Career Colleges and Vocational Schools in India

In its 60+ year history of independence from Great Britain, the country of India has made many attempts to reform its vocational education system and make it more relevant to the current Indian economy.  The first major step in this process occurred in 1956, at which time the central government of India set up a vocational education advisory board, the National Council for Vocational Training (NCVT).  The NCVT is chaired by the Ministry of Labor at India’s national level, and its members derive from various departments within the state and central government, worker’s organizations, the “All India Council for Technical Education,” and several other local groups.  State councils, acting as branches of the NCVT, have also been formed to assist with functions at the local level, including program development and implementation at vocational institutes.
 
The main objective of the National Council for Vocational Training is to establish career-focused programs and award certification to students in various occupational fields important to the Indian economy, including engineering, building, textiles, and leather trades.  The council works with the state committees and the faculty of each vocational institution to develop standards with respect to course materials and equipment, and decides the duration of each program being offered.  Finally, the NCVT is responsible for the development and administration of proficiency examinations leading to the National Trade Certificate.
 
Under the current system of vocational training in India, education and training is imparted via two main bodies:  Public Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) and Private Owned Industrial Training Centers (ITCs).  Both types are regulated and accredited at the national level, although the private institutions have more autonomy in terms of tuition rates and personnel.
 
Education at each of these two types of training institutes is provided in formal schemes created by the NCVT that lead to certification in a number of occupations.  Examples of these schemes include the Craftsmen Training Scheme and the Apprenticeship Training Scheme.  According to the Ministry of Labor there are currently over 5100 Industrial Training Institutes in India, offering education and training in 57 engineering fields and 50 non-engineering fields.  Of these 5100 institutions, nearly 1900 are run by the state government, with the remainder maintained and operated by private entities.
 
While ITIs and ITCs typically represent the highest level of vocational training in India, vocational and career education can begin as early as secondary school for some students.  In India, students are required to attend primary and junior secondary schools between the ages of 6 and 15, at which time they have two options for furthering their education if they so choose:  general upper secondary school, usually leading to university admission; and vocational upper secondary school, with education that helps prepare them to enter the workforce upon graduation or continue their vocational training at one of the tertiary institutions.  This educational structure is appropriately named the 10 + 2 system, representing 10 years of compulsory education, followed by 2 years of optional education or career training at the upper secondary level.
 
While access to career and vocational education is improving each year in India, sadly, only about 30 percent of India’s students currently pursue education at the upper secondary level.  Because of these statistics, coupled with the increased need for qualified workers, the Indian government is currently undergoing talks regarding the extension of compulsory education to include the upper secondary school levels, thus making it required for students to attend school until they are 18 years of age.