5 Disciplines that badly need training schools

1. Sports coaches
After the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) election fiasco, the lesson to be learnt is that India needs professional sports management instead of people who make it to the top job riding on political connections. Certain countries do well in certain sports because they have a number of certified coaches. As things stand today, in India, this is not even considered a discipline. High time it was!

2. Journalism
Journalism is undergoing a transition all over. New-age journalists are expected to become multimedia professionals rather than restrict themselves to any one medium. We need training schools to bridge the demand-supply gap.

3. Vocational skills
Several service sectors today are facing a huge shortage of skilled manpower. For instance, the hospitality and automotive industries suffer this problem. We desperately need training schools that can churn out manpower which is capable of working in hotels and restaurants, as well as trained automotive technicians and drivers. The situation is so grave that companies themselves are setting up training schools.

4. Data scientists
Riding on the progress of the internet and social media, we live in a world where consumers are generating a deluge of dynamic data. The industry needs technical training to produce computer science professionals who can go beyond writing software.

5. Rural healthcare
India is facing an acute shortage of doctors. Over the years, the country has realised that an MBBS course is perhaps too rigorous and long. There is an urgent need for a sizeable crop of medical professionals who can administer a basic level of healthcare, particularly in rural India. Starting 2013, the government is planning to start a three-year course in rural healthcare. Way to go!