Difference Between ITI and Polytechnic Courses

ITI and polytechnic courses are two of the most prominent and best courses that a candidate could peruse after 10th or 12th. However, did you know that ITI and Polytechnic courses are different and not the same? No, as far as we know, most people do not know the difference between ITI and Polytechnic courses and they assume them to be the same.

Yes, it is true, ITI and Polytechnic courses are different in several ways, to know the difference you need to understand both the courses. In this article, we will discuss the differences between these two courses. But, let us start with a simple discussion on ITI vs Polytechnic courses.

What is an ITI course?

ITI courses are different from any other courses in different ways. However, the key and most important difference of an ITI course is that it could be perused after the 10th. Yes, once a candidate passes 10th from a recognized board, he/she could join the ITI course.

Are you a person interested in industrial work or engaging in small-scale businesses? Then, perusing an ITI course after 10th is the best option to cultivate your skills and talents. So what exactly is the ITI course?

What is ITI?

Industrial Training Institutes are simply referred to as ITIs and they are one of the major government initiatives. ITIs are common organizations or training centers that provide courses to the candidates seeking easy employment just after they pass 10th or 12th.

The main aim of ITI courses is to train the candidates to perform a specific task that would enable them to get a job at the end of the course. ITI courses could be technical or non-technical. As of today, there are more than a dozen different ITI courses in India, the candidate could consider perusing any specific ITI course based on his/her interest.

Benefits of perusing ITI courses –

Perusing a diploma, UG, or PG course to become a technician or mechanic is a waste of time, money, and energy. Not all people are interested in office work and white-collar jobs. ITI courses are designed for those candidates who dream to be a mechanic or technician. In simple words, ITI courses are for those candidates who plan on perusing a career at the lowest level of the industry.

Here are some of the common benefits of ITI courses  –

• Easy employment
• Short course duration
• Early job opportunities
• Cheaper than other courses
• Government approved course
• Could be perused even after 8th, 10th, or 12th.

Eligibility criteria for perusing ITI course –

While the ITI course is not as complicated as diploma, UG, or PG courses, it is still one of the prominent courses in India. Therefore, there are eligibility criteria that a candidate should satisfy to peruse this course. While ITI courses are offered in different states in India, the eligibility criteria are almost the same. However, you should know that the eligibility criteria might differ based on the course you plan to peruse.

• The candidate must have perused schooling through a regular mode
• The applicant should have completed 8th or 10th or 12th and passed
• The school from which you have completed 8th, 10th, or 12th must be the Indian government recognized board of education.
• No matter if you are from 8th, 10th, or 12th, you should have passed all the final exams.
• Different courses would have a different compulsory subject requirement, you must have studied those compulsory subjects in school. If not, you might not be eligible to peruse the specific ITI course.

ITI course admission process –

Most people assume that ITI courses are easy to get enrolled into. No, it is not that easy, some of the states enroll candidates into their ITI courses through a centralized admission process based on merit or entrance tests. Based on your requirement, you should enquire at the nearest ITI center to find out the exact admission process.

ITI course certification and examination –

All the candidates who peruse any ITI course have to appear and pass the All India Trade Test (AITT) which is conducted by National Council for Vocational Training (NCVT). Once you have passed this test, a National Trade Certificate would be awarded to you. This certificate would enable you to work in different industries.

Top 10 ITI courses to peruse after passing 8th –

1. Wiremen engineering
2. Carpenter engineering
3. Mechanical tractor
4. Cutting and sewing
5. Plumber engineering
6. Welder engineering
7. Pattern maker engineering
8. Bookbinder
9. Weaving the fancy fabric
10. Embroidery and needleworker

Top 10 ITI courses to peruse after passing 10th –

1. Tool and Die maker engineering
2. Draughtsman
3. Fitter engineering
4. Secretarial practice
5. Refrigeration engineering
6. Mechanical instrument engineering
7. Machinist engineering
8. Dressmaking
9. Hair and skincare
10. Electrician engineering

Apart from these, there are several other ITI courses that you could peruse.

Now, let us look into the polytechnic course.

What is a polytechnic course?

Polytechnic courses are different from UG and PG degree courses in several ways, most commonly, people consider the polytechnic course as a stepping stone to UG or PG course. However, in the past 10-years, the demand for the polytechnic course has increased and the industries have started to show more interest in recruiting polytechnic candidates for various job titles. So, what exactly is a polytechnic course.

What is polytechnic?

Polytechnic is fundamentally a diploma course in technical education. Unlike most other courses, polytechnic courses are designed to offer industrial arts, applied science, and other subjects.  Polytechnic courses are best for those candidates who dream of making a career in the technical field.

First, you should know that fact that graduating with a B.E or UG degree would not help you to peruse a career in the core technical field. To peruse a career in the core technical field, you need to be a polytechnic. One of the things about polytechnic is that a candidate who has completed polytechnic could peruse B.E or B.Tech course as lateral entry and move forward. Even a person who has completed the ITI course could peruse polytechnic course.

Benefits of perusing polytechnic course –

Unlike most of the UG and PG degree courses, polytechnic allows the candidate to peruse a career in a specific field of all industries. In a way, perusing polytechnic courses saves a lot of time and money if the candidate plans on perusing a career in a technical field only.

Here are some of the common benefits of perusing polytechnic courses –

• Polytechnic courses offer more training, practices, and practical knowledge than other courses
• Polytechnic courses are more close to engineering courses therefore, entry into the engineering field is easy
• Some companies prefer polytechnic candidates more than engineering candidates
• A polytechnic candidate could peruse an engineering course and join for an engineering course as lateral entry.

Eligibility criteria for perusing polytechnic courses –

The eligibility criteria for joining a polytechnic course if different for different institutions that offer it. Therefore, stating all the eligibility criteria is not possible. However, there are some basic eligibility criteria set by the UGC.

• The applicant should have completed either 10th or 12th
• The applicant should have passed 10th or 12th with a minimum of 50% marks
• The applicant should be from a government recognized board of education
• Some of the institutes require the candidate to appear and pass the entrance test conducted at the state level or by the college.

The admission process of polytechnic courses –

The admission process for each institution might be different. There are private polytechnic colleges and government-aided polytechnic colleges. No matter what kind of polytechnic, their admission process could be different. However, there is two way the admission process could be done. First, through an entrance test conducted by the state or college itself. Second, based on first come first serve, and based on merit. Based on your college preference, you need to find out the admission process they have set.

Polytechnic course certification –

All the polytechnic courses could be split into years or semesters. Each year or semester ends with an evaluation exam that evaluates the development of the candidate that year or semester. The course completion and evaluation is done either by the college itself or by the Directorate of Technical education.

Top 10 polytechnic courses to peruse after 10th and 12th –

1. Diploma in civil engineering
2. Diploma in electrical engineering
3. Diploma in biotechnology engineering
4. Diploma in garment technology
5. Diploma in agriculture
6. Diploma in electronics and communication engineering
7. Diploma in automobile engineering
8. Diploma in computer science and engineering
9. Diploma in mechanical engineering
10. Diploma in metallurgical engineering

Now, you know everything about both ITI and polytechnic courses. However, this summary might not be enough to understand the difference between these two types of courses.

Quick Comparison between ITI and polytechnic course

1. ITI courses could be perused even after completing and passing 8th, but this is not possible in the case of polytechnic courses.
2. ITI course is the most basic course that a person could peruse after schooling, but, the polytechnic is an intermediate course. A person could directly join engineering after polytechnic, but, not after ITI.
3. ITI courses have a course duration of 2-years, whereas, polytechnic courses have a duration of 3-years.
4. ITI courses are closer to polytechnic courses, but the polytechnic course is closer to the engineering course. Yet, ITI courses are not anywhere close to engineering courses.
5. ITI courses are comparatively cheaper than the same polytechnic course stream. While the fee range of ITI courses could be around INR 1000 to 10000, the course free of polytechnic could be around INR 10000 to 20000.
6. In terms of colleges offering ITI and polytechnic, statistics indicate that there are more number ITI centers in each state than polytechnic colleges. This includes both private and government-aided.
7. When it comes to a job, ITI candidates could work in any job available for ITI and even a polytechnic candidate could also do an ITI job. But, an ITI candidate cannot do polytechnic jobs or intermediate jobs.
8. Salary of an ITI candidate could be around INR 5000 to 10000, whereas for a polytechnic candidate it could be around INR 10000 to 20000.
9. Chances for promotion for an ITI candidate are comparatively less than a polytechnic candidate.

Conclusion –

If you are planning to peruse a course after 8th or 10th or 12th, you need to read the facts mentioned above carefully. Before joining any course, you need to check the details about the course and make sure the course suits your taste. If yes, then join it, if not, try considering another course.

Rahul Kumar

Rahul Kumar is a passionate educator, writer, and subject matter expert in the field of education and professional development. As an author on CoursesXpert, Rahul Kumar’s articles cover a wide range of topics, from various courses, educational and career guidance.