THE FUTURE OF HIGHER EDUCATION IN INDIA LIES WITH THE BACHELOR OF VOCATIONAL STUDIES (B.VOC).

Dr. Roopak Vasishtha, CEO

Apparel Made-ups & Home Furnishing Sector Skill Council

In this 21st century, not only does education play an important role, but also the skills are equally important.  It has been realised that it is vital to impart skill-based education to youth from an early age as it brings positive effects in their lives and career and also it is the demand of the current times. The last decade witnessed new paradigms in education sector, changing the way students opted for the courses and content. Skill-based vocational education is not a choice but a requirement in India today. The demand for skilled professionals is quite higher in comparison to un-skilled individuals. While planning the Future Education system, we need to adopt a system that is most efficient and creates highly productive generation, which will not only be beneficial for the economy of the country but also provide better and fair means of livelihood to nationals.

The New Education policy (NEP) 2020, launched by the Govt of India, is more in tune with national priorities and contemporary realities. It pays attention to the areas that had been neglected for long. Skill based education also called as Vocational Education and Training, prepares learners for the jobs that are based upon the manual and practical activities, which are non-academic and totally important to a specific job, in which the learner participates. For instance, Apparel Made Ups and Home Furnishing Sector Skill Council (AMHSSC), is ardently designing training programs and fully-preparing the youth across the country for the jobs in the Apparel Sector. There is a strong emphasis on teaching the most-relevant and in-demand skills.

With the introduction of the B.voc Courses, the students, apart from the short -term skill courses can also take up vocational training in the graduation courses. These courses are such designed to provide skill training to the students beyond the conventional degree programs, so that all the students can be fully prepared for a better future. Also there is a serious paucity of skilled middle management personnel in Apparel industry. With the introduction of this specially designed B Voc programme, AMH SSC plans to strengthen the middle management in the entire Apparel industry.

A few salient features of B.Voc programs:

• Bachelor of Vocational Studies (B.Voc) is a 3-year UG degree that focuses on skill development and prepares students for employment.
• It deals with application-based studies rather than focusing on only theoretical knowledge of the specialised subject.
• The course is curated in such a manner that it incorporates the job and skill requirements of various industries into the curriculum.
• It serves to teach the candidates in such a manner that they are skilled for the specific jobs immediately after the completion of their programme.
•  B.Voc is offered in a variety of specialisations such as: Apparel, Electronics, Automotives, Media & Entertainment, Fashion Technology and Apparel Designing, etc.
• The certification levels will lead to Diploma/Advanced Diploma/B. Voc. Degree in one or more vocational areas and will be offered under the aegis of the University.

Eligibility criteria for B.Voc degree programs:

The B.Voc programme is appropriate for the applicants who want to start working immediately after finishing their education. The curriculum combines vocational and business management concepts .B.Voc degree provides an opportunity to the candidates to match their passion, interest and industries. Additionally, Bvoc can be beneficial in the following ways:

1. You can get more job opportunity better than other graduates.
2. You can explore the apparel sector of your choice.
3. Opportunities for apprenticeship.
4. Flexible options to complete the course with multiple exit options like Diploma, Advance Diploma and degree.
5. Universally recognised degree for higher education.

B.Voc Courses for Apparel Sector:

The apparel and textile industry caters to one of the most basic requirements of people and holds its importance, maintaining the prolonged growth for improved quality of life. The sector has a unique position as a self-reliant industry, from the raw materials production to the delivery of end products, with considerable value-addition at every stage of processing. Over the years, the sector has proved to be a significant contributor to the nations’ economy.

Bachelor of Vocation (B.Voc.) related to apparel sector, coversareas like: Garment Manufacturing, Fashion Designing, Export Merchandiser, etc. It is a graduate level program with an objective to provide adequate knowledge and skills related to apparel manufacturing for better employment and entrepreneurship set up.

Every year includes both practical and theoretical courses that impart appropriate and relevant knowledge of the garment industry. The candidate will be exposed to project work and on-the-job training in the apparel industry in order to be prepared to work in the industry.The course offers industrial tie-ups with leading organizations in the fashion industry for training and placement, which are renewed from time to time.

Career Options after B.Voc Degree:

1. Fashion coordinator in export and domestic industry.
2. Assistant designer and assistant manager in production line.
3. Consultant and Designer for garment manufacturing unit.
4. Quality checker in export industry.
5. Freelancer in different activities associated with Dress Design.
6. Teacher for teaching or training tailoring.
7. Pattern maker and pattern designer.
8. Merchandiser in buying houses.
9. Self-employed person starting a small-scale industry.

Eligibility Criteria and others info:

Students with B.Voc degree should be considered for trans disciplinary vertical flexibility into such courses where entry qualification is a Bachelor degree without specific requirement in a particular discipline. This course requires passing 10+2 level with a minimum of 45% marks from a recognised board of higher education, and diploma holders are also eligible and should meet the merit list released by the respective colleges. There are no specified age requirements for entry to this course.

New Education Policy (NEP) and B.Voc:

Under the Skill India Mission, government has introduced various convergence efforts across the skill ecosystem.NEP has emphasized on skill education through integration of vocational education with general education which will help students in acquiring various skill knowledge to meet the needs of the industries and to improve the quality of education.

NEP- 2020 indicates the potentially explosive growth of skill education in India since it requires all educational institutions to integrate vocational education into their offerings. This will bring in a very large number of schools, colleges and universities into the fold of potential Vocational Education and Training (VET)providers during the coming years and making VET available to millions of students. The Employability Skill module has been established a required component of the vocational courses under the Scheme. The Employability Skill module has been established a required component of the vocational courses under the Scheme. It involves of green skills, entrepreneurship skills, information and communication technology skills, self-management skills, and communication skills.