A template for skilling

One of the anomalies in our system is that there is talk of demographic dividend where there is a large young population.

- Madan Sabnavis

At the same time there is a constant lament that we do not have adequate trained youth who can be hired for various jobs. This is a serious issue of demand and supply, which on deeper thought leads to the question of skilling the population. So, while we have a large number of youth with varying levels of education, the skill gap is still quite high. That there is scope to improve on this metric is a no-brainer.

There should be a medium-term strategy to bring about an alignment. There is some urgency given that the large-scale spread of use of technology and artificial intelligence can exacerbate the problem. Post-Covid, there has been a tendency among companies to gravitate more toward using technology that is displacing labour.

First, there is a need for students in schools to be exposed to different crafts such as rudimentary carpentry, plumbing, electrical jobs, etc. These are skills which would be required all through one's life. While presently the majority do hire such workers for their jobs, having the knowledge helps in times of emergency. At the school level, the mind is also alert and receptive to acquiring skills. This is evidently the case with sports and should be extended to other skills too. Ideally, this should be a part of the curriculum for all schools. This can be kept mandatory for two years in the 9th and 10th classes.