Vocational courses are generally categorized as non-academic and offer direct skills required for a particular profession. They are structured and built in a manner to provide more application-based learning, with little theoretical aspect. Options may vary from long-term to short-term courses, offering a degree, diploma, or certificate. Vocational courses are a popular choice as they make students career-ready by providing academic, technical, employability, and career-specific skills.
Read More: What Is The Difference Between Higher Education And Vocational Education?
While there are several courses available, here are a few criteria that one must keep in mind before selecting one.
- Why a vocational course– First you must ask yourself why do you want to do a particular course? Are you looking to enhance your knowledge in your existing career or are you looking for a change altogether? Thus it is important to think about your existing skillset and experience before choosing a course.
- The Right Skills – You need to choose a course that interests you and also highlights your core values. Assess your strengths and skill sets and then choose a course to get success.
- The Aptitude towards a Particular Subject (finding your area of interest) – What interests you most? It is really important to think about your area of interest and what drives you towards it. Is it because your parents want you to do a particular course, or is it because you are interested in the glittering career ahead of the course? Finding out what drives you towards a particular course is very critical.
- The Eligibility Criteria– Once you have established your interest in a particular course based on your reasoning, it is important to research the eligibility criteria for it.
- The Course Fee – While this might not be the main reason to select a course, it is an important aspect to keep in mind while selecting the course.
- Choosing the Right Institute – Choosing an institute is as important as choosing the right course. You could base your choices on geographical location, school ranking, research facilities available, practical experience, internships, fees, etc. What might work for you might not work for another.
- Career Prospect-It is equally important to choose a course that offers you a lucrative career. It could mean a higher position in your present work or even a prospect for growth. Since most vocational courses are job-oriented, you must choose the one keeping in mind the work opportunities.
Types of Popular Courses in Offer
While the list is endless, here are some top vocational courses that are being offered today are-
- Animation, Graphics and Multimedia
- Tourism Management
- Finance and Banking
- Disaster Management
- Physical Education/Gym Trainer
- Public Relations
- Human Resource Management
- Information Technology
- Marketing Management
- Catering Management
- Commercial Piloting
- Air Hostess Training
- Foreign Language Expert
- Fashion Designing
- Web Development and Designing
- Photography
- Bakery
Thus it is important to find the right course at the right university and you will have a successful career ahead.
