School level educational reforms in India have made skills and vocational subjects a high priority. Whether it is CBSE, with composite skill labs or few state governments designing their curriculum, the mandate is clear. Vocational subjects cannot remain either optional or exclusive for government schools.
Let’s look back, think and act:
- Why is access to vocational subjects limited by restricting them to government schools?
- How do we overcome this bias and promote holistic learning that prepares students for life and the real world of work?
Why industry exposure must begin at school
Early employment could definitely help students who need to work. However, irrespective of the social status of a school, students have a lot to gain when they get introduced to various industry specific skills.
And the best way to introduce students to job-specific skills is to engage with the industry early on! Moreover, industry exposure and participation need not always be through large and medium enterprises located in big cities and towns.
How do we create new opportunities so that industry participation is integrated in the school curriculum?
It could be a small enterprise, a medium enterprise or any local industry that’s easily accessible to the school. A representative of the industry could be a hospital, a grocery store, an electronics showroom, manufacturing units, a small restaurant, food processing unit, farms, agriculture, horticulture, fisheries; with people working there following certain processes, creating a certain output.
When students get a first-hand experience of how work gets done, how people work together, what is the value we are creating through this kind of work, it ignites a very different kind of curiosity at an impressionable age.
To support such early exposure and practical learning in schools, SkillTech Studio offers curated insights and tools tailored for hands-on education.
Moving Beyond the ‘Academic vs Skills’ Divide
How do we achieve this? The new narrative has to go beyond the facts that polarize ‘academic’ versus ‘skills’ and reinforce existing stereotypes:
- Often conversations about industry-academia partnerships are focused on higher educational institutions, mostly engineering colleges seeking job placements. Today, industry engagement with schools, especially at the secondary and higher secondary levels is most essential.
- When it comes to creating awareness among the parents; the awareness is often limited to the industries sectors, the names of the companies, the pay package and also to some extent career growth opportunities in that particular sector.
- Most parents are yet to understand the need for children to acquire job-oriented skills and to become familiar with the rapidly changing world of work at a young age. This helps them decide their careers and realise their dreams. It doesn’t mean that they need to join the workforce immediately.
- At present, in schools where vocational subjects or NSQF curriculum is being implemented, the industry is usually represented through third-party training providers who work closely with schools to offer these courses.
- School teachers and vocational trainers, without exposure to the industry, rely on theoretical knowledge and miss out on the benefits of practical learning.
Reimagining vocational education in schools: Aligning NEP 2020 and NCF
To make this vision of industry engagement in schools a reality, we must align it with the evolving policy framework. The reforms introduced under NEP 2020 and the National Curriculum Framework (NCF) 2023 provide a strong foundation for embedding skills and vocational learning at every stage of school education.
The post-NEP 2020 developments in school education, especially at the high school and senior secondary levels, signal a decisive shift towards skill sensitization and practical learning. The key focus areas include:
- Building awareness around the application of knowledge across industry domains
- Helping students explore diverse career options and higher education pathways
- Encouraging learning through hands-on experiences, choice-based modules, and multidisciplinary approaches
The National Curriculum Framework for School Education (NCF 2023) further strengthens this shift by defining clear outcomes for vocational education. It proposes that students be introduced to three broad forms of work:
- Working with life forms (e.g., agriculture, environment, healthcare)
- Working with machines and materials (e.g., manufacturing, construction, electronics)
Working in human services (e.g., hospitality, education, social work)
Three progressive stages of vocational exposure and learning
NCF Chapter 9 outlines three progressive levels at which vocational exposure and learning should be introduced:
1. Foundational and preparatory stages (Pre-vocational)
- At the early grades, children develop multiple capacities through play-based and experiential learning, which later support vocational learning.
- Pre-vocational skills are integrated within subjects like The World Around Us to lay the groundwork.
2. Middle stage
- Students are exposed to a wide variety of work contexts and skillsets, helping them identify interests and capabilities.
- The goal is to build awareness and equip them with foundational skills relevant to different occupations.
3. Secondary stage
- At this stage, students begin focusing on skill development in specific vocational areas of their interest.
- This prepares them for employment, entrepreneurship, or further education, allowing them to contribute meaningfully to the economy.
To further strengthen our approach, it helps to learn from global best practices. Many countries have successfully integrated vocational education into their school systems, creating strong pathways from education to employment. Here’s how India compares with some of these international models.
Also read: Skill-based education in Indian school boards: A quick guide
Best practices in school-level vocational education at global scale
While countries like Germany, Switzerland, Singapore, and South Korea are often praised for their robust vocational and work-integrated learning systems, a closer look at several global models offers valuable insights into how early industry exposure is embedded within school education.
As per the CII Comparative Study of School Education Systems, there is an urgent need to build strong industry-school linkages in India to make education more relevant and skill-oriented. The report recommends early exposure to vocational learning and collaboration with local industries to support hands-on training, curriculum upgrades, and teacher development, drawing inspiration from global best practices.
- India: Vocational education begins as early as Grade 6 under the Samagra Shiksha scheme. From Grades 9 to 12, students are offered NSQF-compliant vocational courses, equipping them with foundational industry-relevant skills.
- China: Vocational education is introduced at the upper secondary level (Grades 10–12), where students can choose between academic and vocational streams. The focus is on technical competencies aligned with evolving industrial demands.
- Australia: Vocational Education and Training (VET) is integrated into secondary education, particularly in Grades 11 and 12, preparing students with both academic and practical job-ready skills.
- United Kingdom (UK): Starting at age 14 (Key Stage 4), students can pursue vocational education through GCSEs and BTEC qualifications. These programs blend academic learning with practical, industry-focused training.
- United States of America (USA): Known as Career and Technical Education (CTE), vocational programs are available from Grade 9 (ages 14–18). These courses combine academic content with career-specific instruction across diverse sectors.
These examples bringing an international perspective highlight a common thread, which is, early and consistent integration of industry-relevant learning in school curriculum. So, India’s evolving policy landscape is already moving in this direction, and now the next crucial step is fostering structured industry-school partnerships to turn this vision into reality.
How industry-school engagement can take shape
Industry-school engagement can include formal and informal ways of associating with school leadership and faculty and contributing to the holistic development of students.
Curriculum and pedagogy: Industry experts can collaborate with schools in designing innovative courses and suggesting changes in pedagogy to integrate with hands-on learning. For example, if the schools are using an NSQF aligned curriculum, they can get more inputs and latest development from the industry professionals to interpret the curriculum and implement in schools.
Championing work based learning: A range of activities in collaboration with the industry can create a positive impression on the students. This includes, lecture-demonstrations, industry visits, short term apprenticeships, internships and assignments that lead to project based learning.
Mentoring students and teachers: Most often teachers who need to teach vocational subjects lack real working experience and they end up teaching these subjects like the traditional ones. Short projects with the industry under the guidance of experts can help them appreciate the skills and competencies and convey the value of practical skills to the students.
Tools, technology and resources: Technology-enablement of enterprises in various industry sectors necessitates an early exposure to the teachers and students. To get trained in the latest tools and techniques industry can offer access to modern tools and facilities that schools may not be able to afford on their own.
Career fairs and networking events: These events familiarise the students with emerging job roles and create opportunities to explore their dream career, what it entails and what could be the challenges. When parents are invited to such events, they also get exposed to the latest developments in different fields, how the nature of work is changing and how they can contribute to their children’s career choices.
Towards a collaborative future in school education
As India reimagines school education under NEP 2020 and NCF 2023, the opportunity to embed vocational learning meaningfully from the early years has never been stronger. Industry engagement shouldn’t be viewed as an add-on, but as a vital pillar in shaping future-ready citizens.
From small enterprises to large industries, every stakeholder has a role to play by sharing expertise, offering real-world exposure, and inspiring students to see value in every form of work. Ultimately, preparing our youth for life and not just jobs requires schools and industries to co-create learning journeys where curiosity meets capability, and education connects seamlessly with the world of work.
References:
- CII Comparative Study of School Education Systems: India, Australia, China, Indonesia, Sweden, Thailand, UK and USA, 2024
- National Education Policy 2020 – Government of India
- National Curriculum Framework for School Education 2023
