PROGRAMMES, SCHEMES, SERVICES

On the Job Training to VHS Students

On the Job Training (OJT) is an integral part of the VHS curriculum, which enables the students to use theoretical knowledge in the real work situation.  This helps the student to observe and understand the practical intricacies and make them well equipped, confident and motivated so that he will be able to take up any task with ease.  As an initial step, it is proposed to train the students for 10 days in the concerned industrial firm which gives exposure to the latest technology and equipment which are not available in the school.  Thus the scheme will definitely improve the vocational skill, competency of the students and thereby the quality of Vocational Education.

Career Guidance and Counseling Centres

As VHSE is mainly intended for providing self employment , the students have to be motivated properly and may be given guidance / counseling for the effective implementation of the programme. The objective would be to guide students regarding future professions in order to enhance individual employability. The aim and objective of the courses are not, at present, properly conveyed to the students who are seeking admission to Vocational Higher Secondary Courses. It is decided to set up three Career Guidance and Counseling centers each at Thiruvananthapuram, Ernakulam and Kozhikode Districts .

Vocational Survey

As a part of strengthening and restructuring the Vocational Higher Secondary Education Programme in the State, it has been decided to undertake a detailed survey for analysing the current status of Vocational Higher Secondary Education, relevance of vocational courses, self-employment potential, emerging occupations, vertical mobility in the concerned vocational streams, scope for industrial linkage etc.  Apart from the above, the Survey also aims the following.

a.         To find out existing courses which are obsolete in the present scenario

b.         Identification of new courses

c.         Employment opportunities to the pass outs in Government Department undertakings/private establishments

d.         Need for inplant training in industries and its methodology

e.         Infrastructure facilities in schools and suggest modifications

f.          Locating employment potential destinations

g.         Status of recognition of the courses by various Universities in India

h.         Reservation of seats for Degree level vocational courses

i.          Status of VHS pass outs appointed through Public Service Commission

Training-cum-Production Centres

Vocational Higher Secondary Education aims maximum achievement of employment opportunity by making more skilful and job-oriented manpower.  Small Production units can be formed in each VHS Schools considering the scope of the vocational courses offered in the School.  Learning through hands-on experience is the basic idea for establishing Production - cum - Training - Centre.  The knowledge and skills of the students in a particular vocation should be of a level, which they can use in provision of goods and services required in the community.  Majority of the students in vocational courses come from families which have limited resources.  The Production – cum – Training Centres will assist in developing the capacity to earn while learning in a student, there by meeting a part of the cost of higher education and training.  The Production – cum – Training centres will also act as the nodal agency for planning, implementing, co-ordinating and monitoring the training activities of students (including on- the job training) as well as VHS Pass outs.

The present curricula and scheme of study in VHSE provides 12 hours of practical training to students per week in their vocational course.  Due to various reasons, these institutional practical training cannot make the student skilful in the vocational course.  Job market asks for more in-depth practical training.  To achieve this goal Production cum Training Centres are proposed to be established through out the state.  In addition to providing training, Production cum Training Centres will act as a Production Centre, which will produce quality products of concerned branch of study.  Thus the proposed Production cum Training Centres will act both as vocational skill development centres as well as production units.

Source Books and Textbooks

Grading system in VHSE will come in to force from the public examination March 2007 onwards.  It is high necessity of the Department to publish source books for the 42 trades now offered by the Department.  The source books prepared by HSE Department can be used for non vocational subjects as the syllabi  of  Higher Secondary Education and Vocational Higher Secondary Education are the same for non vocational subjects .The Department is preparing Source books for all the 42 Vocational Courses with the assistance of SCERT.

The syllabi for all the Vocational and Non-Vocational courses have been updated based on the latest development of Science and Technology.  So far, there are no prescribed textbooks for any courses in VHSE.  It is proposed to prepare textbooks for each course based on the syllabus. 
This idea can be developed in large scale to start training cum production centres.  The trainees as well as Government can earn profit by selling the goods so produced in the centres.  After the successful completion of VHS Courses the students can train in these centres for a period of one year.  To fulfil this aim the Department wish to implement this scheme with the assistance of Government of India.