At least 10% students who complete class 10 every year take up a polytechnic course as it offers job opportunities early in their career, and at the same time the three-year course gives them a good foundation if they pursue engineering.
Around 10lakh candidates appear for the class 10 state board exams every year, and according to the All India Survey for Higher Education survey reports, more than 1lakh join a polytechnic course.
Principal of PSG Polytechnic College, Giriraj Balasubramaniam, said, "The demand for polytechnic graduates has increased in the last two-three years. A polytechnic graduate can become a supervisor or a machine operator with salary ranging from Rs1.2-4lakh per annum."
While about 50% candidates take up the course with the intention of seeking early employment, around 40% aspire to join engineering. "Polytechnic courses offer better foundation to engineering aspirants. And, it also helps us (teachers) identify students who can become good engineers," Giriraj said.
Principal of Coimbatore Institute of Technology, V Selladurai, said "A polytechnic graduate learns the skills required in his/her field. And, when he/she enters engineering with the skill set, the university education that is more knowledge-specific will help him/her emerge as a better engineer... Polytechnic education is 80% skill-based and 20% knowledge based, while university education is vice-versa."
Experts say shortage of skilled labour in the last few years has created the demand for polytechnic graduates. "Our education system has created an inverted pyramid where we have a large pool of engineering, and the number of polytechnic graduates are almost half. It should be the other way round. This has led to the shortage of skilled workforce in the industry today," said Giriraj Balasubramaniam.
Selladurai, on the other hand, says that despite automation, the need for skilled labour will continue to be there because to transfer new technology, every industry will require skilled labour. "A company might invest large sums on research and development and invent a new technology. But, to ensure that the technology is successfully implemented, it will need skilled labour, be it software industry or core engineering," he said.
Around 10lakh candidates appear for the class 10 state board exams every year, and according to the All India Survey for Higher Education survey reports, more than 1lakh join a polytechnic course.
Principal of PSG Polytechnic College, Giriraj Balasubramaniam, said, "The demand for polytechnic graduates has increased in the last two-three years. A polytechnic graduate can become a supervisor or a machine operator with salary ranging from Rs1.2-4lakh per annum."
While about 50% candidates take up the course with the intention of seeking early employment, around 40% aspire to join engineering. "Polytechnic courses offer better foundation to engineering aspirants. And, it also helps us (teachers) identify students who can become good engineers," Giriraj said.
Principal of Coimbatore Institute of Technology, V Selladurai, said "A polytechnic graduate learns the skills required in his/her field. And, when he/she enters engineering with the skill set, the university education that is more knowledge-specific will help him/her emerge as a better engineer... Polytechnic education is 80% skill-based and 20% knowledge based, while university education is vice-versa."
Experts say shortage of skilled labour in the last few years has created the demand for polytechnic graduates. "Our education system has created an inverted pyramid where we have a large pool of engineering, and the number of polytechnic graduates are almost half. It should be the other way round. This has led to the shortage of skilled workforce in the industry today," said Giriraj Balasubramaniam.
Selladurai, on the other hand, says that despite automation, the need for skilled labour will continue to be there because to transfer new technology, every industry will require skilled labour. "A company might invest large sums on research and development and invent a new technology. But, to ensure that the technology is successfully implemented, it will need skilled labour, be it software industry or core engineering," he said.