Answer

Introduction

India has established an extensive Vocational Education and Training (VET) ecosystem with 14,000+ ITIs and 25 lakh sanctioned seats, yet only 4% of the workforce is formally trained. Persistent low employability (63% for ITI graduates, 2022), outdated curricula, and limited industry integration underscore systemic gaps that hinder India’s ability to leverage its demographic dividend.

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Strengths of India’s Vocational Training System

• Vast Network of ITIs and Polytechnics: Over 14,000 ITIs ensure last-mile skilling access nationwide.
• Government Policy Push: Schemes like Skill India Mission and PMKVY strengthen organised skill development efforts.
  Eg: As of July 2025, PMKVY has trained over 1.63 crore youth across sectors like manufacturing, healthcare, IT, and construction
• Sector Skill Councils (SSCs): Industry-specific SSCs design National Occupational Standards matching emerging labour demands.
• NEP 2020 Provisions: Integration of vocational exposure from Class 6 promotes early employability orientation.
• Rising Private Participation: Private partners bring industry expertise and resources to public skilling infrastructure.
  Eg: Maharashtra’s invited ~5,000 companies to adopt ITIs and tailor courses to industry needs.
  

Structural Challenges & Quality Deficits

A. Structural Challenges

• Late Integration in Education: VET post-schooling reduces early skill-building crucial for employability readiness.
• No Academic Progression Pathways: Lack of credit transfer dissuades students seeking higher academic opportunities.
  Eg: Singapore’s polytechnic graduates can transition into universities with skill credits.
• Weak Industry Engagement: Minimal employer involvement limits training relevance to job market needs.
  Eg: MSMEs, despite forming 30% GDP, have low engagement with ITIs due to capacity constraints.
• Funding Gaps: Insufficient financial allocation restricts infrastructure upgrades and modern tools.
  Eg:ITIs depend heavily on government funding, with minimal private sector investment in infrastructure and training apparatus.

B. Quality Deficits

• Outdated Curriculum & Misalignment: Courses lack emerging technologies focus, lowering placement prospects.
• Instructor Shortage & Poor Training: Vacancies weaken teaching quality and hands-on learning experience.
  Eg: Over one-third of ITI instructor posts are vacant due to limited training capacity at National Skill Training Institutes(NSTI).
• Weak Monitoring & Feedback: Lack of real-time assessment reduces accountability and improvement scope.
• Negative Social Perception: Seen as last resort, discouraging bright students from enrolling.
  Eg: According to  PARAKH Sarvekshan 2024 (Ministry of Education), only 29% of eligible secondary students even choose skill-based courses, reflecting low uptake.

Fundamental Reforms for Strengthening VET(Global Lessons)

• Early Integration of VET: Introduce practical skill training from early schooling under NEP 2020 to build employability mindsets from a young age.
  Eg: In Germany vocational modules are integrated at upper secondary level combining school education with paid apprenticeships.
• Establish Clear Progression Pathways: Implement National Credit Framework (NCF) to enable credit transfers, making VET a career-enhancing, non-terminal option.
  Eg: European Qualifications Framework ensures lifelong learning through academic-vocational mobility.
• Elevate Training Quality: Align courses to local industry demand, expand NSTIs, fill faculty gaps, and enforce real-time ITI grading.
  Eg: South Korea’s K-MOVE school program connects students with jobs through a customized curriculum covering skills required by industries.
• Boost Public-Private Partnerships (PPP): Use PPP models and mandate CSR-driven skilling to strengthen relevance and employability.
  Eg: Assam’s “50 hubs, 500 spokes” model with Tata-Nelco delivers AI, robotics training in schools.
• Increase Funding and Grant Autonomy: Raise VET spending to global levels and give ITIs autonomy to innovate.
  Eg: India allocates around 3% of total education expenditure to vocational education compared to 10-13% in countries like Germany, Singapore.

Conclusion

The demographic dividend will turn into a demographic burden unless VET becomes aspirational. Reforms aligned with global best practices can transform India’s skilling ecosystem into a growth engine powering innovation, jobs, and inclusive development.

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