ROLE OF DIFFERENT STAKEHOLDERS IN SKILL DEVELOPMENT

India is a country with one of the largest youth population in the world. More than 62% of the population is in the working age group. According to some estimates, around 250 million people would be joining the workforce in the next decade. This will greatly enhance the degree of competition, which would eventually lead to, as Darwin said, “Survival of the Fittest”. Employees would be required to have more and better skills than they originally need to survive. 

Not only this, globalisation too has played a major role in reflecting the need for a better, skilled workforce, both for the developed and developing nations. It has also been observed that nations with highly skilled human capital tend to have higher GDP and per capita income levels and they adjust more effectively to the challenges and opportunities of the world of work and jobs. 

Against this backdrop, India is driving unique initiatives to convert its demographic potential into a dividend that will fuel the country’s growth. At the same time, ageing populations in several developed countries are presenting opportunities for the migration of skilled people from India that benefits both the host and destination countries.

ROLE OF EDUCATION IN SKILL DEVELOPMENT

For the youth, education plays a vital role in not only imparting knowledge but also in skill development. Education enhances the employability of a person and also provides life skills. One of the basic employability skills is the expertise in the core subject and, only quality education ensures that the teaching-learning process complements the demands in the job sector. The best way to ensure that the youth is job-ready is to start early and for that the role of school level education becomes important. There are various ways through which skill development can be implemented in schools -

● Firstly, opportunities for skill development courses should be provided. The courses should be part of the evaluation process so that the students and faculty take the subject seriously.

● A balance between Humanities and technical skills should be ensured and the courses should be designed in a way to provide a holistic understanding to the students.

● Schools should encourage practical learning through field trips, education tours, surveys, interaction of students with different experts. This will not only provide them knowledge but it will also boost other skills like communication, team management, social understanding, leadership, soft skills among others.

● Skill development should be taken seriously just like academics. Also, the curriculum should be updated as per the present demands of the employability sector.

THE CRUCIAL ROLE PLAYED BY THE GOVERNMENT

To develop the skills of the youth, for working in various sectors, the biggest role is played by the ruling government of the country. The government has to set the targets of its various skill development schemes, ensure that quality training is provided and individuals are rightfully certified on the basis of various factors. It also has to focus on the infrastructure, the allocation of training centres, and most importantly, the budget which needs to be formulated, keeping in mind this purpose. 

For the first time since India’s independence, a Ministry for Skill Development & Entrepreneurship (MSDE) was formed in 2015 to focus on enhancing employability of the youth through skill development. There are more than 20 central ministries/departments running various schemes for skill development. The rising youth unemployment became a major area of policy concern, and employers complained about the ‘unemployability of potential hires’, which in policy terms, means ‘skill deficit’. Millions of youth could not find jobs or were not appropriate for the available jobs due to lack of skills.

In response to this crisis, the government of India launched the Skill India Mission which aims to train 400 million people in India in different skills by 2022. Under the Skill India Mission, the government is implementing various schemes for imparting employable skills to the youth through short-term and long-term training. The Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY) is Skill India’s flagship skill development scheme. The objective of skill certification scheme is to enable a large number of the Indian youth to take up industry-relevant skill training to help them take up jobs in the industrial and manufacturing sector. The key components of the scheme include - short term training, recognition of prior learning, special projects, Kaushal and Rozgar Mela, as well as placement and monitoring guidelines. PMKVY 2.0 set a target to provide skilling to one crore people under short-term training (STT), recognition of prior learning (RPL) and a special project (SP) across the country over four years (2016-2020). The scheme imparts 150 to 300 hours training (depending on the job role), for 221 job roles across 34 skill councils at PMKVY training centres to candidates of Indian nationality, who are either school/college dropouts or unemployed. 

The MSDE today is a labyrinth of governing bodies, each having its own designated functions. Under these, the students receive a variety of certificates and diplomas from the Training Partners and institutes, which constitute training that ranges from a few hours to months. Additionally, the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) also offers Bachelor of Vocation (BVoc) degrees through three-year full time courses. Besides, there are a number of private corporations that upskill and reskill employees on their own accord, not aligned to any government schemes. In addition, the SANKALP project falling under the ambit of MSDE and the state skill development mission works to implement its objectives, and it also completely mirrors the objectives of the National Skill Development Agency (NSDA), which is also under the MSDE. 

The government, however, was able to place only a handful — 2.6 lakh candidates under PMKVY 1.0 out of 19.85 lakh total candidates. Under 2.0, only 12.6 lakh candidates have been placed out of 52.12 lakh so far. The top states in terms of placement under PMKVY 2.0 have been Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, and Andhra Pradesh while under 1.0, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and Himachal Pradesh were the top states, recording maximum placements.

GAPS AND CONTRADICTIONS IN THE PMKVY SCHEME

The Sharda Committee Report pointed out the major loophole in the PMKVY scheme, which is compromise with the quality of training leading to low placement rates. According to a Parliamentary panel report, a majority portion of the budget allocated for Skill India Mission is unspent, and the target is yet to be achieved. Also, a lot of focus is given on the infrastructure and branding of the training centres, which is unnecessary on many levels. For example, four to six points are awarded for availability of air-conditioners in the campus, power backup, Internet connectivity, library, pantry, parking, lifts, CCTV cameras, overhead projectors, toilets. Zero points are given, in case, these facilities are unavailable. Applications are rejected on the basis of absence of these infrastructural facilities. Branding has become an essential part of the scheme. Around ₹15,000 is spent on PM’s banners, templates and standees. Hence, the amount of focus given on infrastructure and branding can be shifted to quality of the training provided. There are loopholes in employment generation too. Training incentive per candidate varies from ₹5,445 to ₹10,890, depending on the job role. Only 20% of it is used for placement of the candidate. In addition to this, no incentives are provided to the Training Partners (TPs), for organising Rozgar Mela, in which, at least 4 companies are to be invited to provide employment opportunities to those who have completed their training under PMKVY. 

ROLE OF PRIVATE SECTOR

It is important to realise that only a skilled demography would be able to boost economic productivity and an educated, skilled youth would supplement economic growth in a more sustainable manner and, for this the role of private sector assumes great importance as they would not only be the creators of skills but also, they would be the future employers and consumers of human resources. Some of the important initiatives by the private sector in skill development are - 

● IL&FS is one of the leading private skilling company in India. It provides placement driven skill training to diverse range of groups from school dropouts to high school, higher secondary school and ITI graduates. IL&FS puts a special emphasis on technological solutions via interactive platforms to overcome barriers such as physical distance and time.

● The All India Society for Electronic and Computer Technology (AISECT) was created to bridge the information and communications technology gap between urban and rural areas of India. AISECT empowers youth with skill training and it also uses the franchise model to build entrepreneurial network.

● Youth4Jobs provides skill development to differently-abled youth from rural areas. This organization has developed unique training and outreach modules that are changing perceptions about disabled youth and their capabilities to work among and along with employers, parents and youth themselves. Youth4Jobs has devised an integrated course to improve soft skills, English language efficiency and sector - specific competencies.

● Centum WorkSkills India limited (CWSI) is one of the NSDC’s largest training partners. CWSI offers an integrated set of services in the skill development sphere, which ranges from community mobilization, assessment, certification and assistance for placement. CWSI provides special focus on vocational training to youth on a large scale.

 

SOURCE:UNSPLASH BY: AUSTIN DISTAL

ROLE OF NGOs

NGOs with their flexibility, adaptability and community-targeted specific programmes, can prove to be beneficial in skill development. NGOs initiate section specific programmes like - skill development for women, young children, urban youth, and underprivileged youth in rural areas. One of the major advantages of NGOs is that they are able to impart skill development even at the local level and as per the demands and capability of the youth. Also, according to the pace of the learner, training is given, unlike schools and institutions where there is a proper schedule and structure of the course. Some NGOs working in the skill development area are - 

● Smile Foundation's Twin e-Learning Programme (STeP) - STeP is a national level livelihood programme that trains urban underprivileged youth with market-oriented job skills such as English, basic computer, personality development, retail management, relevant soft skills etc. and makes them employed in retail and service sectors across India.

● National Skills Foundation of India (NSFI) is a non-profit organisation engaged in building livelihoods in a sustainable manner through the implementation of large-scale development interventions. It offers research-based policy recommendations, takes up skill development initiatives, promotes entrepreneurship, aids in project implementation through market-based models and also incubates organisations and individuals.

● Vivid Foundation conducts a large number of entrepreneurship and skill development programmes. The Skill Development Programmes are conducted by Vivid Foundation associated with Sulabh International, MSME and GRC with focus on entrepreneurship skills, development with specific skills related to electronics, manufacturing and machinery, which enables the trainees to start their own ventures.

SKILL DEVELOPMENT AND AATMNIRBHAR BHARAT

In the present global crisis posed by COVID-19, PM Modi gave a clear call to the need for “Self-Reliant India or AtmaNirbhar Bharat” and appealed the citizens to follow the path of self-sustenance. It directs towards speeding up infrastructural developments in the country, attracting investments, scaling up manufacturing and consumption-led growth. 

The major driving force to achieve a self-reliant India is the skill set of the individuals, needed for employment in various sectors or self-employment. In the present scenario, a host of skill sets including communication skills, data science, AI and machine learning, adaptability to changing work environments, and cross-cultural sensitivity are emerging as quintessential to be employed. The government must work towards this. 

CONCLUSION

There is a need to rethink Skill India, and tackle all the challenges related to skill development urgently. There is a greater need to focus on the low participation of women. Skilling initiatives, complemented by a wider push towards empowerment through gender sensitization, creation of economic opportunities, and provision of economic and social support – can be used to raise this number. Skill imparting should be done, keeping in mind, a holistic approach and attempts should be made to bridge the gaps in skill development among the different strata of the population. It is imperative to realize that the youth can act as a boon only if proper skill imparting is done. Skill development is not only a requirement of the present but also, a responsibility we all owe the posterity – creation of a sustainable future.

 

REFERENCES 

https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/skill-funds-lie-unspent-scheme-short-of-target/story-D72xrZhLbCTvmf7GAQwRTI.html

https://www.newindianexpress.com/nation/2020/jun/08/just-23-per-cent-of-trainees-got-jobs-under-skill-india-mission-since-2015-2153636.html

https://www.deccanherald.com/specials/insight/skill-training-has-become-a-numbers-game-836134.html

https://www.livemint.com/politics/policy/india-to-unveil-next-phase-of-flagship-pmkvy-with-a-new-focus-11594813067007.html

https://thewire.in/economy/modi-skill-india-jobs-districts

https://thewire.in/economy/pradhan-mantri-kaushal-vikas-yojana-flawed

https://www.indiatoday.in/education-today/featurephilia/story/how-bridging-india-s-skill-gap-can-give-us-an-atmanirbhar-bharat-1710129-2020-08-11

https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/skill-india-for-atmanirbhar-bharat-m-venkaiah-naidu-6505990/

https://www.smilefoundationindia.org/assocham-award.html

https://nsfindia.org/

https://vividfoundation.org/skill-development-programme.html

 

WRITTEN BY MEDHA NANDINI AND JAHNAVI CHOURASIA