Do you have a passion? Do you want to share your passion with the world? Do you want to monetize your passion? Welcome Vocational Education! For those who are more practice-oriented and who like to demonstrate their skills, a job in vocational education is definitely the right choice. During your teaching continuum, you’ll be spending significantly more time imparting your passion & skills and far less time on theory & books. Let’s understand vocational education & scope in detail:

As defined by Merriam Webster Dictionary, vocational teaching refers to  training for a specific occupation in agriculture, trade, or industry through a combination of theoretical teaching and practical experience.

This means that as a vocational education teacher, you not only need to be expert in your pedagogical approaches but you also need to have spent some time practising that occupation so that you know the ground level reality. For this very reason, Vocational education teachers and trainers have long been considered ‘dual professionals’. It is critical to become familiar with the latest teaching approaches and the latest technology while simultaneously developing an understanding of the dynamics of your specialisation. Dance teachers, for example, need to be familiar with techniques of formative assessment. In addition, they should also be aware of the emerging dance forms in the industry.

Examples of subjects a vocational teacher might teach include dance, yoga, music, coding, computer application, cricket among many others.

According to the National Institute of Open Schooling, India, Vocational Education plays its part effectively in the changing national context to make students more flexible, contemporary, relevant, inclusive and creative.

Hence, in simple terms, Vocational education and training gives students’ practical knowledge and backs conventional study with tangible skills & learning. It helps in ensuring sophistication of the education system, and allows students to become more future ready.

With this category of education, practical learning becomes an actual part of the course itself, providing students the opportunity to have hands-on experience of life beyond classrooms and to acquire knowledge and competencies for the long run.

In addition to teaching in middle and high schools, vocational educators can also teach in adult technical institutions and community colleges. Even firms employ vocational instructors to prepare staff for certain positions and responsibilities.

Like all teachers, vocational educators frequently provide written tests or oral quizzes to their pupils in order to analyse and assess their academic progress. To prove their proficiency, students could also need to complete a project or demonstrate a particular talent. Vocational teachers might need to get in touch with local businesses, governmental agencies, or labour unions in order to find possibilities for their students to gain on-the-job experience or arrange lessons with practical demonstrations.

A vocational teacher, like any other teacher, must keep track of students' assignments, grades, and attendance; communicate with parents about their children's progress; and plan, organise, and conduct instructional activities.

A vocational teacher's job can be quite lucrative due to their status as subject experts and dual professionals. The salary you will earn as a vocational teacher depends on your certifications, specialty areas, and years of experience, as well as your area of expertise. For example, according to salaryexpert.com, the average salary of a vocational teacher is as follows in different countries:

Additionally, you can even earn a side income by starting your own practice at your home or an office after school hours. You can even take short-term contracts or start your own short-term course online.

With growing technologies, expansion of specialised fields, and ever-evolving globalisation, there is no dearth of opportunities in vocational education teaching. Governments and other key stakeholders are thoroughly invested in vocational education in order to help their respective economic development & for the betterment of the country. 

For example: With the roll-out of the National Education Policy  of India (NEP) 2020, vocational education has garnered the required spotlight.  The policy focuses on bringing vocational education into mainstream education, as recommended by successive commissions on education over the years.

Skills are no longer overlooked, and degrees are no longer the most important thing. Globally, any skill that one is good at can be monetized & marketed. In order to be successful in the future, learners and firms globally are increasingly placing skills over degrees.

The range of Vocational Education courses has been expanding over the years depending upon the needs of learners and market demands.  In the coming years, the field of vocational education is only expected to grow with an increase in demand for qualified instructors in varied specialisations globally.