Vocational Education and Training in India: Challenges and Critical Issues

Due to significant rates of demographic dividend, the bulk of India's population is comprised of the youth. Official estimates indicate that more than 54 per cent of India's population is below the age of 25 years. By 2030, India requires a substantial increase in the number of youth and adults who have relevant skills, including vocational and employability skills, in order to meet the social and industrial skill demands. Skill development in India is experiencing a transition from a supply-led to a demand-led system. The qualifications under the National Skills Qualification Framework are being aligned to globally recognized qualifications framework for ensuring quality and international workforce mobility. The key obstacles in the effective implementation of VET programmes in India include low social and aspirational value, lack of awareness of the importance of skill development, mismatch between the demand and supply of skills, uncertainty amongst youth in career choices due to lack of understanding about career prospects and job security, lack of curriculum that supports development of 21^st century skills, lack of linkages with industry for on-thejob training, internships and apprenticeship training and inadequate alignment of skill development with social, economic and sustainable development goals. The challenge, therefore, is to add value to general education through vocationalisation of education and to make vocational education aspirational for students. This paper examines some of these challenges and critical issues that need to be addressed for making VET more relevant to the skill needs of the people, the world of work and sustainable development.