On occasion of the World Youth Skills Day that went by this Sunday, Divya Jain, Founder, and CEO of Safeducate, explains the need to invest in youth skilling
India is on the threshold of major reforms and is poised to become the third-largest economy of the world by 2030. The country is, today, one of the youngest nations in the world with more than 62% of the population in the working age group of 15-59 years, and more than 54% of the total population is below 25 years of age. In fact, in the next 20 years, the labour force in the industrialised world is expected to decline by 4%, while in India it will increase by 32%. However, current statistics show that only 2% of the total employable population in India has completed skills development training.
The urgency for skilling India’s workforce
Since most of the new jobs that will be created in the future will require high-level skills, a lack of such skills in the Indian workforce is a serious challenge. There are grave problems with the Indian higher education system that are common knowledge. These include a shortage of high quality faculty, poor incentive structures and a lack of good regulation amongst many others.
As plagued with issues as the Indian higher education system is, the worst problems are in primary education. After all, without a good foundation, subsequent education cannot happen easily and effectively. This is true even for vocational training, not just elite education for the advantaged and talented.
Government initiatives for upskilling the Indian workforce
The government has undertaken some measures to impart skills to the Indian workforce to reap the benefits of demographic dividends. The major challenge of skill development initiatives is also to address the needs of the huge population by inculcating industry-relevant skills in them in order to make them employable and secure decent work. The government further established the National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) to contribute significantly (about 30%) to the overall target of skilling/upskilling 500 million people in India by 2022, mainly by fostering private sector initiatives in skill development programmes and providing funding.
The major purpose behind the ‘Make in India’ initiative is also job creation and skill enhancement in all the major sectors of the economy. India has become a vibrant market for manufacturers and investors. The country stands committed to have an FDI policy and administration which is investor friendly and also promotes investment leading to increased manufacturing, job creation and overall economic growth of the country. More than 8 out of every 10 Indian workers are informally employed or work in informal sectors, excluded from employment rights, benefits and social protection. More than half of the non-agricultural working population is absorbed into the informal economy and employment growth remains concentrated in low-productivity sectors, such as construction. Not enough decent and productive jobs have been created. In addition, there are persistent and notable disparities in the labour force participation rates of men and women.
Productive and formal employment generation depends on the availability of an adequately skilled labour force through sustained investments in skill development and fostering opportunities for decent job creation through entrepreneurship.
Need for more targeted policies and actions
To close India’s skills deficit and increase employability, a range of policies and strategies are needed to address work-relevant education systems, career guidance, life-skills, and technical, vocational education and training schemes, along with on-the-job training in both formal and informal sectors.
HR professionals and the Government together need to devise educational programmes which impart the required skills to students to make them productive and employable. The private sector needs to spell out what is it that they are looking for in a fresher.
Reports indicate that the vast talent pool of the country suffers from either not having the skills to be employable or in many instances are not being able to signal their availability for jobs matching their skills due to an inefficient marketplace for jobs. This is especially true for jobs at the entry level or those that conduct mass recruitment. There is a growing paranoia now that India’s poorly trained labour force, along with a stagnant manufacturing sector, might be headed for a demographic disaster. Quality primary education will not resolve all that afflicts India’s society and economy, but it is a necessary step in the direction of providing equal opportunity to every citizen.
Giving India’s youth the wings to fly high
The highly capable and ambitious youth of India needs to be taken into consideration when formulating new policies and increasing the thrust on their education and upskilling. Some of them, though educated are unemployed. They should be given an opportunity to expose their intelligence to the world and realise their full potential. Indian youth has the ability to make a huge difference in society and the entire world. They just need the right push in terms of training and job opportunities and the onus for this is on both the government and private players.
The role of the youth in nation building is crucial. They are problem solvers, have a positive influence on other young people and the nation, and are extremely ambitious. They have the ability to create an identity for themselves and move the nation forward. However, they will not be able to do this without the support of their Government and their fellow citizens.