New Delhi: On Tuesday, HRD Minister Kapil Sibal launched a framework for vocational education to be implemented in polytechnics, engineering colleges and other colleges across the country.

During the launch of the National Vocational Education Qualification Framework (NVEQF), Mr. Sibal told to reporters that a seven-level certification programme, starting in class 9, would be started in different fields of vocational training, culminating in a degree at the end of the seventh year.

Mr. Sibal said that "It will start from class 9 level which will be level one, then for class 10 it will be level two, and so on".

"Completing level seven, one would get a degree," he said.

A total of 1,000 hours of training will be necessary in every level annually, with hours fixed for different topics in the course.

In this academic year 2012-13, this programme include specific sector like IT, media, entertainment, telecommunications, mobile communications, automobile, construction, retail, food processing, tourism, hotel, jewellery design and fashion design.

Mr. Sibal said that "Other courses will also be added in due course of time,"

AICTE official said that the "AICTE (All India Council of Technical Education) would seek to provide the requisite statutory approvals to any institutions wishing to conduct these programmes from the academic year 2012 throughout the country. The institutions can choose a maximum of 500 students per institute in any five sectors, 100 students per sector".

The programme is expected to cater to at least 5 million students for vocational degree and diploma every year.