With much being written and spoken about a severe skills shortage in the country it is easy to overlook the role of vocational trainers in the skilling framework.
‘Investing in building the capacity of vocational trainers, certifying and motivating them and creating a growth path for them is the key to achieving substance with scale. There is a key difference in building the capacity of a trainer and conducting ToT (Training of Trainers). The state certainly has a key role to play in this. The sooner the better!’ Sanjogita Mishra, Programme Officer – Skills, CEMCA
Figures are more readily available on the number of training institutes, the amount of funding available through various government skilling schemes, the number of candidates in vocational training courses, the growing number of pass-outs etc. But what about the quality of training which is intrinsically linked to the quality of trainers?
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The latest India Skills Report (2019)[i] states that the employability of pass-outs from one of the major genesis of training in the country, the Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) has witnessed a sharp drop of 30% between 2017-2018. This should be highly unsettling to stakeholders of skilling initiatives and programmes as the ITIs are central to large scale government skilling schemes and crucial to the government’s ambition of skilling 500 million people by 2020 to meet India’s skills crunch. Although the report does not provide reasons for the significant drop in the employability of ITI graduates, it indicates a gulf in the quality of training and job readiness of youth, which brings us back to the point of how good are the trainers responsible for imparting skills training to thousands of youth across the country.
The availability of good quality trainers is core to skilling programmes the world over. In India, it is a key concern as the quality of trainers is often affected by lack of standardisation of competencies of trainers, limited efforts towards re-training and a general lack of focus on developing trainers towards a clear career path where the role of a vocational trainer is perceived as an aspirational career choice which can fortify the supply chain of high-quality trainers across sectors.
Data suggests[ii] that training infrastructure in the country is highly inadequate, with a need for almost 85,000 trainers (considering a 20:1 student/faculty ratio) in ITIs alone. Moreover, the annual incremental requirement of trainers is approximately 20,000 and it is estimated that around 3.5 million trainers join government training providers whereas around 13 million youth enter the labour market every year.[iii]
Training of Trainers (ToT) or Capacity Building
This presents an urgent need to train trainers to meet the growing demand for skills-based training. However, subject matter expertise is only one facet of a competent trainer. ToT or capacity building becomes even more relevant as it can be unrealistic to expect all trainers to come on board with both technical skills and soft skills. Moreover, vocational programs are not very aspirational which is reflected in the inadequate skills of individuals who apply to trainer jobs.
A quality trainer may be judged by the following criteria:[iv]
- Core subject expertise
- Ability to impact a trainee and act as a role model. For instance, developing a young person into becoming a professional is as important as training him/her on how to use a drill.
- Industry links and involvement in placement after course completion
- Identifies with the job and willing to learn and re-train him/herself
- Believes in apprenticeships and vocational training as a viable career choice
- Good communication skills
- Revenue generator for the training institute
Challenges
Vocational training is not normally considered an aspirational career choice. Vocational trainers usually take up this profession when their primary career goals have not been achieved. Hence it is not a career by choice. ‘Many of them hardly have any understanding of the skilling ecosystem leave aside pedagogical skills.’ Sanjogita Mishra, Programme Officer – Skills, CEMCA.[v]
Another challenge is that the greatest need for vocational and skills training is felt in towns and rural areas whereas most trainers are from bigger cities and unwilling to move into the hinterland.[vi]
At the same time, the mindset of training providers also requires a shift where trainers are not seen as easily dispensable. “Finding a trainer is never a problem. If one leaves, ten will queue up. Operations team i.e. those people who do the paperwork to claim government funds are far more important for the organisation and must be paid well.” The owner, Vocational Training Provider.v
Also, trainers with industry knowledge and experience will not readily move into vocational training jobs due to lower salaries and lower perceived prestige. However, industry experience and hands-on practical knowledge is crucial for a trainer especially in trades such as welding, electrics, plumbing, retail, construction etc.
Additionally, it has been reported that only 26% of trainers have a government or private certification whereas 75% of employers seek certification before hiring trainers.vi To address the inefficiencies and poor quality of trainers, certification and standardisation of “train the trainer” programmes must be prioritised as much as imparting skills to youth. It would become a serious roadblock to skilling programmes if skills training is not able to generate employable youth due to low-quality teachers. This is the premise behind a Post Graduate Certificate in Vocational Training launched by Empower Pragati,[vi] a vocational skills training provider, which they state is a one of its kind course, recognised by the National Skill Development Corporation. The aim is to build aspiration towards a career as a trainer and bring about a nationally recognised standardisation of certification.
Solutions
India is placed 30th in the World Economic Forum’s (WEF) Global Manufacturing Index with human capital development listed as a major issue facing the country. WEF notes that to overcome this challenge concerted efforts are needed to revamp training programmes in India which includes improving the quality of trainers.vii
Industry experience of trainers is perhaps the most valuable core competency. Not only are trainers from an industry/trade background more knowledgeable but also provide valuable links for trainees with local businesses post training. The Sector Skill Councils are tasked with getting the industry to support training of trainers in different sectors. Part-time trainers deployed from industry is another route.
Quality trainers and train the trainer programmes might be an area of biggest investment for a training provider but the results can directly boost the bottom line as the popularity of the training provider grows. The quality of the course material and the competency of trainers in delivering the same will reflect on the quality of candidates looking for jobs.
Centralised and standardised train the trainer programmes with flexibility for customisation depending on local business or sector needs can provide consistency across vocational training centres. The selection process for trainers must include recognised academic qualifications, and competency must be assessed through a test of theoretical knowledge, technical skills, soft skills, and pedagogical skills as well as knowledge of new teaching methods and tools.iii
Conclusion
It is a safe and fair assumption that quality of trainers may be directly impacting the employability of TVET pass-outs in the country. Human resource development applies not only to India’s youth but also to trainers who have an enormous responsibility in the success of various skilling programmes. Access to quality trainers is a major challenge in scaling up-skilling efforts. The onus falls on government, its implementing agencies, industry and training providers to focus on more effective training programmes for trainers. If not, the country will continue to deal with not just a skills shortage in its workforce and low employability of youth, but with a corresponding chasm between demand and supply of quality trainers with direct consequences on the future of the country’s skilling ambitions.
References
[i] India Skills Report 2019, CII, Wheebox, PeopleStrong
[ii] Skill Development in India, 2015, FICCI- Konrad Adenauer Stiftung
[iii] Skill Development in India: Need, Challenges and Ways Forward, Vandana Saini, April 2015
[iv] How to set up a training course for in-company apprenticeship trainers? Michaela La Marca
[v] Vocational Trainers – The Building Blocks of Skilled India, Sep 23 2018, National Skills Network
[vi] The challenges of training the trainer in vocational and skill-based training programs, May 12 2016, National Skills Network
