From Human Resource To Human Capital

Vocational Education may have taken its time to enter the common parlance, but it has been around for many years, in the form of apprenticeship, trade schools and community colleges. It was not until late 1980s that governments around the globe started stressing on the need for education to prepare the individuals to obtain and retain jobs and contribute to the workforce. To prepare students effectively, schools needed to offer specialised training, practical-based learning and hands-on experience, some of which could not be fulfilled by the mainstream curriculum.

The gap between theoretical learning and practical training ushered in a need to structure and formalise vocational education. Vocational education programmes were designed to skill, upskill and reskill the workforce in line with industry needs, making it more closely linked to economic outcomes than mainstream education and therefore, more effective in increasing workforce participation.

Gradually, from the development and implementation of vocational education programmes at post-secondary and higher education levels, to the recognition of vocational education as a part of Sustainable Development Goal 4 by the United Nations, vocational education became a key economic and social objective for governments world over. Over the years, India has also succeeded in emphasising on the importance of vocational education in policy, however, we have not seen similar success in practice. Despite the policy push to vocationalise education, vocational choices are still seen as sub-par to mainstream courses. Additionally, due to lack of awareness and discomfort in mobility, most students either do not opt for vocational training, or if they do, they receive the training outside the system. The lower level of engagement in vocational education programmes is one of the primary factors in the gap between skill demand by the industry and skill availability in the workforce.

To reduce this skill gap, we need to reduce the gap between “learning spaces” and “work spaces”. We need a system where skill-based training is integrated within the mainstream curriculum, from high school to graduation. By giving students access and exposure to vocational subjects at an early stage, we create a system that offers higher levels of practical-based learning, deeper specialisation and greater freedom of choice over career trajectories. Such a system not only aligns with the needs of the industry, but also increases the alternatives available to students. Vocational programmes also create a space of continuous learning and upskilling opportunities available to the students and have had great success in accommodating socio- economic diversity, by increasing flexibility in learning through tailor-made curricula and instruction, which suits the varied regional contexts and employment trends.

Therefore, the goal extends beyond integrating vocational education in mainstream curriculum, to learning from its successes in increasing workforce participation outcomes, inclusively and sustainably.

The ongoing pandemic, along with testing our resilience as human beings, has also tested the agility of our systems. Within a year, the conventional classroom had to adapt and evolve into an online and remote one, and students, teachers and trainers had to adjust to newer ways of teaching and learning. Furthermore, numerous schools have recognised the need to broaden their curriculum, and have started offering courses on “new age skills” to prepare the students for the next generation of jobs.

The trend indicates an increased emphasis is being given to relevant, practical and objective-oriented learning which aligns with the skill demands of the industry. To capitalise on this dividend, we need a strong vocational education system, which can be both, the tipping point and the way forward. 

To know more, download LabourNet’s latest report in collaboration with The Rasich Group (TRG) and SAHI.ai, "FROM HUMAN RESOURCE TO HUMAN CAPITAL - VOCATIONAL EDUCATION IN INDIAN SCHOOLS", here: https://loom.ly/SF4Szno