India, vocational education is available in a variety of industry areas, such as manufacturing, agriculture, healthcare, information technology, hospitality (Pilz & Gengaiah, 2019), and courses at different levels e.g certificate, diploma, advanced diploma and degree are designed to give students knowledge and practical skills linked to specific sectors. One of the main objectives of vocational education is to assist people acquire practical skills that can be used to land entry-level jobs in a variety of industries. Contrastingly, traditional academic education tends to place more of an emphasis on theoretical understanding.
Institutions offering VET education in India
In India, education is a subject under concurrent list, which means that it is a joint responsibility of central and state governments. And so, there is a variety of vocational educational institutions which are funded by central government or state governments or even by private bodies. Following is the list of various institutions offering vocational education currently in India:
- PSS Central Institute of Vocational Education (PSSCIVE): It aims to satisfy the skill requirements of the current and future workforce growth of the nation. The PSSCIVE, Bhopal, a constituent unit of National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT), is working to strengthen the vocational education and training system considering the National Education Policy (NEP), 2020.
- Industrial Training Institutes: ITIs are government-run organizations that provide a selection of VET programs in several specialties, including engineering, electrician, mechanic, and plumbing. India’s states each have their own network of ITIs. After completing grade 8 (14 years of age), a person can begin learning vocational skills and look for work as a craftsman in small or medium-sized industries. The National Council for Vocational Training (NCVT) awards certificates to the ITI graduates to work as a tailor, welder, fitter, electrician, electronic mechanic in a variety of occupations in the engineering or non-engineering category. The training might last from six months to two years depending on the stream. As per the official website of Directorate General of Training, Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, Government of India, there are currently 14955 ITIs, 2195216 ITI trainees and 630534 apprentices in India.
- Polytechnic Institutions: A polytechnic is a higher education institution that offers specialization Diploma courses in engineering, technology, and applied sciences. The three-year diploma programs are intended for students who have completed grades 10 (16 years) or 12 (18 years). These are accessible in both public and private institutions. After completing 3-year diploma a person can get admission to Bachelor of Engineering second year directly. There are many government and government-aided Polytechnic institutions spread across India.
- National Skill Development Corporation: The National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) was incorporated in 2008, is a public limited corporation that does not pursue profit. By using a Public Private Partnership (PPP) model, the Ministry of Finance established NSDC. A total of 51% of the shares in NSDC are owned by the private sector, with the remaining 49% held by the Indian government through the Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship (MSDE). In order to provide skill development programs in a variety of industries, including retail, healthcare, construction, hospitality, and more, NSDC works with numerous training partners. As per their official website there are presently 10,373 NSDC Training Centres and 538 NSDC Training partners. As per their financial year 2019-20 reports, 2.05 million students were trained by them and 186,000 were given jobs.
- National Skill Training Institutes: These are one of the top institutions operated by Directorate General of Training (DGT), Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, Government of India. With the primary goal of providing training to the instructors of ITIs across the nation. It was first established by the Directorate General of Employment and Training (DGE&T), Ministry of Employment and Labour, Government. of India, in 1963. There are 33 NSTIs and 3 extension centers that are currently located throughout the nation.
- Other Specialized Institutions: There are many more specialized institutions like Institutions of Hotel Management and Catering which are regulated by National Council for Hotel Management and Catering Technology, Institutes of Design, Institutes of Fashion Technology, Agricultural Training Institutes, Health Care Training and Nursing Institutes etc. In association with governmental organizations, numerous businesses and industries provide apprenticeship programs also.
Recent government initiatives to boost VET
The government of India developed the National Policy for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (NPSDE) in 2015. The policy envisioned to foster a culture of innovation-based entrepreneurship that can generate wealth and employment to guarantee sustainable livelihoods for all the nation’s population. This was done through empowering people through rapid, large-scale skill acquisition that adheres to high standards. It is crucial to bring skill training to the most remote areas of the country as reskilling people takes time and necessitates that supply of training is close to the skill catchment. During holidays and off-hours, schools and universities will be used for training; factory floors will be used for practical training (NPSDE, 2015).
The Skill India Mission (2015), National Skill Development Mission (2015), Prime Minister’s Skill Development Scheme (named as Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY) and State Skill Development Mission are just a few of the measures the Indian government has launched to support vocational education. Through these initiatives it aims to provide the youth across the nation with skill development and certification, addressing the ambitions of Aatmanirbhar Bharat (meaning India becoming self-reliant).
Some vocational education programs in India place an emphasis on entrepreneurship development, encouraging people to launch their own firms, in addition to educating them for employment. Government’s Start-up India is one such program.
The Government of India established the National Council for Vocational Education and Training (NCVET) as a regulatory body in 2018 and became completely functional from 2020. The NCVET acts as a general national regulator with the objectives of establishing standards, creating detailed regulations, and enhancing the ecosystem for vocational education, training, and skilling.
The National Education Policy (2020) has placed a special focus on vocational education through mainstreaming and integrating it into general education, which will assist students in developing a variety of skills to meet industry demands and enhance the quality of education. NCERT came up with the National Curriculum Framework for School Education in 2023 which attempted to integrate Vocational Education into mainstream school education at all levels. In order to enable all students to potentially enter the workforce after high school if they so desire, NCFSE 2023 strives to enhance their vocational capacities, knowledge, and appropriate values. It offers the possibility to learn about a variety of professions, including those that are aspirational, as well as those that are most pertinent locally and culturally (if different), as well as new and developing vocations.
There are not enough programs in teacher education to prepare teachers for vocational education.
Another most recent step taken in October, 2023 by the University Grants Commission (UGC) which has issued a call for applications from universities and colleges for the creation of “Skill Hubs” as part of the Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana 4.0 (PMKVY 4.0) scheme. With this action, the network for delivering skill-building programs will be expanded outside the conventional skill-training institutions. In order to facilitate the implementation of the PMKVY 4.0 scheme and manage it digitally through the Skill India portal, higher education institutions (HEIs) can express their willingness and provide details of the required courses or job roles. This crucial step will bring a revolutionary change in the field of Vocational Education and Training in India.
Teacher preparation for VET institutions
In India, the National Council for Vocational Training (NCVT) and the Directorate General of Training (DGT), which fall under the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE), are largely responsible for regulating and supervising teacher training for Vocational Education and Training (Pilz & Gengaiah, 2019). Besides training programmes by NCVT and DGT, there are numerous programmes offered by various institutions for VET Teacher preparation in India.
- Diploma courses in Vocational Education: DVE is normally a one-year program that offers pedagogical training for those who are interested in instructing vocational courses. This Diploma course is offered via distance-cum-contact learning by Pandit Sunderlal Sharma Central Institute of Vocational Education (PSSCIVE).
- Bachelor of Vocation (B.Voc.): In academic year 2020-21, University Grants Commission approved around 999 institutions offering this course under National Skill Qualifications Framework (NSQF). Universities like Savitribai Phule Pune University, SNDT University under the NSQF offer this three-year programme with specialization in Optometry, IT, Jewelry Designing & Gemology, Automative Automation, Renewable Energy and Retail Management. The Programme is offered in three level certification structure leading to one-year Diploma, two-year Advanced Diploma and three-year B.Voc. Degree.
- Craft Instructors Training Scheme: CITS is a two-year program for those who desire to teach in Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs). It concentrates on teaching applicants technical and pedagogical abilities. According to the official website of DGT, CITS is currently being delivered through a network of 14955 ITIs (Government 3248 + Private 11707) spread out over the nation, with a total of 2.66 million learners registered.
- B.Ed. (Specialization in Vocational Education): This programme is offered by one university named Mahatama Jyotibha Phule Rohilkhand University. Unfortunately, this course is nowhere considered as eligibility criteria specifically for the recruitment of VET teacher.
There are many incubation programmes and in-service teacher training programmes offered by PSS Central Institute of Vocational Education conducted for the VET Teacher of all the states and union territories. Particularly for Technical Teachers’ Training and improving quality of entire spectrum of Technical Education System, Ministry of Education, Government of India established four Regional Technical Teachers’ Training Institutes (now National Institute of Technical Teachers Training & Research, NITTTR at Bhopal, Chandigarh, Chennai and Kolkata in 1967.
Challenges and way forward
Although vocational education has made tremendous progress, there are still obstacles to be overcome. Some of them are described in the following paragraph.
It is important to help Indian people to change their mindsets and how society perceives vocational education. The NEP (2020) clearly states how society perceives vocational education as inferior to the mainstream education and is intended primarily for pupils who struggle to succeed in the latter. Traditional academic paths continue to be preferred by many parents and students therefore it is crucial to inform them of the advantages and potential of vocational education.
There are not enough programs in teacher education to prepare teachers for vocational education (Majumdar, 2008; Kaushik, 2014; Saini, 2015; Pilz & Gengaiah, 2019 and Kumar, 2021). There are currently almost no courses designed specifically for teaching vocational education at B.Ed. or D.Ed. colleges. Existing teachers will therefore be required to teach vocational topics for pupils in the grades 6 to with the help of field experts called as Resource Persons or Master Instructors. As a result, State Councils of Educational Research and Training will need to create guidelines for training these Resource Persons/Master Instructors, and District Institutes of Training and Education (DIETs) / Block Institutes of Education and Training (BITEs) will need to need to create the relevant modules (NCFSE, 2023).
Along with a paucity of qualified teachers, there is a lack of upgraded curricula for VET teachers. Teachers can contribute to national growth if teacher education programs are designed and updated to give them the flexibility to adapt quickly to new issues and challenges in the field of education (Sharma, 2018).
Lack of funding is a significant obstacle to the growth of VET and training teachers for VET in India. The vocational education system is currently highly centralized in terms of financial authority. It is important to decentralize the finances to the institutional level (Majumdar, 2008). Such financial independence will lead to better institutional resource utilization and timely input acquisition that is essential for carrying out various programs and activities.
It can be gauged from the above that there is an urgent need for clear cut guidelines for training VET teachers, both pre-service and in-service. Pedagogically trained VET teachers should be given due weightage in their recruitment process as a trained teacher can help developing skills and knowledge more efficiently. This will produce quality human resource which will contribute to the economic development of the nation.