A study on the effectiveness of Vocational Training to Students with Disabilities- A case study from Kerala, India.

Vocational Education

Abstract Human Resource Development can only be sustainable when it is equitable, inclusive and accessible for all. Persons with disabilities need therefore to be included at all stages of development processes. It becomes more critical for India, as its demographic dividend can only be realised with rapid creation of employment and opportunities for generating income. Improving employment prospects for the disabled will be critical for their development. According to UNDP report (2012), in India, the skills and potential of most people living with disabilities remain untapped, underutilized or under developed. Vocational training is one of the potential determinants of employment among People with differently abled. They should get proper vocational training after a full assessment of training needs and suitability, carried out by a multidisciplinary team of doctors, therapists, social workers, counsellors and other professionals. Once course is selected, these children need effective special training even within the inclusive education and it is the most important requirement in the process of their rehabilitation. Proper skill training should start from the initial vocational education itself. This paper aims to examine both the process of selection of courses and the effectiveness of skill training for differently abled students in initial vocational education of Kerala i.e., Vocational Higher Secondary Education (VHSE). The paper emphasises the need of occupational therapy in our school system. Training area should be selected according to the nature, type and extent of disability. The teachers should get special training in this area and their support is necessary for the child during the training process. Infrastructure requirements are still needed in most of the schools. Thus it is possible to skill this human resource pool to industry needs and thus can contribute the country’s economy. Conclusions and recommended actions are included in the paper.

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