Employment- Centered Skill Development and Social Policy in Urban India: Policy and Institutional Change

To the fulfilment of needs of growing Indian population, so many skill development policies and programmes has been established by the Government of India for the purpose of development of employments and providing livelihood opportunities for the urban poor people in which includes, National Urban Livelihood Mission, National Skill Development Mission, Skill India, National Policy for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, Pradhan Mantri Kasushal Vikas Yojana, Swaena Jayanti Shahari Rozgar Yojana etc. It is very true that most of the India lives in the villages but at the beginning of 21st Century most of the urban population contributes more in popular sectors, it indicates that India also lives in cities. Till the beginning of 20th century the target of five year plans was limited to rural India but in the last few years, due to the increasing crowds in cities, the generation of new employment opportunities in urban sector has become the main concern in front of policy makers. The main objective of this paper is to determine the effect of skill development on employment generation. Employment centered skill training process of India has been Centre oriented and it is built on the basis of top-down model

Disruption to the Skills Ecosystem of India in the Wake of the New Normal Emerging Post ‘COVID-19’

Every new scenario that has unfolded in the canvas of time has brought with it,an impetusforsociety’s progress. In this perspective, the COVID-19 pandemic, (believed to be caused by an organismof 65-125 nm) has dramatically churned the times we are into today. Businesses, Economies and systems worldwide are undergoing unprecedented dynamic changes towards ‘Adaptability’ and adoption of newer models that could increase their pace of recovery in the wake of the new normal. The Skills ecosystem in India has been no different. Ever since the inception of the Skill India movement in the early 2015, this system has evolved into a vibrant integrated mission encompassing both Academic and vocational skill training courses.In this article we present to you what has been trending in the world of IT/ITeS skills and how the new normal is expected to emerge and progress from here

Barriers to skills development in India's informal economy

India’s informal economy accounts for more than half the country’s GDP but is characterised by low levels of skills, and considerable barriers to skills development for workers. The Government of India has implemented ambitious policy initiatives for upskilling, designed to catalyse ‘formalisation’ of the economy, and improve productivity. However, evidence on skills development remains weak. Drawing on systematic review methodologies, this article reviews and synthesises the literature on the practical barriers to upskilling. It finds that access to, and quality of, training (especially for women) are serious limitations, while skills are often under-utilised in the absence of supportive labour market and wider business environment conditions. Training is often insufficiently linked to labour market and learner needs, and the capacity of the training system is limited. Government should increase investment in training for the informal sector, and consider strengthening incentives for training providers to focus on improving training quality and relevance

Employability Skill Evaluation Among Vocational Education Students in India

The changing nature of work and employment is providing individuals for more flexible multi-skilling and learning opportunities. Imparting skill-based industry-oriented teaching can bridge the skill gaps and enhance employment opportunities for students. In this context, Government of India has introduced numerous programs to provide a fillip to technical vocational education and training.  The current paper is aimed at understanding the role of vocational education and the change it brings to skill development and employability of the students.  A combination of both qualitative and quantitative research methods was deployed for the study.  In the quantitative design a multi-stage sampling process comprising of both probabilistic and non-probabilistic methods was employed.  A sample of 586 students pursuing retail vocational education was identified and administered with the questionnaire.  The statistical analysis presented the socio-economic profiles.  Further, five factors for skill development and one factor for employability skill were identified through exploratory factor analysis.  The factors identified for skill development include Initiative and Enterprise Skills (IES), Workplace Skills (WS), Professional Practice and Standards (PPS), Inter Personal Skills (IPS) and Integration Theory and Practice (ITP).  Confirmatory and regression models involving all the factors were tested and their significance was analyzed.  The study revealed that there is a positive impact of skill development on employability.  It is suggested that focus on imparting vocational education for skill development can be a panacea for increased employability. &nbsp

Harnessing India’s Demographic Dividend through Skilling: Challenges and Way Forward

The ‘demographic dividend’ provides India with strong advantages for achieving high rates of growth powered by an enlarging working age population. This represents a huge opportunity for the country to increase productivity by investing in the skills of the working age population. A vast majority of who have limited access to education and training; are either inactive or engaged in low-skilled work in the informal economy. India’s demography therefore, presents a potential danger also; if the labour market is not made more inclusive through a balanced approach to human capital development, the consequences of demographic failure could be grave. To capitalize on the demographic bulge, the Government has undertaken a number of policy initiatives, programmatic and systemic interventions. Efforts are being made to equip youth with the skills required by today’s industries and address the demand & supply gaps, but this is turning out to be a daunting task. In this context, the present article analyses the current state of education, skills development and employment for Indian youth and discusses some major challenges India faces while implementing different initiatives and strategies for developing a robust skilling ecosystem. The article also highlights certain emerging issues which merit immediate policy attention if skill development is to be a means for achieving inclusive development

Opinion Poll on Use of ICT in Commerce Education: A Reality Check

Ratnagiri is a coastal district belonging to Konkan region of Maharashtra state, situated on the western coast of India. The district comprises of 9 tehsils viz., Mandangad, Khed, Chiplun, Sangameshwar, Lanja, Rajapur, Ratnagiri, Guhagar & Dapoli. Ratnagiri district has few colleges delivering higher education in Commerce which fall under Mumbai University, one of the oldest and pioneering universities in India. Commerce education here is not yet ICT driven. But UG students here are interested in ICT based Commerce education as it is an urgent need of the present day. To satisfy this requirement it is necessary to attract, nurture and develop faculty members accordingly. There is an urgent need to change the mindset of all those involved in Commerce education system to make this revolution a dream come true. There are many business opportunities in Ratnagiri district but they remain unexplored due to old and traditional business practices and methodologies. These units can be transformed into modern era high tech based performing units but the potential i.e. Commerce students need to be well-equipped for the same. This paper highlights the opinions of Commerce students with reference to integration of ICT and skills necessary in Commerce education

ROLE OF HIGHER EDUCATION IN SKILL INDIA

Education is one of the most powerful instruments for reducing poverty and inequality in a country likeIndia. It is the key to enhanceIndia’s competitiveness in the global economy.  The linkage between higher education and national development is so strong that it has been widely believed that the nation does well so long as everything is well with the institutions of higher learning. In fact skilled manpower and a steady supply of knowledgeable and trained workforce are the prerequisites for rapid industrial and economic growth. Indiahas gradually evolved as a knowledge-based economy due to availability of capable, flexible and qualified human capital.Indiahas immense opportunities to position itself on the world globe, thanks to the rising influence of globalization.  However, there is a need to further develop and empower the human capital to ensureIndia’s global competitiveness. Indiais an agro based country with wealthy natural resources.  This is where our Indian Higher Education and Scientific Research should concentrate on and give importance to these aspects while developing the curriculum in Indian Universities.  The academic programs in Higher Education should therefore include scientific and technological methods and procedures to develop rural economy, exploiting the natural resources available in plenty in the ruralIndia.  Higher Education should offer programs for the empowerment of rural youth, men and women.  This approach will transform Indian population as effective human resources empowering them will knowledge and skill.Indian Industry and policy makers have realized the fact that India is facing a skill and knowledge crisis, giving rise to the formation of the National Policy on Skills Development. The policy envisions the establishment of a National Skill Development Initiative which will empower all individuals through improved skills, knowledge, nationally and internationally recognized qualifications to gain access to decent employment and ensure India’s competitiveness in the global market.  In the year 2008, a Coordinated Action on Skill Development with three-tier institutional structure consisting of PM’s National Council, National Skill Development Coordination Board (NSDCB) and National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) was created, which laid the institutional foundations for a more proactive role of public and private sector interactions and interfaces for harnessing the benefits of the demographic dividend

Understanding Community Colleges in the Indian Context

Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/136494/1/cc20242.pdfhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/136494/2/cc20242_am.pd

Expanding the Scope of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR): Strategizing Skill Development in the Indian Scenario

India is transitioning demographically with a large population of youngsters. To harness this population trend into a „demographic dividend,‟ it is essential to enhance the skill level of our youth. The Government of India (GoI) has taken many proactive measures in this regard. „Skill India Campaign‟ is one such measure. Though India‟s corporate sector has also been contributing to skill training through its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative, the efforts have been few and far between. The first part of this paper explores the Skill scenario of India, and the role played by both Public and Private sector to address the current skill gap. The second part of the paper suggests a possible solution to address the „skill gap‟ through a proactive Public-private partnership (PPP) by implementing a remodelled CSR strategy. Government and corporate sector can work together in the skill training arena through CSR and make it a mutually beneficial, sustainable activity to develop India into a “skill capital” of the World. The potential advantages of such a partnership for each player involved are also explored in detail in this part

Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship in Arunachal Pradesh: Opportunities and Challenges

Bio-geographically, Arunachal Pradesh is the wealthiest province of the entire Himalayas. The picturesque terra firma full of natural beauty and rich cultural opulence, in its entirety, falls under the eastern Himalayan landscape. This north eastern territory of the country was previously called “Terra Incognita” till the beginning of the 20th Century, and hitherto remains one of the least studied states in India today. The state’s socio-economic development is currently in a transitional phase with variations across different districts. Considering the quality of social capital available, there is a dire need to emphasise proper resource flow and foster an understanding of the importance of the existent social capital. It may be noted that entrepreneurs are powerful instruments of development and economic change. So, panacea in the long term is the promotion of social innovation and entrepreneurship, which will give momentum to the State’s developmental agenda and address the state’s social issues. Indeed requires a motivating ecosystem which prioritises essential skills and innovation and adopts a fresh, sustainable view of resources and technology. Therefore, the present paper explores the prospects of social innovation and entrepreneurship in the state with particular reference to contemporary social concerns adopting a practice-based approach. &nbsp