Is a USD 5 trillion economy yet another symbolic gesture akin to a target set in 2015 to skill 500 million by 2022? Unless the root issues such as education, skilling and job creation are not addressed we will continue to miss the boat in leveraging our demographic dividend- a median age of 29.
With 500 Skill Development Centers crisscrossing the country and skills training imparted in 2000 odd job roles why are we still chasing targets and not outcomes? What has been the negative impact of a supply-oriented skills training approach and how can demand aggregation help? Corporate Social Responsibility needs to be brought into the skilling ecosystem with more opportunities for workplace-based exposure such as apprenticeships.
Read Recognising the Value of Vocational Training and Skills Based Education in CSR Agendas
Similarly, public-private partnership models such as corporates and skills training institutes joining force with public universities in financing and implementing skilling programmes can boost participation of youth in market relevant training courses. Finally, how can proposals in Budget 2019 to integrate vocational skills training with mainstream education affect the future employability of our children? Get your answers here.
