BHUBANESWAR: The Higher Education Department is contemplating to shift Vocational Education to Skill Development & Technical Education Department.
With most of the Government Junior Vocational Colleges (GJVCs) lacking adequate infrastructure for skill development training, the Department wants to shift the stream to the Skill Development & Technical Education Department, which has ITIs and polytechnics to train students.
The Higher Education Department had last year introduced 12 new vocational trades which include Tourism and Travel Technique, Fashion Technology, Office Management, Banking, Sericulture, Horticulture, Automobile Technology, Electrical Domestic Appliances, Information Technology and Paramedical Health Care. At present, there are 231 GJVCs in Odisha with each offering at least two trades. Every college has a student enrolment of 48-24 in each trade.
Sources in the Directorate of Vocational Education said though theory classes for vocational subjects are being conducted in the desired manner, most of the GJVCs do not have proper laboratories which hampers practical training. The vocational colleges do not have buildings of their own and are located on the premises of parent Plus Two colleges. As a result, the students are deprived of quality practical training.
Last year, the Department had allowed the GJVCs to conduct practical training for vocational subjects at ITIs, polytechnics, diploma institutions besides banks and mobile service centres as per the subjects. This year too, the same arrangement will be followed.
Director of Vocational Education Roshanara Begum said talks are on to shift vocational education to Skill Development & Technical Education Department for better functioning of the training component. “Since ITIs, polytechnics and skill development centres under Technical Education Department have properly equipped labs, vocational students can be given practical lessons there,” she said.
Interestingly, Odisha happens to be one among the few States that have vocational education under Higher Education Department. Elsewhere, the stream has already been integrated with Technical Education Department.
Meanwhile, the annual Plus Two examination for Vocation stream will begin from March 18 and continue till March 29.