India has a population that is nearly 150 cr young people. It is the backbone of the economy for this country, but out of this vast number, skill-building opportunities are very rare and prospects for jobs also limited, thus preventing them from contributing to the growth of the nation. Therefore, the Indian Government initiated the Skill India mission addressing this particular issue. This potential project would provide skill development training and financial support to the youth to help them to be properly equipped with very useful skills and resources. Unlocking their potential through equipping them with very useful skills and resources serves to further bolster their contributions to the economy and society of this nation.
Let us explore Skill India, its objectives and its different initiatives.
What is Skill India?
The Skill India Mission, introduced by the Government of India in 2015, is a comprehensive flagship initiative aimed at providing market-relevant skills to the country’s youth. The main objective of this mission is to enable over 40 crore young individuals by 2022 through comprehensive training programs. This focuses on relevant market skills and fills the gap in demand and supply of skilled workers for India’s overall economic growth and development.
Objectives of Skill India
The objectives of the Skill India Mission are as follows:
- Bridging the Gap Between Industry Demands and Individual Skills: The main thrust of Skill India is that skill development programs should be as close as possible to the current and future requirements of industries, thus guaranteeing, to the economy, the direct relevance of skills obtained and their usability in the job market along with assisting in the creation of employment opportunities.
- Creating Employment Opportunities for Young Talents: This initiative endows the young people with all the essential skills required to get employed. This not only gives personal career advancement but also contributes towards the overall economic development of the nation.
- Strengthening the Indian Workforce for Global Markets: The scheme of Skill India would enable the Indian workforce to become more competitive in the international market by providing the youth with internationally recognized skills. Now, it not only focuses on waiting for the international market to upskill the employability of Indian professionals but also provides them with extra opportunities abroad that would enhance the global relevance of India in all these aspects.
- Building Up the Competitiveness of Indian Businesses: The enhancement of skills is crucial to the business community, allowing it to increase its productivity and competitiveness. Skill India helps the Indian worker enhance his or her capacities to compete better in the domestic and international markets.
- Focusing on True Marketplace Capabilities: Unlike other education systems, Skill India lays greater emphasis on the fact that practical, on-the-job knowledge should actually take precedence over theoretical knowledge. This would ensure that workers are qualified in such a way that they can be more than adequately equipped for the requirements of the job at hand, making them that much more employable and further propelling the progress of the nation.
- Diversifying Skill Development Programs: This is why Skill India has come up with a variety of training programs tailored to differing sectors in a Strive to keep up with the ever-changing market. This ensures that the workforce is at hand to meet these ever-evolving demands and emerging trends within the industry.
- Targeting Underserved Sectors: Real estate and construction, transportation, textile, gems industry, banking, and tourism sectors are the sectors targeted under the Skill India initiative. This campaign aims to redress that deficit area of skill gaps in these sectors and benefit employment opportunities and productivity in these sectors.
- Identifying and Developing New Sectors: Continuous and proactive identification and development of emerging industries that require enhanced skills is crucial to keep up with technological advancements and market shifts. Skill India prioritises this approach to ensure the workforce is well-prepared for the future.
Initiatives under Skill India
The following are the initiatives undertaken by Skill India:
Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY)
PMKVY is one such flagship program that was initiated to provide industry-relevant skill training to India’s youth. This program offers short-term industry-relevant training aligned with industry standards. The goal is to empower the youth by equipping them with skills and knowledge to be effective in a full range of professional fields.
National Skill Development Mission (NSDM)
NSDM was launched with the aim of creating coordination across different sectors and states to enhance skill training activities. The mission is focused on realising the vision of “Skilled India” by ensuring that individuals are equipped with the necessary skills to succeed in various industries and sectors.
National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC)
A public-private partnership model, NSDC works towards catalysing high quality institutions providing vocational training throughout India. Thus, in its effort to support skill development, it offers funding to training institutions for the purpose of developing a nation-wide skilled workforce.
Skill Loan Scheme
The Skill Loan Scheme extends loans between Rs 5,000 and Rs 1.5 lakh to those aspiring to take skill development courses. This scheme strives for widespread financial access to skill training, thus promoting skill development in the entire population and enhancing employability.
Pradhan Mantri Yuva Yojana (PMYY)
PMYY is a government initiative to foster an environment conducive to entrepreneurship development. It seeks to provide entrepreneurship education and training to over 7 lakh students, equipping them with the required skills and knowledge to pursue business endeavors. This initiative is designed to empower young individuals and support the growth of entrepreneurship in the country.
Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Grameen Kaushalya Yojana (DDU-GKY)
DDU-GKY is a program that specifically targets rural youth and aims to provide them with sustainable employment opportunities through skill training. The program’s ultimate goal is to transform rural youth from low-income backgrounds into a financially independent and globally competitive workforce.
Skills Acquisition and Knowledge Awareness for Livelihood Promotion (SANKALP)
SANKALP is an ambitious initiative funded by a loan from the World Bank. It aims to bolster institutional mechanisms for skill development while simultaneously enhancing access to high-quality, industry-relevant training.
Skills Strengthening for Industrial Value Enhancement (STRIVE)
STRIVE aims to optimize the delivery of skills in ITIs by enhancing its relevance and efficiency. The initiative is that it would focus on upgrading the quality of vocational training, promote apprenticeship programs, and strengthen industry-institute linkages to better position ITIs against the changing requirements of the industry and the labour market.
National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme (NAPS)
NAPS encourages and enables more employers to offer apprenticeship training by providing economic incentives and extra value to the employers who engage apprentices. This scheme also encourages industry participation in developing the skilled workforce which is a direct result of the apprenticeship programs.
Udaan
Udaan is a unique industry initiative in the area of skill development and greater employability for graduates and post-graduates of Jammu & Kashmir. The program will not only provide the participant with the skills and knowledge but also empower them to contribute towards the growth of the economy of the region.
Vocationalisation of School Education
The vocationalisation of school education aims at providing schools with the opportunity to prepare students practically and theoretically in order to be skillful and prepare them for a wide range of job roles or entrepreneurial opportunities. This strategy aims to bridge the gap between traditional academic learning and the needs of today’s workforce, improving students’ professional preparation.
Jan Shikshan Sansthan (JSS)
JSS is an organization that provides vocational training to non-literates, neo-literate, and school-dropouts staying in rural areas. This is an ever-close focus for that organization at grass-root level skill development which sees the empowerment of the individual and the community as an intermediary, with appropriate tools to enhance livelihood and then a positive impact on localities.
Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL)
RPL is a process that acknowledges and certifies the skills and knowledge individuals already possess. It aims to enhance the employability of the workforce by evaluating and certifying their skills based on industry standards. This recognition gives individuals official recognition of their competencies, potentially leading to increased job opportunities and career advancement.
Digital India Skills
One way through which a large programme on digital literacy and skill development deals with urgent demands of a rapidly growing digital economy is Digital India Skills. The program encompasses comprehensive training in cybersecurity, data analytics, digital marketing, and other relevant digital skills essential for success in the modern job market.
India International Skill Centres (IISCs)
IISCs are orientated towards advanced skill training in all areas of emerging technologies and supposed to provide the country with enough skilled and qualified employees that would make it compete globally. Specialized programs about training at IISCs help in filling up the gap between the Indian professional’s skill sets and the demand of the industry, which supports the economic growth of the country and make it competitive globally.
Conclusion
The Skill India program is set to be the flagship program of the government to propel a more equitable and prosperous India through training and skill building. It bridges gaps between education and employment, in turn b/w opportunities in urban and rural parts of the nation, and along the spectrum of being inclusive or exclusive. The initiative envisions a future where every individual has the necessary skills and opportunities to succeed, playing a pivotal role in India’s pursuit of economic and social prosperity.
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