Want to get a job quickly? Look at the option of pursuing vocational courses.

Despite scoring 84 per cent marks in Class XII in 2007, Rajdeep Puri opted to study for a BCom degree through correspondence from Delhi University (DU), leaving many of his peers surprised. The 18-year-old wanted to utilise his three years of graduation to pick up a skill that would get him a “decent job” at the earliest. After completing a certificate course in French from Delhi University, he is currently pursuing a software development course at a private institute.

“In today’s competitive world, plain vanilla degree courses won’t suffice if you want to make it big — and soon,” says the confident teenager.

Vocational courses help students who are unable to make it to professional colleges, or are simply not interested in pursuing a conventional degree, to kick-start their career at the earliest. The aim of vocational courses is to train students in careers that are specific and useful, keeping the job market in mind. Simply put, you gain the expertise that will directly lead to a job.

“Conventional degree courses don’t land you a job without putting in a couple of years of study. But pursuing a graduate degree through correspondence along with a vocational course can give you an edge over your peers,” says Sapna Gupta, director, Air Hostess Academy, Delhi.

Depending on the duration of study, there are three kinds of vocational courses — degree, diploma and certificate. “Choose a course based on your abilities. Think what you are good at and at what level you are good at it,” suggests Usha Albuquerque, director, Career Smart, a career management organisation in Delhi.

So on the one hand you may have high-end courses such as mass communication, jewellery or fashion design and on the other end there are medical lab technology, desktop publishing and hairstyling courses. “Though there is a general perception that students who opt for vocational courses are not academically brilliant, the industry can’t function without these skill-based workers,” says Sanjeev Bhikchandani, CEO, Naukri.com, a jobs portal.

Vocational education, stresses Inder Jeet, principal of Delhi University’s College of Vocational Studies (CVS), can be classified into two categories — soft skill and hard skill based courses. “Soft-skill courses are the higher-end science or management oriented courses (for instance, diplomas in engineering, travel and tourism, and advertising) while the hard-skill courses are more into technicalities (carpentry, electrical diploma),” he elaborates. The college has degree courses in tourism, retail management, insurance and entrepreneurship.

Most people would like to tell you that a “conventional degree” cannot be completely overlooked. “Unfortunately in India, graduation is still considered the minimum qualification for most jobs. So students are advised to pursue a graduate degree through distance learning, alongside vocational courses,” asserts Albuquerque.

Students do realise the importance of a degree. “Graduation is a prerequisite to a lot of things. It is not about having a degree but about educating yourself and broadening your horizons,” says Rohini Tandon, fashion designer, who pursued sociology from Delhi University before opting for a diploma in fashion studies.

Plenty of options are available when it comes to pursuing vocational courses. Calcutta University, Jadavpur University, Delhi University and Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University in Delhi have numerous colleges and affiliated institutes that offer vocational programmes. Many colleges under the aegis of Calcutta University offer courses in office management and secretarial practice. Courses such as welding technology, optometry, radiography, diagnostic and medical lab technology are conducted by Jadavpur University.

Private institutes and polytechnics too offer several options. In Delhi, Pusa Polytechnic offers three and four-year diploma courses in various engineering fields. Hairstyling and beauty culture diploma courses can be pursued from VLCC and Habib’s institutes all over the country. SinGem Jewelry Education based in Calcutta has 30 centres across India where one can study UGC-recognised diploma and degree courses in jewellery designing.

For those looking for self-employment or joining a family business or building up a career right after school, vocational education comes handy. “The initial salary of a graduate in jewellery design is Rs 25,000 while a diploma holder can expect Rs 10,000 to Rs 15,000 a month,” says Punit Srimal, chairman and managing director, SinGem Jewelry Education, which offers a BSc in jewellery designing recognised by Punjab Technical University.

If you are inclined towards fitness, Reebok certified courses for trainers are available in most cities. A diploma course in yoga can be pursued from the Central Council for Research in Yoga and Naturopathy, Delhi. The All India Institute of Hygiene and Public Health, Calcutta, offers a one-year diploma in dietetics.

There are many more courses that a student can opt for depending on his or her area of interest. Most vocational courses are open to students who clear Class XII. Many institutes and colleges also hold an entrance test and interview. Most private institutes have a dedicated placement cell for campus interviews. “Since vocational training imparts technical skills, students are easily absorbed by various industries,” says Albuquerque. Companies such as Wipro, the Kotak group, and banks like HDFC Bank and portals like MakeMyTrip.com absorb CVS graduates.

“The aviation and hospitality industries are witnessing a boom. Our campus interviews help place students with reputed airlines and they start at a salary of Rs 25,000-Rs 30,000 a month,” says Gupta.

However, a word of caution — be wary of fly-by-night operators. “Students should make every effort to check the credentials of the institute,” says career counsellor Pervin Malhotra. “Many institutes promise guaranteed placements in big companies. Call up the HR department of those companies to know the truth,” she further adds. Speaking to a few members of the alumni also helps in figuring out the reputation of an institute. “Join an institute which has been in the business for at least eight to 10 years,” advises Malhotra. Surf the Internet and speak to people in the industry to find out more about a particular institute.

But if you have got the right vocation — and the right institute — the world is yours. As Puri puts it, “Pursuing a vocational course or a conventional degree depends largely on a student’s interest. The bottom line is pursuing a study programme which is a worthwhile investment of one’s time, money and energy.”

Sources: The Telegraph (Kolkata, India)