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A View from the Outside: India’s School to Work Transition Challenge – Strengths and Weakness

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Matthias Pilz at University of Cologne
Matthias Pilz
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Abstract

School to work transition and the preparation for the world of work are highly important aspects in India’s education and training policy (King 2012). India has a huge potential which does not only manifest itself in the growing population and the huge number of youths who stream into the education and labour market system; its economic and geostrategic position at the interface between Asia and the Arab region is of high relevance for economic growth and future developments.
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... However, India's VET system needs to be flexible enough to quickly adapt skills training to react to current technological innovations (Maitra et al., 2022). Such economic restructuring, with an inflexible non-adaptive education system, fosters mismatches (Pilz, 2016). ...
... However, closer coordination between actors is challenging to implement, for various reasons, including a lack of structures, changing government responsibilities, lack of public investment in the VET system, and the design of trade unions (Bosch & Charest, 2010;Mehrotra, 2014Mehrotra, , 2016Wessels & Pilz, 2018). Skill formation in India continues to be individualized with low government and corporate influence and little coordination among them (Pilz, 2016;Singh, 2012). ...
... In addition, companies have so far shown little interest in participating in the VET system. In general, there is a great deal of scepticism about investing in VET, mainly because there is a fear of competitors trying to poach employees or because the expected quality of future employees cannot be guaranteed (Pilz, 2016). Furthermore, comparatively low salaries are paid to graduates from the VET sector. ...
India’s labour market challenges: Employability of young workforce from the perspective of supply and demand
Article
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India has one of the fastest-growing economies in the world, and the highest working-age population. The country has a particular demand for skilled labourers, especially at the semi-skilled level, in various sectors. However, many young people find it challenging to acquire the skills employers demand. To approach the issue of youth employability, it is essential to distinguish two sides of the question. On the one hand, the demand side of the labour market, and, on the other, the supply side of the workforce. It is significant that, in quantitative terms, the vocational education and training (VET) system does not yet play a decisive role here. To understand whether the VET system can solve the problem of high youth unemployment, the concept of ‘employability’ is introduced. A critical analysis of the VET system in terms of the concept of employability follows. Based on the analysis, this paper concludes that the VET system in India requires reform and proposes possible policy interventions to address this.
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... Eine der größten Herausforderungen des indischen Berufsbildungssystems besteht im quantitativen Angebot von Lehr-und Ausbildungspersonal sowie dessen Qualifikation und Kompetenz (Pilz, 2016;. Während nur knapp über die Hälfte der Lehrerstellen überhaupt besetzt werden können (Pilz & Gengaiah, 2019), besitzt nach offiziellen Angaben nur 15% des Lehrpersonals an ITIs eine im Rahmen des "Crafts Instructor Training Scheme", erworbene Lehrbefähigung (MSDE, 2018). ...
... Während nur knapp über die Hälfte der Lehrerstellen überhaupt besetzt werden können (Pilz & Gengaiah, 2019), besitzt nach offiziellen Angaben nur 15% des Lehrpersonals an ITIs eine im Rahmen des "Crafts Instructor Training Scheme", erworbene Lehrbefähigung (MSDE, 2018). Der Großteil der Lehrkräfte besteht aus Absolventen der ITIs, welche weder über Praxiserfahrungen noch über pädagogische Expertise verfügen (Pilz, 2016;. Im Bereich von Polytechnic Colleges ist die Situation in Bezug auf die Lehrversorgung und das Qualifikationsniveau zufriedenstellender (Pilz, 2016;. ...
... Der Großteil der Lehrkräfte besteht aus Absolventen der ITIs, welche weder über Praxiserfahrungen noch über pädagogische Expertise verfügen (Pilz, 2016;. Im Bereich von Polytechnic Colleges ist die Situation in Bezug auf die Lehrversorgung und das Qualifikationsniveau zufriedenstellender (Pilz, 2016;. Trotzdem bestehen auch im Bereich der höheren beruflichen Bildung massive Qualitäts-und Versorgungsprobleme (British Council, 2014 ( Jambo & Pilz, 2018;Tara & Kumar & Pilz, 2016) und ein kulturell verankertes geringes gesellschaftliches Ansehen von Lehrern (Ajithkumar, 2016;Alexander, 2001;Kumar, 1991). ...
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... Inflexible and outdated curriculums can discourage students from enrolling and limit their job prospects after graduation (International Labour Organization[ILO], 2013). The use of outdated curricula can result in a discrepancy between the skills employers demand and what students possess, which is a significant factor contributing to low employability and challenges in students' transition to the job market (Pilz, 2016). ...
... The recruitment of teachers in the vocational education and training (VET) sector predominantly consists of graduates without pedagogic experience. This perpetuates outdated teaching methods that fail to meet quality standards (Pilz, 2016). Additionally, there is a shortage of qualified trainers, with only 55% to 60% of positions being filled (Pilz & Gengaiah, 2019). ...
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This paper explores the impact of vocational education on economic growth and development. Vocational education refers to the education and training that prepares individuals for jobs that require specific skills or knowledge. The paper examines the economic benefits of vocational education, including job creation, increase in skilled labour, improved productivity, reduction of poverty, and contribution to GDP. The role of vocational education in technology advancement is also explored, as well as case studies of countries that have successfully implemented vocational education programs. Additionally, the paper discusses the challenges and opportunities for vocational education and provides recommendations for policymakers and stakeholders. The findings suggest that investing in vocational education can have significant positive effects on economic growth and development. Therefore, it is recommended that policymakers and stakeholders prioritize vocational education in their economic development plans and strategies. This paper explores the skills and innovation landscape in G20 countries. The aim is to understand the current state and trends in research and innovation within the G20 context. The paper concludes by providing policy implications for enhancing skills development and fostering innovation in these countries.
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... Due to the inefficient macro, economic and market factors and support (Pilz, 2016), the role and the impact of micro aspects (Alam & Diego, 2019) students have to undergo a process individually according to their individual aspects to obtain a full-time permanent job that meets their aspirations and makes them feel satisfied with their professional job and income. Research has shown that individual aspects are important in shaping and facilitating LME outcomes. ...
Individual aspects and their impact on labour market engagement: the case of secondary vocational school graduates in Palestine
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... Mehrotra (2021) argues that to fulfil the Indian youth's aspirations of non-farm sector employment, there is a need to strengthen VET, which would help realise India's demographic dividend. India's population has been facing severe challenges while transitioning from school to work (Pilz 2016). Vocational training imparted in India provide hands-on practice in a wide range of fields like aerospace and aviation, food processing, beauty and wellness, construction and plumbing, hospitality and tourism office and business-related work, work related to childcare etc, which would facilitate Indian youth to join the labour market (MoSDE 2015). ...
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