There’s no better time to stress the importance of vocational education than the present. The alarming statistic is that unemployment actually increases with a rise in educational qualifications. So what can we do to ensure that pay cheque at the end of every month? Here’s where vocational training comes into play.

For years long gone, vocational training has had a certain stigma attached to it, mainly because courses earlier only consisted in fields such as plumbing, automobile repair etc. which were sometimes seen as undesirable. However with a change in times, we’ve also seen a change in demand, with the advent of curricula in Retail Management, IT services and Beauty & Wellness. Such a change has been prompted due to the booming nature of these industries, projecting greater employability in recent times.

The main argument in favour of vocational training lies at the core of the phenomenon. It prepares an individual for a job. In simple words, it equips the individual for the skills that will be required at the workplace, rather than providing one with knowledge that helps one score well in exams, but no employable skills whatsoever. The advantage of vocational education is that since it imparts specialized knowledge and training about a specific field, one has better chances of employment as compared to others. Vocational training also works from the employer’s front, as they prefer to hire people with the necessary skills and practical experience, saving them a lot of time and resources spent in the training and induction of new employees.

Vocational training does not only help you get a job though. It allows you to learn a wide variety of skills with practical application. By providing you a real life experience, it provides a person an opportunity to learn all the aspects of a particular business. For example, an aspiring beautician could take up a beauty, a bookkeeping and a personal selling course all at the same time. This imparts a 360 degree world view of the business, giving an insight into how the different verticals of their business function.

This has the potential to develop an enterprising spirit amongst the individuals, as they are now equipped with the tools and know-how of their profession. This enterprising spirt is the core component of entrepreneurship. By allowing one to develop multiple skills needed for a businesses, vocational education can empower people who want to set up their own businesses.

Entrepreneurship fostered by vocational training thus also provides a way to fill the existing gaps in the demand for employment while also fixing issues related to lack of mobility and flexibility in the labour market. Vocational skills give a direct entry into learning the different verticals associated with the businesses.

Students of vocational training are known to deliver quality performance and good results. They are able to apply their skills effectively at the workplace to ensure high efficiency. A high percentage of our country’s population is 18 years of age and looking to work, with good quality education not available to everyone. Vocational training is surely the way forward.