Page 220 - IMDR JOURNAL 2023-24

IMDR’s Journal of Management Development & Research 2023-24

industry 4.0, apprenticeship models etc, and provide findings plus recommendations to aid effective
implementation. Research on impact of past policies is limited — this timely study will highlight the paradigm

shift spearheaded by NEP 2020 for outcome-oriented vocational training, benefiting youth with improved
career opportunities while tackling skill gaps faced by Indian industry in order to propel economic progress.

Reimagining Vocational Education and Skill-building: Dr. R.K. Pathak

The National Education Policy 2020 has recognized the need to mainstream vocational education to equip
India's youth with employable skills. However, Dr. Pathak's paper discusses the roadblocks in integrating skill-

based programs in regular school and college curriculums. He analyzes deficiencies in infrastructure, funding,
instructor availability and societal perception of vocational training that need resolution through collaborative

public-private efforts. The paper recommends teacher capacity building through industry partnerships and
development of localized content meeting aspirational, ethical and quality benchmarks. While previous studies

debated policy provisions, this paper by Pathak fills a research gap by providing actionable solutions for

operationalizing vocational education within mainstream education as envisioned in the NEP 2020 to benefit
learners, educators and employers via an outcome-oriented skills ecosystem. Its conclusion on the importance

of quality instructors and infrastructure is pertinent for reimagining vocational training and making India's
workforce future-ready.

A Study on the Role of NEP 2020: Skill Development of Students: Merin Lukose

This paper examines how the NEP 2020 policy aims to transform India’s education system to enhance skills
and employability of students by promoting creative, exploratory and vocational learning. It focuses on the

curriculum changes needed across schools and higher education institutions to integrate skill-based programs.
The study gathers inputs from stakeholders like parents, teachers and universities on critical skills for 21st

century and their role in enabling this student-centric skills transformation. While highlighting the provisions
made under NEP 2020 towards skill development and identifying essential skills like problem-solving,

research reports a gap in investigating the obstacles and efficacy concerns of existing vocational education

programs. By covering multiple perspectives, this timely work analyzes India’s readiness for this skilling
paradigm shift through curriculum innovation and partner ecosystem collaboration under NEP 2020 for

sustainable results.

Case Studies on Vocational Courses

Bhattacharyya, S., & Mehrotra, S. (2020).

Bhattacharyya and Mehrotra looked at partnership models between colleges and companies to improve
research and new ideas. But they did not cover industry role in designing vocational courses or skills training

which needs more study.

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