ABSTRACT
Following the 2014 launch of the University Grants Commission’s (UGC) guidelines for the introduction of bachelor of vocation (B.Voc) courses in universities and colleges, this chapter reviews the experience of several prominent colleges, some private skills universities, and a premier research university, the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), in running these courses. It begins with a brief overview of vocational education in India and adopts a qualitative approach in conducting personal interviews and analysing deliberations at a national consultative seminar to eventually identify the integrative model created by the School of Vocational Education (SVE) at TISS as the most cost-effective and inclusive. To support this identification, it also makes use of the data on the number of students graduating. The TISS-SVE model (which is documented in detail) is partnership-based and demand-driven (based on the requirements of industry). The courses are delivered in partnership with industry experts and training institutes, and the students acquire their practical skills training at the premises of industry partners, where they are stationed full-time, either as apprentices or as employees. In the sixth year of operation, SVE’s annual intake exceeded 6,000 students in the B.Voc programme, spread over 19 sectors of industry. The model is unique for its quality, scalability and cost-effectiveness, and is worthy of replication at other Higher Education Institutions (HEIs). The chapter describes key features of the TISS-SVE model, which is an adaptation of the German Dual model and is a unique effort within the government-prescribed framework for B.Voc programmes.
