Why Vocationalisation?

India is the youngest country in the world. World needs more than 500m skilled workforce for the 21st Century (already 13 years are over!).

Mass vocationlisation is a call of the hour. World is moving fast in this race, mainly China. But we are moving slow, reluctantly, no political will or determination, no robust policy. These are the main deterrents.

We do not have National Wage Policy though we have just released 6th Pay Commission (at the time of General Elections-2009 were due) to the Work Force in the organized sectors. Here we have clubbed several posts under 5th Pay Scale under one Pay Band with different Grade pay. This has almost arrested employee's 
vertical growth so to say on one hand and more salary expenses on organizations on the other. For example Associate Professor, Professor, and Principal are in the same pay band, de-motivating the faculty to aspire for growth! And, lo! initiative is taken by GOI on the eve of General Elections-2014 for the 7th Pay Commission.

Also Public Sectors have come out with Career Advancement Schemes (CAS) or Time Bound Promotion schemes (TBP). But these are hardly motivating the employees to perform better.

Though National Education Policy 1986 advocates de-linking degrees from job, it has never happened. Jobs are closely linked with paper degrees rather than performance on the job.

Before Macaulay model of 1835, we had Balutedar system (12 artisans or craftsman) that used to keep our villages self-supported, economically independent. We then connected these to castes systems and give them reservations!

We had excellent multi-purpose high schools 5 decades ago, and then came ITIs, etc., to meet the needs of vocationalisation. The major deterrents are the vocational courses are not market driven, that naturally does not assure earning lively-hood. In fact, all grads have social responsibility who are educated at subsidized costs and they need to pay fairly wrt skilled workers.

Hence:
- Introduce market driven flexible vocational quality programmes at almost no cost

- The compensation needs to be comparable with grads. I dream that at least a few workers should draw more take-home package than CEOs.

- Ensure employment market.

Some interesting data:

We have very few ITI's only 10,250.  We Train about 1.2 million people per year. But we have 40,000 colleges!!!

China has 500,000 VET Centers out of which 70% are in Rural China. They train 90 million people per year.

Small Switzerland has 6,000 VET Centers.

Indian mind set is wrapped....we have a fetish for a College Degree!! Data shows that many engineering graduates turn to clerk-posts in banking sector  getting a pay package around Rs. 15000 pm, MBAs turn to service sectors like House Keeping on a pay package Rs 14000 pm,…..

***** 8/7/2014 PHW