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Jagpreet
27 August, 2024
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India has a huge youth population which can be trained professionally to fill the skill gap in the country. As the country navigates its path to becoming a global economy, investing in workforce development is crucial. In this case, community colleges play a huge role in bridging the skill gap and training students to enter the workforce with minimum spending. In US, UK and other countries community colleges have played a significant role in workforce development. According to various research, community colleges have the potential to enhance workforce development goals. Although the concept of community college is not that popular in India although the country has made significant developments in this area in the past few years. The Tamil Nadu Open University and IGNOU were the torchbearers for this cause.
Wondering what’s the role of community colleges in workforce development in India? This blog has a details description of community colleges, their roles and the challenges they face in India.
Let’s start with the introduction of community colleges.
Community college is a system designed to address the academic needs of the community at an affordable cost without affecting the quality. These colleges offer associate degrees and vocational and technical education. It is highly uncommon for a community college to offer a four-year bachelor’s degree. Community colleges often collaborate with nearby universities to ease the transition for students to carry on with the bachelor’s degree.
There are courses related to general studies, humanities, biology and history. The technical and vocational programmes cover topics like welding, nursing, culinary arts and automotive technology. For these programmes, community colleges partner with regional industries and employers to help prepare the students to enter the workforce.
Certificate
Diploma
Advanced Diploma
While both community colleges and universities offer after-school courses, there are key differences which distinguish them.
| Community College | University |
| Community colleges are less expensive. | A university is more expensive. |
| Any high school graduate can apply, as it is generally open to everyone. | There are a limited number of seats, so admission is a bit tough. |
| The class size is generally large and one-on-one interaction with teachers is difficult. | The class size is comparatively smaller and thus, students have enough opportunities to have one-on-one interaction with teachers. |
| A community college will not provide housing facilities to its students. Usually, students are day scholars. | In a university, you get hostel facilities, meal plans and other living arrangements. |
| They mostly offer associate degrees, diplomas and certificate courses which can be completed in two years or less than that. | From a diploma, and bachelor’s degree to a master’s degree and a PhD, a university offers a wide range of courses. |
| There are fewer course options to pursue. | Multiple course options to pursue across various disciplines. |
| A community college’s aim is to provide undergraduate programmes to local communities. | It caters to the needs of a larger population looking for different programmes. |
| Usually, the faculty is hired on a part-time basis. | The faculty at a university serves regular office hours. |
| Limited financial assistance as the tuition is much more affordable. | Have several scholarships and financial aid to ease the student’s burden. |
To describe it in clear words, workforce development refers to the initiatives offered by government officers and agencies to create, sustain and retain a capable workforce. It is the concept of creating economic prosperity for businesses, communities and individuals. It emphasises an individual’s ability to grow their skills and enhance their proficiency to handle the updated tools for business. Cutting the story short, workforce development trains candidates to become more productive and achieve success in their workplace which benefits both the parties: the employer and the employee.
Although it is an important aspect of training humans, various research shows that over 62% of C-level executives are unsure what steps to take for workforce development. Whether you work in an auto garage, medical clinic or at a big IT company, you need to invest in your employee’s training to get better results and increase efficiency. Workforce development is all about maximising the potential of the employees by providing them ample opportunities.
Now, let’s see how community colleges can help in workforce development.
Community colleges play a crucial role in training individuals and bridging the skill gap for high-demand local jobs. Although the concept of community college has become a national phenomenon in India, it is not fully accepted by the Indian education system. There are more than 500+ community colleges in India across 22 states and UTs. In India, community colleges play an important role in workforce development as they collaborate with local industries and communities for skill development.
According to research sponsored by the Embassy of the USA in India, in 2005, the Indian community college system witnessed a major breakthrough when Tamil Nadu Open University recognised 67 community colleges as Vocational Programme Centres. The Tamil Nadu Open University also extended recognition to the community colleges of other states. Gradually the concept of a community college system was recognised by the MHRD and UGC. This went ahead to set up a National Committee on Community College.
Moving further, in 2009, IGNOU also launched the community college scheme realising the contribution of community colleges to workforce development and enhancing the employability of the youth. In the community college movement, IGNOU has played a huge role in recognising more community colleges and upgrading their quality.
By now you must have a background of the community college system in India. Now are you wondering what’s their role in workforce development?
Here’s a map of what role a community college plays in workforce development.
Bridges the Skill Gap: The primary goal of community colleges in India is to bridge the skill gap between traditional education and industry needs. They typically focus on practical knowledge and niche skills rather than theoretical concepts therefore, they are best known for vocational fields. The core areas covered are information technology, healthcare, hospitality, and automotive technology.
Enhance Employability: As community colleges focus on job-oriented skills, they play a crucial role in enhancing graduate employability. They even offer internships and apprenticeships to give students exposure to the outside world.
Support Regional Development: The programmes offered by community colleges target the local needs and industries which have good job opportunities in the area. Some institutions collaborate with regional industries and businesses to provide a wider perspective to the students.
Affordable and Accessible Education: For students from underprivileged areas, community colleges are the best alternative to traditional higher education. Moreover, the fee structure is also low, which makes education economical for every section of society.
Encourage Entrepreneurship: They offer programmes on business management, financial planning and start-up building along with mentorship and incubators. Though not every institute has the same facilities, they do it at the grassroots level.
Promoter of Lifelong Learning: In this fast-paced business environment, lifelong learning has become an increasingly important concept. The niche-oriented courses of community colleges offer upskilling and continuous education opportunities to students, especially to remote area students. There are skill development workshops and short certifications to hone your practical skills. Some companies and industries collaborate with community colleges to train their employees to fulfil the workforce development objective.
Limited Recognition and Awareness: The concept of community college is popular in the US, UK, Canada and Germany. However, there is not much awareness of the concept of community colleges in India. Also, there need to be proper national standards to recognise the community colleges.
Limited Funding and Resources: Funding has been a consistent challenge for community colleges. Since the funding is limited it restricts the colleges from investing in better resources.
Stigma Surrounding the Community Colleges: People generally undervalue the community colleges which affects students’ enrolment and the college’s reputation. If there is less enrolment, even with good resources, community college will not have any impact.
Shortage of Qualified Teachers: Not many teachers choose to teach in community colleges because of the exposure, less growth, and lower salaries. Therefore, it becomes challenging to retain good teachers.
Community colleges have played a critical role in workforce development in India and abroad. Their aim is to bridge the gap between practical skills and academics preparing students for various job opportunities. Compared to the universities they have a better chance of reaching remote and underprivileged regions where a higher number of people struggle for skill development. Therefore, if we manage to overcome these challenges, community colleges can significantly aid workforce development in India.
