In the last few decades, we have seen Education is the biggest level playing field. There are several examples around us where a young man/woman from a under privileged background gets a job in sunrise Industry like IT and it transforms the social structure of his family and the person almost becomes a role model for the village/region /community propelling a large set of people towards prosperity.

However, with disruption in technology and growing demands of the Industry, traditional education has become grossly inadequate and the demographic dividend that we all harp upon is soon turning out to be a ticking time bomb which may result in large scale social unrest.

Employability is one of the biggest challenge being faced by youth in India and the challenge in employability is linked to quality of skilling that is relevant to the job market/Industry. The challenge is more in under privileged classes because of the growing digital divide in terms of access to quality education(skilling), access to industry mentors, lack of motivation and direction.

It is very paradoxical that while the youth is demotivated because of unemployment, the Industry (companies) are actually scrambling for talent. India has an opportunity to be the global supplier of talent to an aging world.

There are several attempts being made by government and private entities but many of them are piece meal solutions lacking a holistic approach. 

One of the big challenges of skilling initiatives has been quality versus scalability. An effective mechanism is perhaps a good balance between self learning content and mentor intervention. There is also a huge need to have a transparent tracking mechanism to measure engagement and outcomes. Thankfully there are now technologies like Ai which can do this without much cost.

Looking at the humongous size of the problem, the governments at central and state level have been very flexible in terms of collaboration and funding, including the utilization of CSR funding for skilling. CSR spending is projected to exceed ₹75,000 crore by 2024—a significant part of it is aimed at skilling programmes. In addition to this, the government has come up with some focused initiatives for boosting skill development programs.

It is imperative to  continuously work with Industry in aligning our skilling initiative with their demands. By transforming education and aligning it with industry needs, India can unlock the potential of its youth and build a prosperous future.

Remember, ‘Teach a man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime.’ With the right blend of intent and innovation, we can democratize opportunities for every young Indian.