Employability skill evaluation among vocational education students in India.

The changing nature of work and employment is providing individuals for more flexible multi-skilling and learning opportunities. Imparting skill-based industry-oriented teaching can bridge the skill gaps and enhance employment opportunities for students. In this context, Government of India has introduced numerous programs to provide a fillip to technical vocational education and training. The current paper is aimed at understanding the role of vocational education and the change it brings to skill development and employability of the students. A combination of both qualitative and quantitative research methods was deployed for the study. In the quantitative design a multi-stage sampling process comprising of both probabilistic and non-probabilistic methods was employed. A sample of 586 students pursuing retail vocational education was identified and administered with the questionnaire. The statistical analysis presented the socio-economic profiles. Further, five factors for skill development and one factor for employability skill were identified through exploratory factor analysis. The factors identified for skill development include Initiative and Enterprise Skills (IES), Workplace Skills (WS), Professional Practice and Standards (PPS), Inter Personal Skills (IPS) and Integration Theory and Practice (ITP). Confirmatory and regression models involving all the factors were tested and their significance was analyzed. The study revealed that there is a positive impact of skill development on employability. It is suggested that focus on imparting vocational education for skill development can be a panacea for increased employability