| Today, about 90% of employment opportunities require vocational skills. Sadly, only 2% of the Indian workforce is skilled. However, this scenario is changing dramatically. The Government has introduced the Skill India campaign, which aims to skill/up-skill 400 million people in India by 2022 by introducing skill-based and vocational courses. This initiative is being welcomed by industries, academia, and masses alike. While companies like Oracle and Tata Motors are coming up with skill academies and centers of excellence, schools are planning to make skill training an integral part of their curriculum. What makes skill-based courses such a hit? Let's understand - -
A Practical Supplement to Theory - These short-term courses supplement the primary courses students are pursuing, thus giving them a chance to utilize theoretical learning in real-life.
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Students Become Day-One, Hour-One Industry-Ready - Vocational courses are customized for industries and/or offered in collaboration with industry experts. This gives the students relevant exposure and makes them employable/industry-ready.
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Hands-on Experience for Students - Given the practical nature of these courses, students get the chance to work on in real-time and gain required experience.
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Bridging the Gap Between Industry and Academia - Youth today lack employable skills. However, now they are being trained in employable skills early in their life, with industry-oriented courses being a part of school curriculum.
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Quick Start to Jobs– As individuals get trained in industry-specific skills, their chances of landing jobs increases. Besides, these short-term programs focus on particular job profiles, students can start working right after completing a course.
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Aligned to Internal Processes – There's a huge demand for skilled talent in organized sectors. Organizations love them since they are aligned to their internal processes. For instance, the ICICI Bank Sales Academy (IBSA), designed in partnership with NIIT, aims at building a strong sales team for ICICI Bank across the country by identifying talent & training them with necessary skills.
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Economic Growth and Social Development - The courses can prove to be driving forces of socio-economic growth for the nation. According to a report by the International Journal of Social Science and Humanities Research, during 2009-2014, 85% of students were employed in various sectors with their skills.
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Experienced Practitioners as Faculty – These courses are taught by industry experts and academicians with relevant industry exposure. This ensures students learn from practitioners themselves.
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Aligned to the Latest Technology - Industry players like NIIT are coming up with courses that train students in skills such as Artificial Intelligence, Analytics, and Data Analytics. This helps them stay ahead of the competition in the age of digital transformation.
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Better Salary - Without appropriate skills, individuals are not employable in organized sectors. This makes them do odd jobs or settle for lower wages for survival. Certification in specific skills helps them get better wages as per their caliber.
Skilling India is long-haul. However, with several small steps in this direction, Kaushal Bharat doesn't seem to be a distant dream anymore. By: -
Prakash Menon, President Global Skills and Careers Group, NIIT Ltd.
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