AI Generated Summary
- The department has asked DEOs to transfer the sanctioned funds to school heads without delay and ensure that the money is spent only on the activities for which it has been approved.
- The funding is expected to strengthen the practical component of vocational education in government schools by enabling students to move beyond classroom instruction and gain direct exposure to workplaces, equipment and professionals in their chosen skill sectors.
- In a communication sent to District Education Officers (DEOs), the Director General School Education-cum-State Project Director, Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan, Punjab, has outlined the expenditure to be undertaken from the grant.
The Punjab School Education Department has sanctioned Rs 5.37 crore for vocational education initiatives in 355 PM SHRI schools during the 2026-27 financial year, giving a fresh push to skill-based learning for students of Classes IX to XII.
The allocation will support activities in 721 vocational laboratories functioning across these schools under the National Skills Qualification Framework (NSQF). The funds are intended to provide students with greater practical exposure and closer interaction with industries and professionals associated with different vocational trades.
In a communication sent to District Education Officers (DEOs), the Director General School Education-cum-State Project Director, Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan, Punjab, has outlined the expenditure to be undertaken from the grant. The money will be used for industry visits, lectures by subject and industry experts, purchase of raw material required for practical training, office-related expenditure and activities aimed at familiarising students with vocational education.
The initiative covers a wide range of vocational streams, including agriculture, automobile services, healthcare, information technology and IT-enabled services, retail, tourism and hospitality.
Funding for practical training material has been fixed according to the requirements of individual trades, with allocations ranging between Rs 10,000 and Rs 40,000. Schools will also be able to organise industry visits for students, with each vocational laboratory entitled to Rs 15,000 per trade for each of two such visits.
Guest faculty brought in to provide specialised training and industry-oriented inputs will be paid between Rs 300 and Rs 500 per class, depending on their qualifications and professional experience.
District-wise allocations have been made on the basis of the number of vocational laboratories and activities proposed. Patiala has received the largest share of the grant at Rs 49.81 lakh, while Ludhiana has been allocated Rs 37.87 lakh. Fatehgarh Sahib has received Rs 7.38 lakh, the lowest allocation among the districts.
Faridkot, which has 20 vocational laboratories in its PM SHRI schools, has been sanctioned Rs 15.69 lakh. Of this, Rs 6 lakh has been set aside for industry visits and Rs 5.30 lakh for the purchase of raw material. Another Rs 2.04 lakh has been earmarked for guest lectures, Rs 1 lakh for office expenditure and Rs 1.35 lakh for vocational exposure activities.
The department has asked DEOs to transfer the sanctioned funds to school heads without delay and ensure that the money is spent only on the activities for which it has been approved.
Schools have also been instructed to maintain detailed records of expenditure. Utilisation certificates for the grants will have to be uploaded on the Prabandh portal by September 30, 2026.
The funding is expected to strengthen the practical component of vocational education in government schools by enabling students to move beyond classroom instruction and gain direct exposure to workplaces, equipment and professionals in their chosen skill sectors.
