A recent study by NASSCOM has disclosed that only 25 per cent of engineering graduates in the country are employable. There’s more. Only 10 per cent of graduates are employable. Only 33 per cent are employable even after training. More than 25 per cent don’t know English well enough to understand the curriculum. Around 50 per cent have the grammar skills of a Class VII student.
Such startling facts have only furthered the need to provide vocational education and training to students. A crucial shortage that is found in our graduates is the skill of employability, which involves soft skills and on-the-job experience. Our in-the-laboratory education system makes it difficult for students to venture outside to see how the industry actually works. This is where vocational training provider TeamLease and its subsidiary Indian Institute of Job Training come into the picture. TL-IIJT operates in four domains — finance, information technology, retail and sales marketing and job skills. Edex chats with Davuluri P, senior vice-president, head, academics and Enterprise Learning Solutions (ELS), a division of TeamLease-IIJT. “As head of academics, my key activities are product design, development of curriculum, development of various trainer and student tools for teaching and learning, working with the academic council to periodically review curriculum and its industry relevance, faculty development by way of continuous train-the-trainer programmes and assessments of trainers,” he says.
The vocational education (VE) system in the country has expanded significantly in the backdrop of a parallel growth in industry and opportunities. The Union Ministry of HRD funds the Vocational Educational system. According to the India Labour Report 2012 by TeamLease-IIJT, 9,619 schools offer 150 vocational courses of two-year duration in broad areas of primary, secondary, and tertiary sectors of the economy. In addition, National Institute of Open Schooling also imparts VE in 80 courses. Total enrolment in VE courses of all these schools is roughly six lakh. The formal School system alone is to offer VE through 6,800 schools with an enrolment capacity of nearly 9.8 lakh. Still, vocational education is yet to become mainstream. “It’s about where general education meets vocational education. The former is more concentrated on classroom lectures, study material, reference books, etc. for broader fundamental knowledge. The latter is more on ‘hands-on’ learning process, which is focused on acquiring job-oriented/related skills as well as knowledge,” he says.
Davuluri adds, “We are in the process of setting up a university exclusively for vocational education in Gujarat. TeamLease University will set-up a large campus in Gujarat along with 22 community colleges in the state.” In the India Labour Report, TeamLease-IIJT has recommended flexibility in entry and exit points for students, changes in curricular approach and more modes of delivery among others.
Devuluri’s key expertise lies in product design and development, technology adoption for processes, learning operations, building corporate alliances and quality delivery of training solutions. “My career spanning over 23 years has been at various levels in education and training industry in India. I played a key role in building organisations with an in-depth understanding and insight in academics, operations and enterprise learning,” he says.
The National Vocational Education Qualifications Framework (NVEQF), a programme by the central government, seeks to introduce vocational training from high school. “NVEQF will provide a nationally recognised qualification system when it is fully implemented across institutions, which is a good initiative,” he says.
Davuluri also works closely with the government of Karnataka on several initiatives. “To give an example, we are running one of the first private employment exchange in India in public-private partnership (PPP) with Karnataka government,” he says.
The India Labour Report 2012 breaks down the vocational education scenario to highlight the progress and targets in different sectors. About the report, Davuluri says the policy initiatives are required to boost vocational education in the country and to set up new kinds of institutions. “We need institutions that have comprehensive skill education (CSE) as its educational purpose. It is wise to consider international initiatives while deciding the form of institution required for India in its march towards 30 per cent gross enrollment ratio (GER).”
— bharath@newindianexpress.com