Trainers delivering vocational education in government schools across Assam are urging the state government to end the practice of hiring them through private third‑party agencies under the Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) scheme. They argue that direct recruitment by the government with regular salaries and better employment benefits would improve job security and teaching quality. Currently, trainers who support vocational courses such as information technology and other skill programmes are contractually employed by training management partners (TMPs) commissioned by district authorities. Although their salaries are financed through SSA funds, the trainers say the arrangement leads to insecure work conditions and delayed payments.
Contract Employment and Salary Issues
Vocational trainers have been hired via private agencies since 2018, and many report that monthly salaries funded by the Samagra Shiksha scheme are often delayed by three to four months or longer. Trainers typically receive around INR 23,000 per month after deductions, with no clear breakdowns or formal pay slips, and without benefits normally provided to regular government teachers. Attendance monitoring for these trainers is also strict, with geofencing‑linked mobile applications and video call checks used to verify daily presence. Trainers say lax employment status and tight monitoring create stress without corresponding job stability.
Demands for Job Security and Recruitment Reform
Trainers are calling for the state government to:
- End dependence on private third‑party agencies for employment contracts.
- Recruit vocational teachers directly under government service.
- Provide regular monthly salaries, clear pay structures, and employment benefits such as leave and social security.
Many trainers highlight that colleagues who later gained permanent government teaching positions through competitive exams benefit from more secure conditions, further underscoring the disparity. Officials associated with the Samagra Shiksha programme acknowledged that vocational trainers are currently hired as contractual staff and that delays in salary payments relate to procedural and fund disbursement cycles. They indicated willingness to review complaints but did not make commitments on direct recruitment or benefits. Vocational education trainers in Assam continue to push for systemic reforms that they believe will enhance job dignity, financial stability, and the overall quality of skill education in government schools.