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Employability and Education in National

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 6
Employability and Education in
National Education Policy 2020
Shahla Shabeeh Shaheen* & Nida Waris **
*Department of Education, Aligarh Muslim University,
Email: shahla15august@gmail.com
** Department of Education, Aligarh Muslim University,
Email: nida989fatima@gmail.com

Abstract: Since education leads to economic and social change, a well-

defined and futuristic education policy is important for a country at
school and college levels. By considering tradition and culture, different
countries adopt different education systems and different stages during
their life cycle at the level of school and college education to make
it successful. Recently Government of India announced its National
Education Policy 2020 which is based on the recommendations by an
expert committee headed by Dr. Kasturirangan, former chairman of
the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO). This paper highlights
the present status of vocational education system in India and gives
an overview of the recommendations of the National Education Policy
2020 regarding vocational education. Finally, some suggestions are
proposed for its effective implementation towards achieving its
objectives.
Keywords: Employment, Vocational, Education, National Educa­tion
Policy

Introduction
In the process of transferring knowledge and skills from one
generation to another, human society has evolved over the
years. Through cumulative experiences, the humans have learnt
to face and modulate natural phenomena and adjustment in
100 Employability Skills and Competencies of working Professionals

natural surroundings. Since the initiation of human endeavours,

transmission of skills from one person to another is in practice.
So, this age-old practice of transferring skills from the experts of
the community to the youth has transformed into apprenticeship,
which forms the base of vocational education.
Since the advancement of science and technology is taking
place, the area under the vocational field has also broadened.
Now the vocational education has become fully structured and it
is delivered in a phased manner.

What is Vocational education?

Vocational Education and Training (VET) readies people in
different skills, crafts or trades which in turn can be used by
them in earning their livelihood. It can also be referred as
technical education because the trainee not only gets trained in a
skill but also learns the technicalities behind that particular skill.
The term vocational education is general and includes every
form of education that aims to the acquirement of qualifications
related to a certain profession, art or employment or that
provides the necessary training and the appropriate skills as
well as technical knowledge, so that students are able to exercise
a profession, art or activity, independently of their age and
their training level, even if the training program contains also
elements of general education (Kotsikis, 2007).

Need of Vocational Education

In the present scenario, the importance of vocational and skill-
based education is increasing rapidly because the employers
today prefer workers who have practical knowledge of the skills
required for the specific profession along with the theoretical
wisdom. For the students, who come from financially unstable
background and want to support their families after the end
of their school education, vocational education can be proved
extremely helpful.
Vocational courses are more practical in nature than academic
degrees. If you are determined about the choice of your career
and its requirements, then it’s vital to have vocational learning.
It may be hospitality and tourism, software development,
management of retail and production, or interior designing. The
Employability and Education in National Education Policy 2020 101

candidates who possess an additional certificate of some kind

of practical training course along with the main degree are
preferred by the employers.
Individuals who are trained in some kind of vocation, become
self-reliant and are able to help their families financially as
well. The society, on the other hand, profits from getting people
who are highly educated. Its members receive quality products
and quality services from those people who are educated. This
increases the overall quality of life of the individuals, adding to
the community’s stability and growth.

Review of related literature

Vocational education has gained much prominence with the
implementation of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020,
which deals with the renovation of VET. The prior commissions
also planned to focus on incorporating vocational education
into mainstream education (Raman & Majumdar, 2020).The
analyzation of recommendations of different commissions
brings out the fact that vocational education has been the most
talked about component of education since long time. A number
of commissions and committees set up by the Government of
India before and after independence have recommended various
reforms and improvements in the general education system and
the vocational education and training system in particular.
Wood’s Despatch (1854) laid much emphasis on providing
practical education to Indians which may help them to contribute
in national development.
The Hunter Commission (Indian Education Commission-1882)
studied the plight of secondary education and suggested that
there should be two routes in the upper classes of high schools,
one taking the students to university entrance exams and the
other of a more practical nature, preparing students for the work-
related fields.
The Hartog Review Committee (1929) suggested that more
students should be diverted to work-related careers at the end
of upper primary stage to deal with the problem of wastage and
stagnation. A number of substitute courses were proposed for the
development of appropriate training in technical and industrial
schools.
102 Employability Skills and Competencies of working Professionals

The Wood-Abbot Advisory Committee (1936) proposed a

hierarchical structure of vocational institutions parallel to
institutions providing general education with the aim to develop
new type of technical institutions termed as ‘Polytechnics.’
Wardha Scheme/Basic Education (1937) led by Mahatma
Gandhi emphasized on manual and productive work.
The Sargent Report (1944) proposed the introduction of two
streams out of which one was purely academic in nature and
the other one was of technical characteristic in which practical
skills were to be taught to the students. Its aim was to merge the
general education with some career preparations that students
may pursue after leaving schools.
The Secondary Education Commission/Mudaliar Commission
(1952-53) suggested the concept of multipurpose schools. It put
forward an 11-year school education pattern. It further proposed
diversification by offering training in different crafts/vocations
after eight years of schooling. The commission thought that a
student must know any vocation after 8 years of schooling. Based
on the recommendations of Secondary Education Commission a
series of multipurpose schools were opened all over the country
(Shrivastava, n.d.).
Kothari Commission (1964-66) proposed that the education
should be restructured into a standardized education pattern
called the 10+2+3 pattern throughout the country, suggesting 10
years of general undifferentiated education for all, with a +2-level
comprising of academic and vocational streams. Work Experience
Program (WEP) was of prime concern in general education till
upper primary level (Classes 1 to 8) and the Vocationalization
of Education Program (VEP) at the secondary school level.
Based on the findings that only 50 per cent of students at the
+2 level only go to higher education and the remainder exit the
education system without any productive skills, the Commission
recommended that 50 per cent of students at the +2 level should
be diverted to vocational education.
National Policy on Education (1968) recommended the provision
to cover all aspects of vocational education through a variety of
technical and professional courses such as home management,
engineering, agriculture, trade and commerce, arts and crafts
etc.
Employability and Education in National Education Policy 2020 103

The Central Advisory Board of Education (CABE) agreed to the

recommendations of NPE (1968) and accepted to follow 10+2+3
system of education. It also suggested that +2 stage should not only
prepare students for college but work as a time for the training
of a growing number of school leavers for practical skills which
can be used later in life. CABE deputed the task of preparing
curricula and aiding state governments in implementation of the
program of vocational education to NCERT.
Vocationalization of Higher Secondary Education (NCERT
Document- 1976) realised that the passage of converting the
principle of vocationalization of secondary education in practical
is not very easy. This process will need the change in the
educational curriculum, restructuring of the schools and strong
connection of education with other vocational sectors. The major
recommendations of NCERT document were concerned with the
type of courses, flexible environment, switching from one stream
to another, time provided for teaching and teacher training.
Ishwar Bhai Patel Committee (1977) proposed the compulsory
implementation of Socially Useful Productive Work (SUPW) in
secondary schools. In almost all the secondary schools, the SUPW
system was implemented and a period was allocated for this
reason in the time table. The primary aim of this method was to
instil love for the dignity of labour in learners (Disha, n.d.).
The National Policy on Education (1986) was primarily
concerned with the enhancement of administration of vocational
education. According to this, SUPW should be introduced as a
separate subject at secondary level and degree courses should
be provided at higher education level to impart vocational
education.
The Programme of Action (1992) proposed by the Education
Ministry for the execution of National Policy of Education 1986,
suggested a Centrally Sponsored Scheme (CSS) under which
the non-government organizations and state governments/UTs
administration were to be assisted by approved heads.100%
grant was to be provided by the Centre for development of
curriculum, instructional material and textbooks; training of
teachers and resource persons; constructing workshops and labs
and monitoring and evaluating the progress.
104 Employability Skills and Competencies of working Professionals

National Curriculum Framework (2005) underlines that

Vocational Education and Training (VET) should not be the last
option for students rather they should consider it as a priority. The
recommended VET would provide diploma or certificate courses
of varied span, offering an integrated credit accumulation facility
with numerous entry and exit points. The NCF notes that, from
time to time, the curriculum should be revised and updated to
ensure its relevance and take technical advances into account.

Objectives of the Study

The National Education Policy 2020 has many initiatives to
improve the quality and the broadness of vocational education
system in India. The objectives of this study are as follows:
1. To highlight the present status of vocational education in
India.
2. To review the recommendations of NEP 2020 regarding
vocational education.
3. Suggestions for further improvements for the effective
implementation of NEP 2020 regarding vocational edu-
cation.

Methodology
The data for the present study is gathered through secondary
sources i.e., online journals, articles, websites etc.

Present status of Vocational Education in India

• According to 12th 5-yearplan (2012–2017), not more
than 5% of Indian workers belonging to the age range
of 19–24 acquired formal vocational education. If we
compare these numbers to other countries’ skilled work-
force, then South Korea is at the top i.e., 96%, whereas
Germany has 75% and U.S.A has 52% people who have
received formal vocational education. These stats high-
light the urgency of giving topmost priority to vocation-
al education in India.
• Under Skill India Mission, it was proposed to train around
300 million youths by 2022, but by the end of 2018, it was
able to cover only 25 million youths (Jaffrelot & Jumle,
2019).
Employability and Education in National Education Policy 2020 105

• NEP 2020 points out that the teachers themselves are not
properly trained in teaching vocational subjects at higher
secondary level (Agrawal & Indrakumar, 2014).
• At secondary level, more emphasis is given upon theoret-
ical part of vocational courses through SUPW along with
mainstream subjects, which has proven to be unproduc-
tive and makes the students overburdened (Agrawal &
Indrakumar, 2014).
• The vocational education failed to activate interest of the
students because of the reason that only basic introduc-
tion of all vocational courses is included in the curricu-
lum which lacks comprehensiveness.
• The students opting for mainstream higher education
courses are considered superior to those who pursue vo-
cational courses.
• The reasons for vocational education not be-
ing the preferred choice for the students and
their parents lie in the fact that there is no proper
linkage between the vocational and general education.

Review of Vocational Education in NEP 2020

• To ensure that each student must at least know one voca-
tion, the teaching of vocational courses should be started
from class 6.
• No hard disjunctions between vocational and academic
streams.
• National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS)
and State Open Schools will offer the vocational
education courses/programmes.
• In collaboration with local communities, it was decided to
practise important skills such as electrical work, garden-
ing, carpentry, pottery, metal work, etc., during classes 6-8.
• The target is to acquaint at least 50% of the school and col-
lege students with vocational education by the year 2025.
• A total of 10-days bagless period during classes 6-8 to
train with persons skilled in vocations such as carpentry,
gardening, pottery, artistry etc.
• The feasibility of vocational courses through online mode
will also be checked.
106 Employability Skills and Competencies of working Professionals

• Participation in the adoption of the National Skills

Qualifications Framework (NSQF) by industry, NGOs
(Non-Governmental Organizations) and civil society or-
ganizations.
• Hub and spoke mode will be followed to set up skill labs
in the schools which will permit other schools to share
and use similar facilities.
• Vocational education courses will include ‘Lok Vidya’,
which is the knowledge of indigenous vocations of India.

Conclusion
Since education is a concurrent subject (both Centre and the State
governments can make laws on it), the reforms proposed in this
policy can only be implemented by collaborated efforts. The policy
puts India on track to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals
(SDG-4.4) set out by United Nations, “Guaranteeing equal access
to opportunities for access to quality technical and vocational
education for everyone”. A youth-based workforce equipped
with practical industrial insight will enhance productivity and
play a vital role in building a self-sufficient India.

Suggestions
• The skills should be provided according to the jobs available
in the market and it is the responsibility of the government
to explore the connection between the demands of the mar-
ket and supply of courses available for different vocations.
• It is necessary to develop credibility through transparent
actions and participation of all stakeholders i.e., the in-
dustries, governments and the students.
• Bridge courses should be made available for the students
having informal training to help them inscribe in voca-
tional training sector formally.
• If implemented in its true vision, the new structure of
vocational education can bring remarkable changes in
Indian education system which can help in leading the
country on the path of progress.
Employability and Education in National Education Policy 2020 107

References
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in Shaping Socio-Economic Landscape in India. Indian Journal
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stable/24546992
Disha. (n.d.). Development of vocational education in India.https://
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education-in-india/44873
Jaffrelot, C. & Jumle, V. (2019, September 7). The problem of skilling
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https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/the-problem-
of-sk ill i ng-i nd ia-u nemploy ment-joblessness-mod i-
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