The National Vocational Education Qualification Framework (NVEQF) -launched by the All India Council of Technical Education (AICTE) to be implemented in polytechnics, engineering colleges and other colleges in the university systems from 2012-13 - will take more time to be implemented.
The scheme envisages seven certificate levels with each level with about 1,000 hours, with each 1,000 hours being made of certain number of hours for vocational competency based skill modules and the rest for general learning simultaneously integrated and providing a diploma for vocational education after the certificate level five or leading to a degree after level seven in the university system, subject to their statutory approval. The programmes are sector-specific and sectors such as information technology (IT), media, entertainment, telecommunications, mobile communications, automobile, construction, retail, hotels, and fashion design, among others have been identified for implementation.
On making NVEQF mandatory in all educational institutes, Shankar S Mantha, chairman of AICTE recently told Business Standard: "I wish that this is so. There is no point in converting an existing division in a school or a polytechnic or a college to run NVEQF. What should happen is all these should create a new division of maybe 100 students that conducts NVEQF in different sectors and becomes the feeder mechanism."
Academicians said while the ministry's efforts to boost vocational education should be lauded, the industry was not ready for offering these programmes on a large scale. According to the admissions head of a Pune-based technical institute, top-end corporate jobs are still a far cry for graduates in vocational education. "While there is a need to promote these courses, not many of the educational institutions will immediately adopt it since they are not many takers," he said.
AICTE officials said more than 350 colleges have registered for the programme. However, they are not looking at a mandatory scheme. "We need the necessary infrastructure to prepare the courses and get students enrolled. We need at least three-four years before it is made compulsory," said the associate dean of a New Delhi-based college specialising in arts and commerce programmes.
Although AICTE has made preparations to provide the requisite statutory approvals to any institutions planning to conduct these programmes from the academic year 2012-13, institutes would wait for a few more months before approaching the regulators.
The scheme envisages seven certificate levels with each level with about 1,000 hours, with each 1,000 hours being made of certain number of hours for vocational competency based skill modules and the rest for general learning simultaneously integrated and providing a diploma for vocational education after the certificate level five or leading to a degree after level seven in the university system, subject to their statutory approval. The programmes are sector-specific and sectors such as information technology (IT), media, entertainment, telecommunications, mobile communications, automobile, construction, retail, hotels, and fashion design, among others have been identified for implementation.
On making NVEQF mandatory in all educational institutes, Shankar S Mantha, chairman of AICTE recently told Business Standard: "I wish that this is so. There is no point in converting an existing division in a school or a polytechnic or a college to run NVEQF. What should happen is all these should create a new division of maybe 100 students that conducts NVEQF in different sectors and becomes the feeder mechanism."
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However, institutes said there were a lot of areas that needed to be clarified before it could be made compulsory.
Academicians said while the ministry's efforts to boost vocational education should be lauded, the industry was not ready for offering these programmes on a large scale. According to the admissions head of a Pune-based technical institute, top-end corporate jobs are still a far cry for graduates in vocational education. "While there is a need to promote these courses, not many of the educational institutions will immediately adopt it since they are not many takers," he said.
AICTE officials said more than 350 colleges have registered for the programme. However, they are not looking at a mandatory scheme. "We need the necessary infrastructure to prepare the courses and get students enrolled. We need at least three-four years before it is made compulsory," said the associate dean of a New Delhi-based college specialising in arts and commerce programmes.
Although AICTE has made preparations to provide the requisite statutory approvals to any institutions planning to conduct these programmes from the academic year 2012-13, institutes would wait for a few more months before approaching the regulators.