Earn while you learn’ scheme needs to be strengthened to make vocational education and skill training meaningful.” Comment.

Earn while you learn scheme is based on twin pillars of Learning by doing and Earning by Learning. Vocational education is a great combination of work and learning.

The scheme needs to be strengthened because:

• It provides opportunities for students to earn while learning to meet their expenses.

• Exposes the students to the world of work before actual employment.

• Gives students hands-on experience and confidence thereby prepares them better for taking up jobs in future. 

The government scheme of ‘Earn while you learn’ is turning out to be a major draw for several college students who might have otherwise dropped out due to financial reasons.

Challenges of Earn while Earn to make it meaningful for Vocational Education:

• The lack of regular staff remains an issue of concern.

• Lack of motivation: The government is managing to get its work done at merely Rs 100 per hour where as a government employee earns at least Rs 20,000 per month.

• Diversification: Students need to be engaged in libraries, laboratories and computer labs.

• Lack of teaching materials and learning aid.

• Lack of qualified and properly trained instructor.

• Inadequate funding.

Suggestions:

• Aligning the courses to international requirements.

• Short duration courses (with no real skills) that provide low pay for suboptimal jobs cannot be called national standards. Hence the current national standards have to drastically improve.

• Setting a credible standard system for colleges providing vocational education.

India can surely become the world’s skill capital and can reap its demographic dividend if it starts strengthening its vocational education by implementing the recommendation of Sarda Prasad committee mentioned above.