Dubious operators will be barred from vocational training: AICTE

“There will be seven levels of certification of 1,000 hours each year,that is 500 hours a semester for six months. There will also be multiple entry-exit points. For instance,students,who decide to take up a job after Class XII,can come back and can also do regular BA,BSc and B.Com. The learning will include both vocational skills and general learning. Colleges will create new divisions of vocational education and a school will start vocational education. Vocational skills may be be provided by the school/college or by skill knowledge providers,” said AICTE acting chairman S S Mantha.

“For instance,if someone wants to become an automotive or a vehicles specialist,then he/she can go outside to a Maruti service centre for the necessary training,assessment and certification and learn physics,chemistry and maths from the college. Again,if a student wants to pursue vocational education in the entertainment sector leading to stage craft and theatre,then the vocational skills required can be imparted by a school outside,” he said.

The AICTE will register skill knowledge providers in every state and the process will start in November. Some providers will be also be invited to be a part of the programme.

“The selection process will be strict and rules will be similar to those we follow when we approve a new institute. Infrastructure,facilities and ability and qualification of those who will train the students are some of the areas which will be scrutinised. No dubious operators will be allowed,” said Mantha.

The competency-based skills will be sector-specific and will include IT,ITES,telecom,retail,banking,automobile and media among several others. Colleges which want to start vocational division will also have to seek AICTE approval and the process is likely to start from December.

On the seven levels of certification,Mantha said level one begins in Class IX and will include 200 hours of vocational and 800 hours of general education.

In Class X,students will go through 250-300 hours of vocational education and 700-750 hours of general learning and on successful completion,students will get level two certification. Certification levels three and four will be Class XI and XII respectively and will include 350 hours of vocational and 650 hours of general education.

“Levels three,four and five will be bachelors in vocational education. Alternatively,after the first two levels,students can get into a polytechnic and do certification levels three,four and five and get a diploma and then pursue six and seven,which will be advanced levels. The content at level seven will include 800 hours of vocational and 200 hours of general learning,” he said.