Introduction:
India’s most significant asset is its vast labour force. To harness the potential of the demographic dividend, there is a need to enhance employability through comprehensive skill development initiatives. Additionally, it is crucial to create employment opportunities for the increasing number of young people entering the workforce each year.
The Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) plays a vital role by offering skill, re-skill, and up-skill training through various programs such as the National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme (NAPS), Jan Shikshan Sansthan (JSS), Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY), and Craftsman Training Scheme (CTS) via Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs). These initiatives are part of the broader Skill India Mission (SIM).
Body:
Skill India Mission (SIM):
- The mission seeks to equip the youth of India with skills that are aligned with industry demands. Key institutions like the National Institute for Entrepreneurship and Small Business Development (NIESBUD), Indian Institute of Entrepreneurship (IIE), and National Skill Training
- Institutes (NSTIs) provide training, supported by digital platforms like Skill India Digital (SID).
Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY):
- Offers short-term training to youth across rural and urban India, focusing on up-skilling and re-skilling through Recognition of Prior
- Learning (RPL). The scheme aims to empower millions with skills relevant to various industries. For instance, in Rajasthan, the initiative trained over 3 lakh individuals in the textile sector.
National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme (NAPS):
- Designed to promote apprenticeship by providing financial incentives to industrial institutions. The scheme includes both basic and on-the-job training, with over 42,000 organizations participating nationwide. A success story is from Maharashtra, where automotive companies absorbed over 50,000 apprentices annually.
Craftsman Training Scheme (CTS):
- Provides long-term vocational training through ITIs, offering courses across economic sectors. ITIs have been crucial in generating skilled labour for industries like construction and manufacturing. For example, in Uttar Pradesh, ITI graduates have significantly contributed to infrastructure projects.
Jan Shikshan Sansthan (JSS):
- JSS aims to impart vocational skills to non-literates, school dropouts, and individuals with minimal education, prioritizing SCs, STs, OBCs, and women. In states like West Bengal, JSS has been instrumental in promoting small-scale entrepreneurship among rural women.
Conclusion:
- With an average age of 29 years, India is at the cusp of a demographic dividend. In contrast, developed nations like the US, China, and Japan have an older population. India must seize this opportunity by focusing on skill development to enhance productivity and economic growth.
- Learning from countries like China, which leveraged its demographic advantage through labour-intensive manufacturing, India can achieve similar growth by aligning its workforce to emerging global industry trends. Strategic investment in skill development will enable India to transition from a labour surplus to a skill surplus economy, enhancing its global competitiveness.