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A recent World Bank study, titled "Jobs at Your Doorsteps," highlights the critical need for skill-based training to address the skill gap and boost employment opportunities across various sectors in India. The research, focusing on six states – Himachal Pradesh, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, and Rajasthan – underscores the significant potential for school-based skilling to drive economic growth and improve livelihoods. The study's release by Union Ministers Dharmendra Pradhan and Mansukh Mandaviya emphasizes the Indian government's commitment to addressing skill development challenges.
The study meticulously examined the alignment between available skill education and job market demands. It identified fourteen sectors with high demand for skilled workers, offering a roadmap for targeted skill development initiatives. The research delves into the effectiveness of existing skill education programs, analyzing the pathways leading to employment, self-employment, further education, and advanced skilling opportunities. A key finding is the substantial potential within the services sector and agriculture for school-based skilling programs. The agriculture sector, in particular, presents multiple opportunities for job creation and increased farm income, even extending to entrepreneurship prospects.
However, the study also reveals disparities across sectors. While the mining sector wasn't identified as a significant source of school-to-work employment due to its hazardous nature and high demand for unskilled labor, the manufacturing sector, encompassing both MSMEs and large industries, offered medium-level opportunities post-skilled schooling. MSMEs expressed a preference for multi-skilled candidates, demonstrating a need for more versatile skill development programs. Large industries, however, emphasized the importance of formal certification, ideally equivalent to an ITI (Industrial Training Institute) qualification, indicating a need for aligning school curricula with industry standards. Collaboration between educational institutions and industries on curriculum design, guest lectures, and apprenticeships was suggested as a means of bridging the gap between education and employment.
The service sector, particularly retail, IT, and banking, presents significant opportunities across the country, but a common thread across sectors is the demand for strong 'employability skills.' These skills, including communication, teamwork, and problem-solving, are crucial for success in any field and highlight the need for well-rounded skill development programs that extend beyond technical expertise. The study provides detailed recommendations for the agriculture sector, emphasizing the importance of curriculum customization based on local needs with a focus on improving farm productivity and agronomy. It also suggests that both state and central governments should prioritize horticulture and gardening, dairy farming and livestock health, and aquaculture and fisheries to stimulate job growth within the sector.
To enhance the effectiveness of skill education, the study proposes several key recommendations: expanding access by establishing skill hubs, revising trade offerings to target multiple job roles per trade, re-aligning trades with local economic needs, focusing on both employability and technical skills, improving hands-on learning and experimental pedagogy, engaging experienced teachers and trainers, strengthening assessments that test practical skills, fostering deeper partnerships with industry, and changing perceptions of skill education through effective student and parent counseling. These recommendations underscore the need for a holistic approach to skill development, addressing not just the technical skills gap but also broader educational and societal factors that influence employment outcomes. The implementation of these suggestions would require significant investment and collaboration among stakeholders, but the potential returns in terms of economic growth and improved livelihoods are considerable.
The "Jobs at Your Doorsteps" study provides a crucial framework for policymakers and educational institutions to improve skill development initiatives in India. By addressing the alignment between education and labor market demands, and by fostering stronger partnerships between the education and industry sectors, India can significantly enhance its human capital and achieve sustainable economic growth. The study's emphasis on tailoring training to meet local needs, incorporating practical skills training, and cultivating employability skills suggests a more comprehensive and effective approach to skill development than previous models. The success of these recommendations will depend on the effective implementation of policy changes and collaborative efforts between various stakeholders.
Source: World Bank study recommends skill-based training to enhance jobs in multiple sectors