New possibilities in vocational learning

What is education if it does not equip a candidate with skills and what are skills if it’s not applied effectively? Vocational Education should not only provide first-hand instructions required to get off the ground, but also allow students to build their critical thinking skills required in real-world scenarios.

Surveys have found that the average unemployability across most educational domains is over 50% and the plunge in economy due to Covid-19 has only worsened the numbers. These numbers reflect the skill deficit paralysing the nation’s workforce.

There have been efforts in the country to address the problem of skill mismatch by connecting education with industry expectations.
The National Skills Qualification Framework (NSQF) aims to create a system where a student is not constrained by the choices he or she makes. NSQF provides integration of education and competency-based skill framework; enabling students to acquire desired skill levels through multiple entry and exit points between vocational education, general education and job markets. Still, this is just the beginning of a long journey.

Germany, UK and Australia have successful models of vocational education .

The German dual model is a combination of theory and training implemented in a real-work environment. This model is engrained in their education system which is driven by industry. These courses are generally two to three-year long where students split their time between learning a vocation and working in a company.

UK’s professional skills system — Technical & Vocational Education & Training — is an integrated model that allows students and workers to move seamlessly between vocational and academic pillars.

The Australian system - Vocational Education & Training (VET)- is underpinned by the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF), which is the national policy for regulated qualifications in Australia. The AQF combines qualifications from each education sector – schools, VET and higher education – into a single comprehensive framework.

Vocational education must be reprioritised in times of Covid-19 crisis. Initially, vocational subjects may not have many takers; even if they are made mandatory, it is not easy to make students feel positive about these subjects. It requires considerable efforts in exposing students to various occupations, technical skills and life skills that are needed to become employable. It is important to focus on quality, relevance and utility of what is being learned. By the time students reach high school, they should be able to decide whether they want to opt for formal education or vocational education. This will help them seamlessly transition from being a student to an employable professional.

(The author is COO, Learnet Skills)