Abstract:

The Competency Based Education and Training (CBET) model is emergent in India, experiencing a sort of coming-of-age in the past decade. While technical and vocational curricula and instruction are well established; the drive to define standards for work or occupational standards (NOS) began with the establishment of Sector Skill Councils (SSCs) - Standard Setting Organizations representing key industrial sectors in the Indian economy - and the National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC), a Public Private Partnership (PPP) between the Government of India and various national industry associations.

The development of occupational standards and the technology used to govern them are particularly unique since they define the diversity informal and formal work and the socio-emotional attitudes required in India's mixed economy. These National Occupational Standards (NOS), are clear and precise statements describing what effective performance means in distinct occupational areas. The NOS are then used to develop ‘new’ vocational qualifications and the assessment; as well as Training and Recognition, Validation and Accrdeitation (RVA) interventions for a range of adult learners - illiterate, semi-literate, to advanced professionals. Each NOS and qualification undergoes three levels of quality checks; first by the SSCs, then by NSDC, and finally by National Council for Vocational Education and Training (NCVET), the regulator that ratifies qualifications against the National Skill Qualification Framework (NSQF). The quality assurance process is stringent at each level as the NOS and qualifications are applicable at both Indian and international levels.

Taking a multi-level institutional analyses approach this case-study explores the technical and vocational education and training (TVET) quality assurance and governance system for short term trainings (STT) in India

Keywords:

TVET, adult education, lifelong learning, learning societies, future of work, developmental approach, multi-level analysis, case study.