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On A Vocational Note...

Not interested in the regular courses? There's vocational ones for you. Beulah Pereira speaks to a few professionals for some tips to help you decide.

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Besides regular courses, there's a rise of vocational courses,which aim to get you closer to the profession you want to pursue. Besides the fact that these courses have a more focused approach for students keen on them, they also seem increasingly interesting, in terms of the subjects offered.

There's a growing trend in students opting for self-financing (vocational) courses, which is observed by educationists over the past few years. A certain lack of interest in core subjects are one of the main reasons sited for this change. Concessao Martins, Coordinator of the BMM Department at Don Bosco College attributed this trend to, "vocational courses are becoming increasingly popluar as the numbers of applicants as well as the colleges offering the course are increasing every year''.

The Admission Process
The admission process for vocational courses is more or less, the same as the regular courses. However, there is just one difference. "The documents required are the same as any other course, however, there is no in-house quota, as there are fewer seats as compared to B.A. or B.Com or any other regular courses. So, students get admission purely on merit," said Sharon Menezes, Coordinator of BMM, Smt. MMK College of Commerce & Economics for eight years.

The Popularity
"The reason why vocational courses are becoming increasingly popular is because, students prefer having an edge over the regular-course students", said Menezes. Futhermore, ''Students are now able to decide their career path at an earlier stage and decide to streamline their education likewise," added Martins. Students interested in media or management, hospitality or information technology, etc choose courses of their interest.

Students Say
Mikhail Budhabhatti, a fomer B.Sc.IT student said, "The course has helped me see some real potential in the IT sector". Currently pursuing a Post-Graduate Diploma in E-Business, he added, "Unlike the regular courses, BSc.IT provides a first hand insight into programming and IT business. Getting a job in these fields is much easier, for a BSc.IT graduate".

"I was always fond of painting," said Shital Didwania. Completing her Bachelors in Fine Arts at Rachna Sansad, she added, "Art being my passion, I chose Fine Arts since it would help me develop my drawings and give me a wider perspective about art. Regular courses would be a waste of my time, so I made the shift directly after HSC".

Diksha Punjabi, who did BMM from R.D. National College said, "If not for BMM, I would not have the thrilling experience of making a movie, working on set for my own documentary, reporting, meeting new people and to top it off, doing internships at such an early age". She went on to explain that even though vocational courses are helpful, "The only disadvantage of this course is that, there is a lack of good faculty. Also, even though I specialised in journalism, I had to still do a post graduate diploma, to learn more of the field".

The Benefits
Unlike, regular courses, vocational courses proved to be far more beneficial. According to Menezes, "If a student is clear about the career he/she is interested in, it is preferable to pursue a course that fits that career rather than do a regular degree and then a short-term course to fit into the industry". Futhermore, these courses provide students with an edge over regular courses by providing them with internships, which helps them develop practical skills.

Finance Is Secondary
Since these courses are not aided by the government, the fees are exceptionally high. But, it can be concluded that, money is secondary. "Students would rather spend on this rather than spend much more later in specialised certificate courses", adds Sharon.
In addition, "Fees are related to equipments that are required to be able to run the course, infrastructure and other costs, which is not a deterrent to those interested," said Martins.

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