August 12: The problems and predicaments faced by young people when choosing a career are well acknowledged. Among other things, there are the pressures of conforming to social norms and parental expectations, the lack of suitable training institutions, and the dearth of any guidance.

It is estimated that there are about 50 lakh students completing their higher secondary, technical training, college education every year that join the ranks of employment-seekers. A large percentage of this number, due to inadequate knowledge and unrealistic professional aspirations seek out the traditional route of government jobs, engineering or medicine where there are limited options.

And yet there are hundreds of alternative career options for those made aware of their aptitudes and strengths, and provided the appropriate information. Although career choices, for the most part, are still being made on the basis of chance rather than choice, the need for career planning is of paramount importance.

What is becoming apparent in today's competitive world is that no longer is a broad-based general degree education sufficient for getting a job. The demand for professionalism in all spheres of employment requires the development of appropriate marketable skills. These could be in specific job related fields, and not necessarily confined to engineering, medicine or finance. Thee are hundreds of jobs available today in areas as diverse as art management, photography, floriculture and beauty care to footwear and plastic technologies, environment science, bio-technology, jewellery manufacture or even traditional medicine.

Most colleges still offer only a broad-based degree course at undergraduate level and so students are advised to specialise at the post-graduate level through degree or diploma courses, now widely available in all large cities. Around 160 colleges, and some schools at plus 2 level, have introduced vocational subject studies such as archaeology and museology, advertising and sales promotion, mass communication and video production, travel and tourism management, actuarial science etc. at the degree level which could provide the added specialisation for those entering these fields.

There are also in most major towns and cities hundreds of institutes and polytechnics offering a range of diploma or certificate courses in vocational subjects such as food processing, construction management, gems and jewellery, footwear technology, journalism, sales and marketing and so on. While it is difficult to vouch for the credentials of all such institutions, most do offer some basic training. And in the absence of a sufficient number of certified institutions, these offer the next best alternative. Those who can are advised to gain experience through on-the-job training in organisations willing to take on trainees.

Diploma and vocational courses provided by polytechnics previously scoffed at are attractive options and should not be dismissed lightly. Competence means the ability to perform task-how or where this competence is acquired should not be of consequence.

With demand for these vocational skills far in excess of supply, there is bound to be a training revolution; it won't be long before those entering these areas are recruited on the basis of their competence rather than their qualifications.

There have been moves by industrial houses for setting up training courses for professionals in their particular areas of expertise. Some associations and groups of organisations in certain technical fields have already spearheaded this movement. There are institutes set up by the footwear association for training footwear technologists, plastics technology training by the plastics association, catering and hotel management courses by hotel and restaurant association, and so on. Fees for these courses when run by private organisations are high, but it is possible to get scholarships, or bank loans on easy terms or even company sponsorship for undertaking their training.

Currently, the job market is tilted towards careers in the media, fashion and clothing industry, food business, and in computers. These areas will absorb as many qualified people as they can get. But the need for trained manpower extends even to little known fields such as art restoration and conservation, detective services, or social work, where new job functions are continuously being created.

In fact, the future is in the hands of those who given their expertise and training look for the niche where there is a consumer need, and evolve their job around it, so creating their own jobs and in turn, providing employment for several more. But whatever the field, to get a job or create one is largely a matter of skills attained and its positioning in a fast-changing job market.

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.