Context: Services sector jobs and agriculture income enhancement present large opportunities for school-based skilling, according to “Jobs at Your Doorsteps,” a skill gap study prepared by the World Bank.

About the Study 

• It examined skill education and job opportunities in Himachal Pradesh, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, and Rajasthan.

• It identified key sectors offering high-demand jobs for school-to-work pathways.

Focus Areas

• It focused on scaling and strengthening skill education.

• It addressed which skills should be offered based on local economic needs.

• It explored ways to enhance skill education outcomes, including jobs, self-employment, and pathways to further education or skills.

Key Sector Findings

• Services Sector: Major opportunities in retail, IT, banking, and other service sectors, requiring multi-skill exposure and employability skills.

• Agriculture Sector: Significant opportunities for school-based skilling to enhance farm productivity and income.

• Areas like horticulture, dairy farming, livestock health, and aquaculture were identified for job generation.

• Mining Sector: Limited job opportunities due to hazardous work conditions and demand for unskilled labor.

• Manufacturing Sector: Both MSMEs and large industries offer medium-level opportunities. MSMEs seek multi-skilled workers, while larger industries prefer skilled workers with proper certifications (e.g., ITI equivalent).

Key Recommendations

• For Skill Education: Create skill hubs and expand access to skill education.

• Revise curricula to target broad-based trades and local economic needs.

• Focus on employability skills (soft skills) alongside technical skills.

• Enhance hands-on learning and experimental pedagogy.

• Build industry partnerships for curriculum development and industry exposure.

• Strengthen assessments to test practical, hands-on skills.

• Sector-Specific Recommendations: Agriculture: Customize curricula based on local agricultural needs; focus on farm productivity and agronomy.

• Manufacturing: Increase focus on the automobile sector to generate more job opportunities.

• Government Role: Both State and Central governments are encouraged to focus on specific areas such as horticulture, dairy farming, and aquaculture to boost job creation.