Short-Term Vocational Courses as a Career-Building Program for the Youth in Chhattisgarh, India

Abstract

Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY) is a short-term skill development program in India aiming to train young job seekers, make them employable, facilitate employment and revitalize vocational education in India. Vocational Education and Training (VET) in India suffers from weak links with the labor market, low enrollments, and slow industry demand, hampering the expected outcomes. This paper uses grounded theory to explore young people’s perceptions of PMKVY as a career-building program. Qualitative data was collected from trainees (N = 30) in three districts of Raipur, Raigarh and Korba in Chhattisgarh, India, through personal interviews with young people enrolled in PMKVY using semi-structured questionnaires. It was found that the understanding of possible career-building among young people mainly varied based on their age and educational attainment when they entered the program. One’s choice, utilizing spare time, seeking experiential learning, benchmarked quality training and improving communication skills were the factors through which they looked at their career-building process. The paper considers the implications of these findings in the context of large-scale skill development and VET initiatives in India. It concludes that vocational education continues to be associated with lower esteem and is considered a last resort for students with poor academic records. Short-term programs like PMKVY can provide career-building opportunities to young people who are largely drawn from working-class backgrounds. PMKVY's targeted approach toward imparting employability skills and facilitating transitions to various employment opportunities acts as a buffer in the significant success of the program.

Keywords:

• Grounded theory
• India
• PMKVY
• skill training
• vocational education and training (VET)

Disclosure statement

In compliance with the guidelines of the journal and the principles of scientific integrity, we affirm that no conflicts of interest, financial or otherwise, have influenced the design, execution, interpretation, or presentation of the research presented in this article. We have no financial relationships or affiliations with any organization or entity that could be perceived as having a direct interest in the subject matter discussed.

Notes

1 https://apprenticeship.gov.in/Material/ApprenticesAct1961.pdf

2 https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1796816

3 https://www.pmkvyofficial.org/pmkvy2/

4 The enrolment data has since changed as it is dynamic in nature. The details could be accessed here - https://www.pmkvyofficial.org/dashboard