Anoop Verma
?ACCORDING to some analysts, the students trained in today’s vocational training institutes have similar or better employment opportunities as compared to most university graduates. India is currently home to vast and diverse vocational training opportunities. Unlike university or school education, vocational training seeks to prepare people for specific trades, crafts and careers at various levels from a trade, a craft, technician, or a professional position in engineering, accountancy, nursing, medicine, architecture, pharmacy, law, etc.
During the time of NDA government led by Shri Atal Behari Vajpayee, great emphasis was placed on vocational education.
This was a step in the right direction. As the labour market becomes more specialised and there is demand for more and more well trained people, the government and the private sector must invest heavily in the area of vocational education. The ITIs (Industrial Training Institutes), which come under the Directorate General of Employment & Training (DGET), Ministry of Labour & Employment, are the most popular vocational education centres in India. Large numbers of students get trained in these institutes. Normally a student who has passed the 10th standard is eligible for admission to ITIs. The objective of the institutes is to provide technical manpower to the industries.
However, many students are these days looking beyond the ITIs to improve their career prospects. Here are some vocational training ideas that you can explore:
Technical training
National Small Industries Corporation Ltd (NSIC) provides number of technical training centres, like ‘NSIC Technical Services Centres’ (NTSCs), across the country. These centres include training in Hi-Tech as well as conventional trades, testing, common facilities, toolkits, energy audit, environment management, etc. Here students can pursue courses in Mechanical/Electrical and Computer Courses. Once the course is complete, students can get jobs in number of industries in technical positions. NSIC also organises Entrepreneurship Orientation Training Programme for school students. The purported aim of the programme is to encourage entrepreneurship in the country.
Tool, die and mould making
There is lot of demand for professionals who are trained in areas related to tool, die and mould making. The Central Institute of Tool Design (CITD), Hyderabad, is considered to be a good institute in this area. Established in 1968 by the Government of India with the assistance of UNDP and ILO, CITD is a pioneering Institution in the field of Tool Engineering in the Country. CITD conducts several regular and part-time training programmes in the field of tool design and manufacture, low cost automation, mechatronics and computer aided design and computer aided manufacture for the benefit of national and international participants. It also conducts short-term courses, special purpose clinics in tool engineering, seminars, tailor-made programmes, in various disciplines for the benefit of working personnel.
The Institute for Design of Electrical Measuring Instruments, Mumbai, is also a good option for students looking for technical vocational training. The courses being offered here are in the areas of information technology, tool design and much else.
Opportunities in fashion industry
Today India is home to a vast and diverse fashion industry. Institutions like National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) have gone beyond pure vocational education and have emerged as full-fledged professional colleges offering Master’s programmes in design, fashion, technology, etc. NIFT Delhi has produced a number of eminent alumni over the years like Rohit Bal, Ritu Beri, Manish Arora and many others. Leading national and international apparel companies vie with each other to recruit NIFT professionals. The institute offers large number of Bachelor and Masters programmes, which are designed to meet the needs of students from different sectors. The education structure at NIFT emphasises hands-on experience through practical set-ups and state-of-the-art technology.
The Central Footwear Training Institute, Agra and Chennai, is also a good option for students who are interested in footwear technologies. The institution is fully equipped with state-of-the art machinery to impart training in the modern methods of footwear manufacturing. Currently the institute is offering, a ‘Two Year Diploma Course in Footwear Design & Production’ for 10+2 candidates. There is option for a ‘One Year Post Graduate Diploma in Footwear Technology’ for graduates of any discipline. Diploma holders in any discipline can go in for ‘One Year Post Diploma in Footwear Technology’. Those who are 10th pass or fail can opt for the ‘One Year Certificate Course in Footwear Technology’. The candidates passing out of this institution are well accepted by the industry.
Construction industry
The construction industry in the country is growing at a rapid pace. The National Academy of Construction (NAC) in Hyderabad is today training more than one lakh professional in the area of construction every year. The institute offers several long term and short term courses. The primary objective of the NAC is to produce competent human resource in three areas of construction industry:
* Primary level: Mason, Bar-Bender, Form Work Carpenter, Plumber, Painter, Electrician, Welder, Operator Excavating Machinery, etc.
* Middle level: General Works Supervisor, Land Surveyor, Store Keeper, Architectural Assistant.
* Higher level: In-service engineers from government departments, major contracting firms, consultancy firms and practicing engineers.
The 750 members in the in-house faculty of NAC are well exposed to construction projects and hence they are able to acquaint the students with the industry’s realities. Very often students who are seeking employment look down the construction industry; so one of the objectives of the NAC is to make such jobs attractive, by providing all kinds of high-tech training and ensuring that the students who pass out are trained enough to be absorbed by the big industry players.
All cities and towns in the country are home to quite a few vocational training institutions. Not all of these institutions are worthy, so you have to do your research on the institution and also on the area in which you want to seek employment before you join.
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