Harnessing The Skill And Creativity Of India’s Youth

Chandrabhanu Pattajoshi Jul 15, 2021

With educational establishments closed since March 2020, it will be a while before technical and vocational institutions return to a normal routine and begin training in skills development, self-employment and new job prospects.

Covid-19, however, has provided institutions and organisations with an opportunity to focus on upskilling and reskilling that will help both old and new workers meet sudden and unexpected challenges, such as the health crisis and remain relevant in the job market.

Given India’s massive youth demographic – 365 million young people in the 10-24 age group – there will be an increasing demand for skilled individuals in specialised areas such as IT and digital as well as new-age technologies including artificial intelligence, machine learning, big data analytics, internet of things, cybersecurity, robotics and cloud computing. This is proving to be even more imperative during the pandemic when the country is witnessing large-scale adoption of digital tools and services.

While these innovations are improving lives and easing businesses, their reach is still largely restricted to urban centres, leaving the rural youth with little or no technical skills that will help them in the job market. The lack of quality training centres and e-learning tools in Tier 3 cities onwards is one of the main reasons why the young are ill-prepared for competitive exams and miss out on opportunities.

In recent years, the government has launched two significant initiatives – Skill India and Make in India – to create a robust platform for boosting skills development and encouraging entrepreneurship in India, and especially in the rural parts. The aim of these programmes, under the broader Aatmanirbhar Bharat mission, is to harness skills across sectors including manufacturing, textile, arts and handicraft, agriculture and food processing, create a highly talented and advanced workforce, and make India the Skills Capital of the World.

Since skills development plays a key role in celebrating the resilience and creativity of youth, as the United Nations has planned this year, it is important for the various stakeholders to ensure continuous skills training with particular emphasis on distance learning and training that guarantees the safety of the workers during the pandemic. Any recovery plan must ensure sufficient funding for skills training and development across sectors, especially those worst affected by Covid-19. At the same time, institutions and companies must also anticipate any changes in the demand for skills in the job market, particularly now that India is fast moving towards economic recovery.

Indeed, years of patterned conditioning has restricted the thought process of our youth, affecting their confidence and self-esteem. In the long run, this approach will not only hinder their creative and logical abilities but also restrain them from pushing the boundaries of possibilities. Our young students must be exposed to skills-building through practical knowledge and exposure. I am, however, happy to note that many education and technical institutions are integrating technology into their training modules, thereby providing a hybrid learning experience for educators, students and workers.

As we advance digitally, employers across sectors are more likely to hire candidates as much for their degrees, adaptability, culture fit and growth potential as for their in-demand technical skills. The youth would do well to take up mentorship programmes conducted by industry leaders to get a first-hand insight into the company and the job offerings and positions it has to offer.

Having said all this, I strongly believe that the future belongs to those among the young who constantly enhance their skills, or acquire new ones, and are prepared for any eventuality even before it happens.