There is a need to realign the efforts of the industry and government to impart quality training expeditiously to India’s youth to make them employable. This was the stated here today by experts in the area of skill development at the 7th edition of 'Global Skills Summit' organized by FICCI in association with the Ministry of Skill Development, Entrepreneurship, Youth Affairs & Sports, Government of India and UNDP.
Indian industry has a unique opportunity to create an ecosystem and set uniform standards, said Dilip Chenoy, CEO & MD, National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC). He urged the industry to come forward and enable the Sector Skills Council (SSCs) to perform with minimum government so that governance could be maximized. Chenoy appealed to industry to employ only certified workers to raise the quality of skilled manpower.
Industry and government need to draw a sustainable business model supported by policies to make skill development a viable option for industry, said Sanjeev Duggal, CEO & Director, Centum Learning Limited and Co-chair, FICCI Skill Development Forum. Financial viability is most critical for any business, therefore, concrete incentives and measures have to be devised by the government for industry to take up skill development more proactively.
Tine Staermose, Director, ILO Decent Work Team for South Asia and Country Office for India, emphasized that there is an urgent need to train the trainers in India. Only quality trainers can assure that the work force being skilled are able to meet the industry standards. She also suggested that there is a need to understand the ground realities, human potential and address the issues that are faced in particular regions and states. Thereafter, regional trainers could be identified to train the work force.
Jaco Cilliers, Country Director, UNDP India, said that the training and skilling programmes must be designed keeping in mind the fast paced and ever-changing needs of the industry. The skills imparted should be flexible in nature to accommodate the changing needs of the employer and employee. To make skilling of India a success, the programme needs to reach to disadvantaged, underprivileged groups and women who are located in the remote areas of the country.
Youth and industry are the two most important stakeholders in skill development, said JP Rai, Director General, National Skill Development Agency (NSDA), Government of India. Industry needs to focus on a targeted approach and run awareness programmes to draw the attention of the youth who are still largely unaware about the creation of Sector Skills Council and its working.
Avinash Vashistha, Chairman and Geography Managing Director, Accenture India, said the biggest challenge is that industry does not recognize the value of trained work force. There is also a need for scaling up efforts on the skill development front. For a significant impact and achievement of scale, use of technology is imperative, he added. RCM Reddy, MD & CEO, IL&FS Education and Skills and Chairman, FICCI Skills Development Forum.
