The attractiveness of polytechnics in Delhi and Mumbai: a study on the perception from the perspective of students and parents

ABSTRACT

This article analyses the attractiveness of Polytechnics (PTs) in India, which are part of the country’s Vocational Education and Training (VET) system, from the perspectives of individuals. PTs as institutions of Higher VET are an essential part of the Indian VET system. As no findings on their attractiveness are available, interviews based on an attractiveness model were conducted with 33 students and 17 parents. Results show that although PTs are attractive from an individual point of view and offer numerous advantages for those striving for education, like a wide range of career opportunities or a high level of job security, their attractiveness is considerably affected because of the societal perspective. However, in particular, the emphasis on the strengths of a PT diploma, like the combination of both theoretical and practical elements and the assignment of PTs to Higher VET may help to improve the rather negative societal perception of PTs.

KEYWORDS:

• Higher VET
• attractiveness
• skill development
• perceptions
• India

Acknowledgments

I confirm that this work is original and has not been published elsewhere, nor is it currently under consideration for publication elsewhere.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Data availability statement

The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author, Sebastian Schneider, upon reasonable request.

Notes

1. B.Tech. (Bachelor of Technology) is an undergraduate academic degree, which is usually directly done after higher secondary school, and which is mainly application- and skill-oriented. Access is granted based on entrance examination. The degree is similar to a Bachelor of Engineering (B.E.), though the latter focuses more on theoretical knowledge.