Technical and vocational training are different
Vijay Garg
Although the main difference between technical and vocational training may seem somewhat semantic in nature, it is mostly related to the topics that each focuses on. Vocational training often refers to education and training that focuses more on practical skills and being able to perform tasks related to working in a particular industry.
Technical training is similar in nature, but the focus is on technology and developments made in computers and digital information. While both types of training are less educational and more practical, vocational training often focuses on manufacturing and manufacturing while technical training is more computer-oriented.
The difference between these types of training is somewhat subtle, but it is important. Vocational training is more practical than academic and often focuses on the skills and abilities a person needs to perform the job.
Much of this training is aimed at preparing students to work in construction, manufacturing and similar jobs that require skilled labor. This type of training can often be found in secondary education, such as the high school level in the US and post-secondary education as an alternative to college.
As opposed to manufacturing-oriented vocational training, technical training typically involves computers and advanced technology. This is the primary difference between technical and vocational training, as they both focus on skill and practical ability over academic research or knowledge for their research. As a great deal of tasks have been automated and increasingly computerized, technical training has become more important than ever.
The other major difference is the approach to each type of training in different countries. For example, in countries such as the US, there has been a lot of effort to reduce the focus on vocational training in schools as manufacturing jobs are largely outsourced to other countries.
On the other hand, technical training has become increasingly important as more and more jobs involve the use of computers for multiple tasks and training for such positions has become more specialized. In other countries, however, both forms have expanded as more opportunities for construction and construction work evolved along with computer-based work.
(The author is a Retired Principal based at Malout in Punjab)
