“How to choose the correct vocational Course”

“Identifying the right course” starts with determining the fit between you as the student, and the right course from all the options available in the marketplace.

For this, the starting point is to understand who you are, and what are your interests and motives behind pursuing further education. You need to think about your interests e.g. do you like field work / meeting people / group activities? Or do you prefer working solo, and are more of an introvert? Do you have special interests such as, say, writing or cooking ?

Next is the goal of doing the course. Vocational by its very definition means “of, pertaining to, or connected with a vocation or occupation”. Broadly, it can include a very wide variety of courses including fields like accounting, Hotel management, aviation, travel and tourism, hardware technology, animation and IT etc. But for you is it for getting your first job, or pursuing a hobby, or adding a new skill to change your current line? Do you have time constraints – maybe you are currently working? Also, what is your budget, and how much time do you want to invest in the education (6 months? 3 years?).

Once you have a clear articulation of your own interests and goals, it is time to hit the market. Research the market – visit institutes, gather information in the form of brochures and prospectuses, talk to students and ex-students at various institutes and colleges, and check out their offerings on the web. As you educate yourself on the options, you will also get a good understanding of the area which you are interested in, and also you may have a shortlist of the courses you would like to pursue.

For example, lets say you have narrowed down to two areas : aviation / hotel management (a.k.a Hospitality). You can then go out and gather information on the various aviation courses. Firstly understand the options within aviation – there are ground staff courses, and also in-flight courses. Understand the various institutes which offer such courses e.g. AHA, Frankfinn, Kingfisher academy etc. Do a reality check on where the students who complete these courses get placed e.g. less than 5 % of the students of in-flight courses get into that line of work. Most others go into other service oriented jobs.

Similarly, for hospitality visit various Hotel Management schools such as the Pusa Institute, UEI Global and others to understand their offerings in the vocational space. Vocational courses can be both diploma’s and degrees. Also in hospitality, would you want to learn to be a chef, or a manager? What other specialities exist? Based on your time-frame understand the various products on offer, and try and get an understanding of the value of the course in the marketplace. Also understand how the institute plans to prepare you for the job market. Do they provide any interview guarantees? Do they equip you in any way (besides the vocational skill itself) to succeed in such interviews? Maybe teach English or personality development? If the eventual goal is to succeed in getting a career, these aspects can make a big difference.

In essence, be sure you know yourself well, and identify a course not just based on the latest fad or “hot” field, but also keeping in mind your needs and goals. And research the options in the market well before picking one. All the best !