India’s average age is 29. With swift technological advances, skilling the youth at scale with speed and standards is the key to yield the results of demographic dividend.

Can same strategy be followed across the country?

Our country has significant disparity in demographic profile of our youth population. There is a higher median age in the range of 29-31 years in southern states. States like Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Bihar have a low median age of 20-22 years amounting to a rising working age population. Thus, the paradigms of skilling youth require different approaches for access and relevance.

Reaping Fruits of Demographic Dividend:

• Industrial Training Institutes (ITSs) have a significant role in meeting the industry demand for skilled manpower.
• Schemes like Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY), Pradhan Mantri Kaushal kemdras (PMKK), Recognition of Prior Learnig (RPL) and National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme (NAPS) can be realized to the full potential while the States and Centre work in partnerships .
• Power and Skill Development Miniseries have joined hands to launch a skill development programme to speed up the implementation of the Saubhagya Yojana.

Notables schemes for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship:

• Pradhan Mantri kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY) – initiative by the Government of India to train youth to prepare them for global markets through industry relevant training.
• Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana – National Urban Livelihoods Mission (DAY – NULM) – sustainable livelihood through skilling and up-skilling of urban poor for salaried employment or self – employment opportunities.
• Director General of Training –Modular Employable Skills (DGT-MES) – scheme for school dropouts and existing workers in the unorganized sector for improving gainful employment through vocational training and apprenticeship programmes.
• Deen Dayal Upadyaya Grameen kaushalya Yojana (DDU – GKY) – Placement linked skill development programme for the rural youth.
• National skill Development Corporation (NSDC) –PPP model under Ministry of Sill Development and Entrepreneurship that aims to promote skill development by creation of large number and quality –oriented training institutes.
• National Skill Development Agency (NSDA) – autonomous body under Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship; coordinates skill development efforts of the Government and private sector for achieving skilling targets by 2022.
• Aajeevika – National Rural Livelihood Mission (NRLM) – initiative of Ministry of Rural Development, Government of India that aims to provide opportunities to youth from rural areas to upgrade their skills and provide placement support.
• Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) – initiative to promote a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship by providing a platform for idea generation and incubator and mentor support.
• Start-up India – scheme to boost Indian start-up ecosystem. The action plan of this initiative is based on simplification and handholding of Start-ups, funding support and Incentives, industry – academia partnership and incubation support.

New Age Skilling in the Realm of Industry 4.0:

Industry 4.0 is characterized by increasing digitization, connected machines, amalgamation of emerging technologies, business analytics and cyber physical systems. This is the concept of ‘Smart Factory’ where machines talk to each other through sensors. This leads to productivity enhancement and resource optimization. In this regime, low – skilled jobs will be eliminated, but an increase in capacity will create new jobs requiring higher levels of skills. With fast emerging Fourth Industrial Revolution in India, emerging skills in domains like, Internet of Things, Artificial Intelligence, Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality, Robotics, Big Data Analytics and 3D Printing will be in much demand.

What has been done by the Government in this direction? 

• Government has doubled the Digital India budget.
• There are plans to set up Centres of Excellence for research training and skilling in robotics, artificial intelligence, digital manufacturing big data analysis and IOT.
• STARTUP India programme is generating large scale employment and is building a vibrant ecosystem for nurturing entrepreneurship and innovation.
• Eligible start-ups are exempted from income tax levy on share premium received as well as given 100 per cent deduction of the profits and gains from income for there out of seven consecutive assessment years.
• Government of India has come out with a new draft for telecom policy – National Digital Communications Policy 2018 with the aim to create a roadmap for emerging technologies.

What more needs to be done?

• Re –skilling or up – skilling models of the existing workforce have to be designed to equip theme with the changed task/job roles.
• For this a collaborative effort between ministries, state governments and industry bodies is required to train youth for the future jobs.
• There are doubts that artificial intelligence and internet of things will kill many jobs, but historically it is observed that every new wave of technology has created more jobs.
• Integration of Industry 4.0 with Initiatives like ‘ Make in India’, ‘Skill India’ , ‘ start-up India’, ‘ Stand Up India’ and ‘ Digital India; are mechanisms that will create new opportunities.
• The IT sector is going through a period of disruption that features protectionism, automation, and global challenges; all this is a great opportunity for our technology savvy youth.
• There are rising tends in enrolments of online courses like big date, machine learning and cloud computing. Many companies have started accelerator programmes to foster talent to get innovative solutions for the problems they face.

Nurturing Innovation Climate:

• Strategic linkages between Academia Industry – Government can boost innovations and R & D in institutions.
• Youth capital management requires providing education and employable skills.
• A right exposure to seed funding, mentoring, network support and technology can unleash the potential.
• India is the sixth – largest manufacturing nation. It has also improved its rank on the Global Competitiveness Index and Global Innovation Index. There is optimism for the prospect of skills and job creation and combination of apt policies, choice of right skills, development of human capital and academia – industry linkages can translate the potential of youth in to real outcomes.

The Road Ahead:

• As per World Bank, India is the fastest growing major economy in the world and it will continue to sustain up to another decade.
• In line with futuristic skill demands and industry 4.0, the skills agenda has to be revisited as global manufacturing will see structural shifts.
• Cross functional skills will be the critical factor of production and driver of competitiveness; continuous employee re-skilling or up-skilling is the need of hour.
• For this the strategy that leapfrogs has to be put in place that is not a linear, but progressive transformation.
• The government should try to push the transformational change through various mode is and schemes and our youth is flexible enough to adapt to new opportunities.