October 2023
ISSN 2148-7278
Volume: 9 Number: 2


GLOKALde April 2020, ISSN 2148-7278 Volume: 6  Number: 1, Article 3

EMPOWERING AND SKILLING YOUTH FROM MARGINALISED COMMUNITIES THROUGH VOCATIONALISATION OF EDUCATION AND OPEN SCHOOLING IN INDIA

Dr. Sukanta Kumar MAHAPATRA,
National Institute of Open Schooling, INDIA

ABSTRACT

Youth constitute the highest percentage of working population in India but the youth, who are considered as the strength behind the growth story of the future India, are largely, not only unemployed but unemployable. The proportion of youth being unemployed and unemployable among disadvantaged communities such as scheduled tribes is higher than general categories of population. Thus, the youth employment gap, because of inequitable access or lack of quality vocational training and education in disadvantaged regions, not only deters the disadvantaged communities to gain from the pressing developmental policies and programmes and deepens the problem of deprivation and social exclusion but also widens the socio-economic gap between different communities. Given the enormity and urgency of this growing problem, it is important for practitioners to understand the key challenges and opportunities related to youth livelihood development particularly in the disadvantaged area. While it has been impossible for the youth from disadvantaged communities to benefit to its fullest extent from the formal vocational education system provided the cost and affordability of time and absence of public and private providers in education and training, it is desirable that open schooling systems should evolve as a quality option to meet the demands of these stakeholders for the sustainable development of the communities and also to meet the growing demand of skilled manpower at the global level. Accordingly, there is a need to strengthen the vocational education system for marginalised groups such as tribes at the balance side of both local knowledge and globalism with incorporation of social and cultural elements and indigenous knowledge prevalent in the rural and tribal set-up. Underlying the current discourse, the paper explores number of quality alternatives based on the examination of successful policies and practices from developed and developing nations.

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