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For improving the employability of the population ‘skill development’ is the best tool. This can be imparted through vocational education and training. However, there is a perception that vocational education and skill development are meant for people who have failed to join mainstream education. This perception is strengthened by the significantly lower wages paid to employees with vocational training vis-à-vis those with formal education.
As per the NSDC (National Skill Development Corporation), there is a severe quality gap and lack of availability of trainers in the vocational education and training sector. By 2017, this skill gap within the vocational training sector including both teachers and non-teachers will reach a figure of 211,000. The workforce requirement is projected to increase to 320,000 by 2022.
There is a need of government investment in bridging the skill gap in the vocational education and training sector to improve the employability of people. Across industries and their sub- sectors, there are substantial skill
gaps that need to be filled up through appropriate skill development plans that leverage the private sector along with public initiatives. Some recent steps in this regard are as given below:
• With the setting up of the NSDC, progress is being made towards creating increased awareness about the skill gap and a thrust towards skill development in both the government and private sector employers as well as the Indian masses. The establishment of the National Skill Qualification Framework (NSQF) will also facilitate increased adoption of skill development programmes, with availability of pathways for progression between higher education and skill development.
• A multipronged policy approach to enable skill development including but not limited to initiatives such as setting up of Sector Skill Councils (SSCs), definition of Occupation Standards, drawing up of the NSQF and funding initiatives such as the Standard Training and Assessment Reward (STAR) scheme are likely to create a widespread positive impact on the skill ecosystem in India.
• The SSCs as autonomous industry-led bodies through the NSDC create National Occupational Standards (NOSs) and Qualification Packs (QP) for each job role in the sector, develop competency frameworks, conduct training of trainers, conduct skill gap studies and assess through independent agencies and certify trainees on the curriculum aligned to NOSs developed by them.
• Under the PMKVY (Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana), which targets offering 24 lakh Indian youth meaningful, industry-relevant, skill-based training and a government certification on successful completion of training along with assessment to help them secure a job for a better future. The actual success of this initiative can be gauged by the number of trained personnel being employed, which also needs to be measured and periodically reported.
• The DDU-GKY (Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Grameen Kaushalya Yojana), a placement-linked skill development scheme for rural youth (who are poor), as a skilling component of the NRLM (National rural Livelihood Mission) has also been launched.
• National Action Plan (NAP) for skill and training has been launched with a view to increasing the scope of employability among differently- abled persons. Under it a network of skill training providers led by training partners from government and non-government sectors has to be established. It will also include vocational rehabilitation centres. The plan has a target of skilling 5 lakh differently-abled persons in next three years (up to 2017-18). Plans are also on the anvil to extend the NAP with an online skill-training platform with a target of 5 lakh every year.
• National Policy on Skill Development and Entrepreneurship 2015 aims to ensure skilling on a large scale at a speed with high Standards and promote a culture of innovation based entrepreneurship to ensure sustainable livelihoods. Accordingly, a Policy Implementation Unit (PIU) will identify all the stakeholders involved and flag the actionable points to the responsible agency.
Given that India has one of the youngest populations in the world, there is immense potential for overseas employment opportunities for skilled persons from India. The process of mapping such opportunities through the NSDC is also in progress during 2016-17.