Vocational courses: Job-ready in a jiffy

CAREER OPTIONS

When Narendra Bairwa was pursuing his graduation, he was unsure whether a mere 'degree' would fetch him a job. He then decided to do something 'more' so that his job prospect would look bright. As he was still deciding on what to do, he happened to attend a skill school trainer presentation at a Panchayat meeting in Rajasthan. That was when he opted for the sales and marketing vocational course.

Though apprehensive about job opportunities after the vocational course, he decided to give it a shot. "When I was thinking of pursuing a vocational course, I was under the impression that it would be the same old routine - classroom and all talk on job skills. But I was wrong. We were taught many new things, including personality development, which also involved how to speak and carry oneself,'' said this 20-something, as a matter of fact. 

With these newly acquired skills, Narendra landed a job as a sales executive in the Future Group (Big Bazaar, Jaipur). Luckily, his present employer offers company-sponsored MBA to select good performers. “I aspire to benefit from this programme and reach a managerial position someday,'” he added.

Personality development and soft skills apart, students like Saurabh Rai prefer them mainly for their short duration. This 22-year-old BBM graduate from Lucknow wanted to get some experience in the industry before pursuing his MBA. “Since the vocational course in retailing is only for three months, I decided to pursue it first. After MBA, I can apply for a senior position,” he said.

Eligibility criteria like education and age are the other reasons for students to opt for vocational courses. The main objective of skill schools is to bridge the gap between industry and academia.

“There has been a lack of work-relevant education for the youth, which can help them get a job and be successful at it. This has resulted in them taking up educational courses that do not immediately enhance their employability or open up any job prospects. Vocational skills training will empower this unskilled pool of youth with better future and career prospects,” said Hari Menon, CEO, IndiaSkills.

This skill school is a joint venture in vocational training between Manipal Education and City and Guilds, one of the providers of work-related qualifications, assessment and certification.

According to several skill schools, some of the most sought-after vocational courses are: retail, banking financial services and insurance (BFSI), infotech, automobile, hair and beauty care, hospitality, sales and electrical.

“Given the consumption-fuelled growth in the Indian economy, there are a lot of industries and functions that are emerging as hot sectors for vocational courses,” said Ashish Prasad, CEO and director, Indian Institute of Job Training (IIJT). IIJT and Teamlease, a leading staffing company that provides a range of temporary and permanent manpower solutions, have joined hands with the Karnataka Government to create the Karnataka Employment Centre (KEC).

Terming retailing as the key contributor to the country’s GDP, he said that transition from unorganised to organised retail was now picking up with key Indian majors and international giants. “Sales associates, customer service representatives, store managers — these are some of the positions available in this sector. Active listening, effective communication, good interpersonal skills and sensitivity to customer needs are the basic elements required for these roles,” he explained.

Another course that is slowly catching up is IT. With India catching its attention worldwide, there is a huge demand for IT which provides positions such as data warehousing, technology support, e-commerce and website designing.

Eligibility criteria is very course-specific. For instance, Career Launcher admits a Class 5 pass student for a course in diesel engine repairing whereas graduation is the minimum eligibility criteria for a course in sales program for a bank officer. At IndiaSkills, the eligibility criteria for most courses is Class 10 or 12 while for some courses in auto and construction, it is Class 8.

At IIJT too, eligibility criteria is course related. However, they conduct entry and exit gate assessments for every student. An aptitude test will be given to them to establish their strengths and core skills. The institute utilises these results to counsel students and advise them on the course best suited for them. Generally, candidates who pursue these courses are aged between 18 and 35 years.

Job opportunities available for these students are aplenty. “Opportunities are mostly at entry level in the chosen sectors. Depending upon the course, opportunities vary. They can take up jobs as direct sales executives, front office, stewards, cashiers, office assistants, assistant mechanics/ helpers, etc. If possible, they can also start their own enterprise like a small workshop or a shop,” said Sachin Dubey, vice president - vocational, Career Launcher. 

According to him, candidates doing a course in hospitality get placed in hotels or fast food chains. “Trades like diesel engine repair, AC repair and basic electricals typically see candidates placed in workshops of reputed companies like Bajaj, Havells and Maruti. Similarly, candidates from retail or sales and marketing course are placed as sales persons in organisations like Airtel, Big Bazar,” he added. 

A typical fresher salary offered ranges anywhere from Rs 3,000 to Rs 12,000, depending upon the course, the candidate and the company.

According to the management of skill schools, the demand for vocational courses started only recently.

“This demand too is mostly being driven by the government’s renewed interest in promoting vocational education. Short duration vocational courses are attractive because they lead to tangible benefits very quickly. Most vocational initiatives, at present, are targeted at the huge number of school dropouts in our country.

Vocational education, combined with personality development and soft skills, lead to higher confidence levels among the candidates,” said Sachin Dubey.

Hari Menon added, “Countries like UK, Korea and Chile have used the vocational training sector to provide employment. It is high time this form of job-centred and skills-based vocational education is tapped by the Indian society to unleash the productive power of youth.”

Where to study

Maharani Lakshmi Ammanni College for women offers job-oriented courses for women to take up employment in various areas. Students who have passed SSLC/ PUC and housewives can pursue them. Categorised under self-finance, the courses offered are:

*Diploma in Fashion Technology, offered in association with the Indian Institute of Fashion Technology. Course duration - 6 months; fees - Rs 5,000.

*Diploma in Interior Designing. Course duration - 1 year; fees - Rs 18,500.

*Beautician Course: Course duration: 1-6 months; fees -  Rs 1, 500 (one month) and Rs 8,000 (six months).

*Airline training:  Course duration - 25 hrs; fees - Rs 1,000.