Development: Importance of Vocational Education, why or why not?

Article from National Examination

A few years ago, vocational courses were thought to be for people who did not have the aptitude to study in a college and thus, needed skills in a particular field, to gain employment. This scenario, however, has completely changed today. These days, people have realized their importance and are opting for such courses, both online and offline, to gain skills related to a particular field so that their job prospects can improve.

Benefits of Vocational Education and Training

Lesser Education Costs

Not everyone can afford to go college as a four-year degree course, plus the hostel fees, commuting, added costs of books, can turn out to be very expensive. Vocational courses are a cheaper alternative for people who do not want to take up a loan to go to college. Many vocational courses, similar to four-year degrees, provide placement to the students. This makes them quite useful for those who do not have the means to shell out money for a college degree. 

Prepares for a Job

Vocational education prepares a person for a specific job. It equips a person with the skills and qualities required to do a particular job, such as fashion designing, interior decoration, computer networking, auto repairing, etc. Many a time, the curriculum for the courses is prepared after taking suggestions from the local employers. Along with classroom instructions, practical knowledge is imparted through field work. Laboratory learning is emphasized to give the students practical knowledge on a given subject. This prepares the student for the job at hand and thus, he is able to give full justice to his profession, due to his vast knowledge

Easy Employment

Vocational education makes it easier for the students to find employment. Usually, it is seen that employers prefer to hire a student who has done a vocational course rather than a college pass out, as by doing a vocational course, a student is trained specifically for a particular job. The student already possesses the right temperament, skills, qualities and education for the job and the employers feel that he will be more successful than a regular college pass out due to his knowledge. Thus, easy employment is one of the chief advantages that students from a vocational course have over others. 

Success in Career

People who are already employed and those who want to get further education to advance their careers, cannot afford to take a four-year break and pursue a college degree. So, in order to enhance their skills and qualifications, an alternative is to do a vocational course. The time duration for the course is less, but the skills that are imparted to students through such courses, are quite comparable to the college courses, in terms of quality. Thus, by doing a vocational course, a professional can enhance his career prospects and achieve success

Promotes Entrepreneurship

After doing a vocational course, a person is equipped enough to start his own business. This course of action is taken up by many a vocational course pass out students. Thus, such courses promote entrepreneurship, which is a very good thing for the economy today, considering that the recession has left many without jobs. Vocational courses increase the number of small businesses, which further increase employment, thus reducing the stress on the government to provide jobs for the unemployed. 

Before opting for a vocational course, a student should ensure that the institute he is applying for is of good repute, both in terms of education quality and placements in the past. Once these things are settled, should a student invest his time and money in a particular course. As mentioned above, vocational education provides job specific skills and contributes to career success. It imparts specialized knowledge, which is the need of the hour today! This proves that in many aspects, vocational education is as good as college education!

Source:http://www.buzzle.com article/for importance of TVET