Vocational Education and Training for Youth in India

In India, in general, there is a poor perception regarding vocational education and skill training (VET) and the youth prefer to attend general courses. In this paper the vocational education and vocational training scenario in India, its various components, the segments where uptake of VET is relatively more, types of training, etc. are examined. Vocational education imparted in schools is not preferred by students, and at present participation in vocational education remains very low. In the area of vocational training, the share of formally trained youth has remained low and has hardly increased between 2011–12 and 2021–22, while the informal training uptake has increased. However the formal vocational training access among the youth is concentrated in the higher expenditure quintile, and among those with higher education levels. The youth from under-privileged backgrounds seem unable to access formal vocational training. However a gender difference is observed in that males dominate informal training uptake, but women have a higher likelihood of accessing formal training. Therefore, as a policy instrument for skilling women and balancing their disadvantages in entering the labour market, their formal training access needs expansion. The paper also looks at informal vocational training, which remains the main mode of vocational training for youth in India, despite being associated often with low productivity and remuneration. Moreover, informal training uptake has been on the rise among the youth. Considering some in-depth studies on informal training, its advantages and disadvantages, a question is posed whether there should be a fresh look at this sector in India.