Vocational training is used to prepare for a certain trade or craft. Decades ago, it used to refer solely to such fields are welding and automotive service, but today it can range from hand trades to retail to tourism management. Vocational training is education only in the type of trade a person wants to pursue, forgoing traditional academics.
Vocational training can be described as a training that emphasizes knowledge and skills needed for a specific trade, craft or job function. Earlier, this training was confined to certain trades like welding, automotive services and carpentry but the horizon of vocational training has expanded with the evolution of time.
Vocational Education or skill based education are same thing for which the demand has accelerated due to shortage of skilled labour in India. Vocational education aims to enhance skills of the students that help them to grow beyond basic education and learn some real life skills at the time of their learning period. At present, companies are starting to understand changing need of work in this competitive environment and aim at hiring specialists or skill based employees for better future.
The market is witnessing the use of several advanced technologies for content creation and delivery methods, which in turn enables efficient collaboration among trainers and learners. With the high penetration of the Internet, students are availing various online training methods like mobile learning, gamification, and blended learning. Many training solution providers are also developing mobile applications that can be used for self-paced learning. Also, vendors are making use of simulations and online collaboration tools to deliver vocational skilling courses to students through e-learning platforms.
Vocational training provides the trade specific skills that are imparted at different levels, such as- secondary level, senior secondary level and the higher education level (post school). The main objective of vocational training is to fill in the gap between the demand for skilled manpower and the actual number of skilled manpower in the country. The vocational training market in India has been rapidly growing in the past few years driven by the Government initiatives with respect to skill development and the increase in the public as well as private investments in education.
Since the ushering in of liberalization, capacity in the education sector has largely been expanded in the higher education, resulting in marginally improved literacy levels, although the exercise has not made a significant impact on employability. If the current momentum continues, there will soon be a shift towards higher levels of education. A large part of the employable and willing population is likely to be engaged in skill-intensive areas Vocational training is by far the most pressing area. The biggest challenge for the for-profit vocational education and training sector is making Indian youth employable and productive.
