Efforts to increase enrolment of students in vocational education

Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) is implementing various programmes and schemes such as Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY), Jan Shikshan Sansthans (JSSs), National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme (NAPS), training through Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs), and Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Kendras (PMKKs) and Skill Training Centres through centres.

Vocationalisation of School Education

The Department of School Education and Literacy, Ministry of Education is implementing Vocationalisation of School Education under the ‘Samagra Shiksha’ – an integrated scheme for school education. This scheme aims at including vocational education with general academic education in the curriculum of all the Secondary and Senior Secondary schools.

In order to set up vocational infrastructure, the scheme is setting up vocational labs in schools with the tools and equipment required to impart vocational skills. Hub and Spoke model has been introduced for the utilization of the vocational infrastructure available in the hub schools for providing vocational education to students of nearby spoke schools.

Efforts to increase enrolment of students in vocational education

In order to increase the enrolment of students in vocational education, efforts have been made by arranging hands-on training, field visits, on-the-job training for students in industrial set-up, and by bringing in guest lecturers from the industry.

With digital courses and blended models of learning, it has become possible to add many other courses. Industrial Training Institute (ITI) courses and Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY) courses and skills courses that are being run by other Ministries, State Governments, and Corporates are seeing good enrolments.

Apprenticeship opportunities through vocational education

Vocational pass-outs can opt for apprenticeship training or higher education through the knowledge gained by hands-on learning imparted by the industries such as National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC), Sector Skill Councils (SSCs), etc.

Enrolments in vocational education

According to a few reports, the enrolment in vocational education has increased to 15.63 lakh in 2015-16. 1,622 new schools have been approved for vocational education for the year 2021-22 under the Samagra Shiksha scheme for implementing the scheme to 14,435 schools.

The corporate sector is collaborating in skill courses with the help of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) funding of workshops in many ITIs, in engaging apprentices, and by collaborating with many PMKVY and SANKALP special projects.

This information was given by the Minister of State for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, Shri Rajeev Chandrasekhar in a written reply in the Lok Sabha today.