Indian Council of Skill Development was established in 2017 by an article. 29 & 30(1) constitution
of India and incorporated under the legislation of Ministry of Corporate Affairs, Government of India.
Skills, knowledge and innovation are important driving forces of economic growth and social
development in our country and country with higher levels of skill, adjust more effectively
to challenges and opportunities in the global economy. India has had relatively strong economic
performance in the past decade. There have some drawback to uphold the current situation of
skill development and job creation. To overcome this pressure vocational education is the alternative
option for the social and personal development. Vocational education can increase the socioeconomic development of the developing country like India.
Vocational Skill Education plays a vital role in the development of human being as well as the nation.
It is a distinctive investment in the present as well as for the future. Every country develops its own
system of education to express and promote its unique socio-cultural-economic identity to support
the existing potential opportunities. India, at present, is recognized as one of the youngest nations in
the world with over 50% of the population under the age of 30 years. It is estimated that by about
2025, India will have 25% of the world’s total workforce. In order to harness the full demographic
dividend, India needs an educational system which is of high quality, affordable, flexible and relevant
to the individuals, economy and to the society as a whole.
Presently, the country faces a mismatch in the demand and supply, as the economy needs more
‘skilled’ workforce. In order to offer a nationally standardized skill related programmes, the
Government of India has notified the National Skills Qualifications Framework (NSQF) on 27th
December 2013. It is a nationally integrated education and competency-based skill framework
which provides multiple pathways within vocational education. It allows individuals to accumulate
their knowledge and skills and convert them, through testing and certification by the competent
authorities, into certification which could be a diploma, advanced diploma, PG diploma.

 

Introduction

The Community College Movement in India was started in 1990s. It aims at the Empowerment of the Disadvantaged through appropriate skills development leading to gainful employment, thus making a qualitative difference in the lives of the urban poor, rural poor, tribal poor and women in collaboration with local industrial establishments and potential employers, community leaders after taking into account the opportunities available for employment and self-employment in the local area.

First Community College in India was established in 1993 and has been registered as a Society under the Karnataka Societies Registration Act, 1960

i.e. Canara Community College (CCC) which is a non-profit making, autonomous institution. It owes its origin to the Centre for Technology Development (CTD), Bangalore.

Second, the Pondicherry University Community College was inaugurated by Dr. (Miss) A.S. Desai, Chairperson, University Grants Commission (UGC) on 16^th October 1995 during the Decennial celebration of Pondicherry University. It is located at Lawspet, Pondicherry.

The motto   of   Pondicherry   University   Community   College   (PUCC)   is

“Education for Employment’’ through skill formation.

Meaning of Community Colleges in India

In India the Community College movements has started in 1990s. The meaning for Community Colleges in India is differing from the Unites States. The Community College in India is nothing but an alternate system of education, which is aimed at the empowerment of the disadvantaged groups and the under privileged groups through appropriate skills in collaboration with local industry and community for immediate employment.

In India today these Community Colleges have been called “Roofs for the Roofless”, “Giving the Best to the Least” and “Includes the Excluded” by the people of the local community. Some the salient features of the Community Colleges in India are:

1. The Community College is an innovative educational alternative that is rooted in the local community providing education and eligibility for employment to the disadvantaged

 

1. The Vision of the Community is to be of the Community, for Community and by the Community and to produce responsible

• The Community College promotes job oriented, work related, skill- based and life coping education

1. The Community College initiative is in conformity with the Indian political will that priorities in education, primary education, information technology education and vocational
2. The key words of the Community College Systems are access, flexibility in curriculum and teaching methodology, cost effectiveness and equal opportunity in collaboration with industrial, commercial and sectors of the local area and responding to the social needs and issues of the local community, internship and job placement within the local area, promotion of self employment and small business development declaration of competence and eligibility for
3. The Community Colleges should be established by a non-profit making, non-commercial and community based organization with proven years of service to the local

• The establishment of the Community Colleges should be preceded by an extensive Need Analyses of the employment opportunities available in the local area and also the social needs of the
• The target groups of the Community College is 12^th passes, 10^th passed students, school dropouts, rural women, existing workforce that wants to update its skills and all who want skill based and need based education at an affordable price

1. There is no age limit for admission into a
2. The close and active linkage between Industries and Community Colleges is must for success of the Community College Systems. The Industrial Partner helps the Colleges in designing the curriculum, providing part time industries, serving as members of the advisory board and the governing board, taking students for internship and helping them to find job
3. The Community College is a multi-campus

• The Community College is permitted to the optimum utilization of the existing infrastructural facilities available to the community based organization that establishes the Community Colleges.

 

• The Community College tries to respond to the deficiencies of the Vocational Systems through industry institutional linkage, competence assessment, proper certification, training on site, life skills training and job oriented programmes decided on the basis of the local
• The Community College is an improvement and departure from earlier initiatives such as Industrial Training Institutes, Community Polytechnics and Apprenticeship

1. The curriculum of Community College has four distinct parts: life skills, work skills, internship and preparation for

• The evaluation and assessment of skills done by the Community College has four dimensions: self –assessment, assessment by the life skills and work skills teachers and internship supervisor at the work.

Advantages of Community Colleges

Among the advantages of attending a Community College are close proximity, open acceptance policies, small classes, and lower costs. Many Community Colleges are funded in part by tax from the local area. Other students attend Community College simply to take classes related to their areas of interest or to increase their base of knowledge. Students usually need only be a high school 8^th or 10^th standard pass for the Vocational Courses, 12^th standard pass out for graduate courses, or possess a Diploma to take classes.

No entrance exam is required. Many students also find that because of the smaller size of a Community College, it is easier to receive individualized assistance from faculty. Some Community Colleges have expanded to include student activities and intramural sports activities. Generally, there are no time restrictions on a student’s educational progress, as there might be at a traditional university.

 

Benefits to Students

The experiences of students at Community Colleges are significant. Many students use this time as a gateway to a college or university that would not

 

have been possible without the low costs and accessibility of a Community College. Some go on to lucrative technical careers. And many might not have gone to college at all without access to two-year institutions. They offer unique Programmes and services; they are all a stepping stone to a brighter future for those who would not otherwise be able to afford a college education. The following are the most common benefits to the students.

1. Recognition and Accreditation
2. Cost

• Easy transfer to a University

1. Accredited Institutions
2. Wide variety of programmes
3. Multilingual support

• A Supportive learning environment
• Diversity

1. Access to culture
2. Variety of Locations and Campus Sizes

 Benefits to Society

Community College offer many benefits to the society. Some are given below:

• Includes the Excluded
• Gives the Best to the Least
• Enhances the Human Resource Development
• Alleviates Poverty
• Empowers the disadvantaged groups, particularly
• Enriches Competence and Capacity building
• Creates self – Employment
• Helps Constructive channeling of energies of vast proportions of the educated unemployed
• Act as Catalyst to Rural Development
• Gives Democratic response to the current processes of Privatization, Globalization and Liberalization
• Act as Instrument to promote Communal Harmony and National Integration
• Acts as Movement of the

 

Most of the Community Colleges provide the following student support services:

• Academic and personal support
• Financial assistance/scholarship search
• Tutoring and study groups
• Tours to colleges and universities
• Workshops
• Cultural activities and events

Growth of Community Colleges in India

The Community College Movement started in 1996 at Chennai with the starting of Madras Community College. It was decided to concentrate on one year Diploma Programme in the Community College system. It was promoted as an alternative system of education based on inspiration and model of the US Community Colleges. The whole concept was evolved because of the interaction with more than 30 Professors of US Community College and by the visit of Dr. Xavier Alphonse, S.J., in 1995 -96 to 18 Community Colleges. Right from the beginning conscious efforts were made to create and formulate an Indian Community College system to respond to the needs of the people of India.

The Community College system aims at empowering the marginalized and the disadvantaged sections of the society. It has become a National phenomenon with the clear articulation of Urban, Rural, Tribal, and Women Community Colleges. It has spread its wings to 20 states of India with 302 Community Colleges associating with Indian Centre for Research and Development of Community Education (ICRDCE) which is a pioneering institute to develop the concept and to help in the establishment and monitoring of all the Community Colleges.

1. Madras Community College, Santhome, Chennai (August, 1996)
2. Madurai Community College, Gnanavolivupuram, Madurai (July, 1997) We have 1948 Community Colleges in the States of The following table

3.1. demonstrates the growth of the Community College movement in India.

Number of Community Colleges established State wise in India

The followings are the States wise details of Community Colleges that are established by NGOs/State and Central Government and UGC as per the current Population of India.

Types of Community Colleges

There are four types of Community Colleges evolved so far in India. They are

1. Urban Community Colleges for Urban development and
2. Rural Community Colleges for Rural Development / Urban Placement
3. Women Community Colleges for Women Development and Rural / Urban Placement
4. Tribal Community Colleges for Tribal Community Development

There are five major types of community education programmes: adult education, continuing education, lifelong learning, community services, and especially community-based education. Historically, Community Colleges have provided various programmes and services to people who otherwise would not have had an opportunity to pursue higher education

NGO Model

Non Governmental Organizations (NGOs) are generally run by Religious Organizations, Christian Dioceses, Non Governmental, No-Profit Organization, Philanthropic Trusts, etc. The Madras Community College-Chennai, Immaculate Community College-Cuddalore, Abbirami Community College- Udumalaipettai, Dharmapuri Rural Community College- Dharmapuri, etc fall under this category.

University Model

In this model, Community Colleges are started as a part of the university. They are generally located in separate wings or rooms of the existing university building or separate building as per the needs. They share the existing facilities. Pondicherry Central University started a Community College in October 1995. It is offering Associate Degrees, PG Diploma courses, PG courses, Diploma courses and Certificate courses.

All these courses are conducted in close collaboration with the industries of the area. It endeavors to create an innovative alternative model of higher education in which academicians, administrators, industrialists, agriculturists, traders, students and other members of the community become partners in the development of human resource with adequate mutual collaboration and co-operation. The motto of the Community College is for the community and by the community.

Similarly Community Colleges started by, Rajiv National Institute for Youth and Development-Sriperumputhur, Bharathidasan University – Trichy, Avinashilingam Deemed University – Coimbatore, and The Department for International Development (DFID), U.K. which is supporting the project under

 

its development programme – ‘Colleges without Walls’, which is very much the pat of the University come under this model.

Local Body Model

The Chennai Corporation has started a Community College at Chennai in 1999. It is the first of its kind in India that a local body has taken upon itself the responsibility of starting a Community College for providing skills development for the underprivileged and the disadvantaged groups in the society.

The main objective of the college is to provide proper career guidance to those students who are passing out from the corporation colleges every year. The basic work of these colleges are to identify the areas where there are large number of college going children not going to college, identify the reasons for the college dropouts, workout modules for the on-going training of the teachers, survey the basic skills among the children studying in the colleges, setting up vocational training centres and publishing career guidance material.

The Community College is coming under the administration of the Commissioner of Chennai Corporation. Similarly, other local bodies such as Panchayat Unions, etc also may start Community Colleges.

Affiliated Model

In this model, the Community Colleges are started by some organizations and they are affiliated with a University. Mostly, these Community Colleges are functioning like degree colleges with full infrastructure, faculty, students, etc and affiliated to the nearly University.

In the national level, there are more than 200 Community Colleges at various parts of India affiliated to Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU), New Delhi. These colleges follow various syllabuses according to their local needs. These syllabuses have been endorsed by IGNOU, and it prepares the course materials, and evaluation mechanism.

The Colleges conduct the courses, and the students are awarded degrees by IGNOU. In Tamil Nadu, Manonmaniam Sundaranar University, Tamil Nadu Open University, Madurai Kamaraj University are some of the affiliating Universities which affiliate the Community Colleges.

State Government Model

In 2010- the State Government of Tamil Nadu has started 10 Community Colleges in all the Conventional Universities in Tamil Nadu to provide Skill Based Education as extension activities of Conventional Universities. The Examination will be conducted by Directorate of Technical Education (DOTE)

 

and Certificate for these students will also be issued by DOTE. The State Government of Tamil Nadu has also provides Scholarships to the students of Tamil Nadu Open University’s Community’ Colleges irrespective of Caste, Creed and Religion.