07/02/2013
Need for Vocational Education in India
Skills and knowledge are the driving forces of economic growth and social development in any country. Globalization has propelled India’s economic growth. Infusion of capital, technology and know-how in every major sector like heavy industries, capital goods, telecom, automobiles, power, media and entertainment, has created a throbbing market place and set India on the road to becoming an economic world power. The competitive market environment has thrown up immense opportunities for India’s workforce, especially for skilled labour. According to some surveys, India is expected to become home to a workforce of 500 million by 2022. About 12 million persons are expected to join the workforce every year. But this pool of manpower needs to be adequately skilled and trained, to be able to grab the benefits of growth and participate fully in that growth. The required skills can be imparted only through proper vocational education and training.
Our current education system focuses more on conventional general education. The imperative, though, is to develop vocational skills in our youth by introducing vocational training alongside regular schooling or immediately after schooling. It is only vocational education and training that can help develop in them core competencies and enable them to confidently step into the competitive economic environment with an edge over others.
New avenues in the field of IT, Computers, Media & Entertainment have extended vocational education branches offering more choices to the young population. Vocational education not only develops skills for employment but also boosts self-employment opportunities for the youth.
