Skill Development & Management
Skill development is essential for economic growth and social development. As per the International Labor Organisation, “Education, vocational training and lifelong learning are central pillars of employability, employment of workers and sustainable enterprise development.” India faces a large disconnect between the formal education system and work requirements, compounding the skill gap’s challenges. With more than 12 million youths entering work age annually, it becomes imperative for the government to enhance the country’s employment opportunities. Generating employment to such a large population is a challenge. The government has drafted skill development as one of its priorities. It aims to enhance youth participation, seek greater inclusion of women, and improve the capability of the present system, making it flexible to adapt to technological changes and demands emanating from the labour market.
Skills and knowledge are the driving forces of economic growth and social development for any country. Countries with higher levels and better standards of skills adjust more effectively to the challenges and opportunities in domestic and international job markets. As per the National Sample Survey Office (NSSO), 2011-12 (68th round) Report on Status of Education and Vocational Training in India, among persons of age 15-59 years, about 2.2% are reported to have received formal vocational training and 8.6% are reported to have received non-formal vocational training. While the debate on the exact quantum of the challenge continues, there is no disputing the fact that it is indeed a challenge of formidable proportions.
The objective of Skill Development is to create a workforce empowered with the necessary and continuously upgraded skills, knowledge and internationally recognized qualifications to gain access to decent employment and ensure India’s competitiveness in the dynamic global market. It aims at increasing the productivity and employability of workforce (wage and self-employed) both in the organized and the unorganized sectors. It seeks increased participation of youth, women, disabled and other disadvantaged sections of the society and to synergize efforts of the various sectors and to reform the present system with the enhanced capability to adapt to the changing technologies and the labour market demands.
Challenges in the skilling and entrepreneurship
- Public perception that views skilling as the last option meant for those who have not been able to progress/opted out of the formal academic system.
- Skill development programmes of the Central Government are spread across more than 20 Ministries/Departments without any robust coordination and monitoring mechanism to ensure convergence.
- Multiplicity in assessment and certification systems that leads to inconsistent outcomes and causes confusion among employers.
- Paucity of trainers, inability to attract practitioners from industry as faculty.
- Mismatch between demand and supply at the sectoral and spatial levels.
- Limited mobility between skill and higher education programs and vocational education.
- Very low coverage of apprenticeship programs.
- Narrow and often obsolete skill curricula.
- Declining labour force participation rate of women.
- Predominant non-farm, unorganised sector employment with low productivity but no premium for skilling.
- Non-inclusion of entrepreneurship in formal education system
- Lack of mentorship and adequate access to finance for startups.
- Inadequate impetus to innovation driven entrepreneurship.
