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Skill India Mission
INTRODUCTION
In 2015, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Skill India Mission, aligning with his vision to propel India towards self-reliance or ‘Atmanirbhar.’ The objective of this initiative was to design and execute comprehensive skill development training programs, addressing the disparity between industry needs and skill requirements to foster overall national development.
Under the Skill India programs, a curriculum-based approach was adopted for skill training courses, enabling trainees to obtain certifications and endorsements from industry-recognized learning centers. The mission also entailed integrating skill-based learning into the school curriculum, creating avenues for both extended and short-term skill training, ultimately facilitating employment opportunities.
NEED FOR SKILL INDIA INITIATIVE
Given that 75% of India’s population is of working age, fostering a skilled and educated workforce is pivotal for enhancing the country’s overall economic development.
The International Labour Organisation (ILO) estimates that India may face a shortage of approximately 29 million skilled personnel by 2030. Accenture’s 2019 predictions underscore that without prompt interventions, such as investing in new technologies and cultivating industry-relevant skills, the skill deficit could result in a loss of US$ 1.97 trillion in gross domestic product (GDP) over the next decade.
Through the ‘Skill India Mission,’ the Indian government aims to cultivate practical skills essential to the industry, consequently bolstering the employment rate in the country.
Since its implementation, the mission has yielded positive results in employment figures. Data from the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE) reveals a decline in the unemployment rate from 9.1% in December 2020 to 6.5% in January 2021. Simultaneously, the employment rate witnessed an increase from 36.9% in December 2020 to 37.9% in January 2021.
SKILL INDIA MISSION
Through this initiative, the government set a target to skill over 400 million people in India across diverse domains by the year 2022.
Focus areas include:
Apprenticeship Training:
The program’s objective is to enrich apprenticeship opportunities in the country by offering post-education job training to graduates and diploma holders in engineering.
Technical Intern Training Programme (TITP):
This initiative promotes international cooperation by facilitating the exchange of skills, technology, and expertise among participating countries. It contributes to the development of human resources by providing students with opportunities for professional development courses in Japan’s industrial society over a defined period (3-5 years).
Online Skilling:
The ‘e-Skill’ India portal serves as a linkage for Business-to-Consumer (B2C) e-learning platforms that operate digitally. It serves to build and source e-learning content, facilitating online skill development.
The initiative is supported by key departments established under the Skill India Mission to oversee and facilitate various skill development programs
Key Department
Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE)
Description
Established to enhance youth employability through skill development initiatives.
Responsibilities
Coordinate nationwide skill development efforts. Bridge the gap between the demand and supply of a skilled workforce. Develop vocational and technical training frameworks. Create a module for skill upgrades.
National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC)
Functional arm of the MSDE, founded as a public-private partnership (PPP) company
Support MSDE initiatives.
Provide training capacities through the NSDC partner ecosystem in 29 states and four territories, with an average of seven centres per district (560 districts covered).
Sector Skill Councils (SSCs)
Independent industry-led bodies founded by the NSDC.
Provide linkages to Vocational Education Training (VET) industry through 37 Sector Skill Councils and Industry Led Management Committees (IMCs) at Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs).
Assist employers in leading the Skill India development mission.
Over 450 members from various industry groups, government, and academia have joined 37 SSCs to contribute to this mission
Core Initiatives
Furthermore, the government has launched various essential schemes to guarantee the widespread implementation of the ‘Skill India Mission’ programs across the country.
Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY)
Within the framework of the Skill India Mission, the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) is actively executing the Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY), Jan Shikshan Sansthan (JSS) for skill-based learning, and the National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme (NAPS) nationwide. Under PMKVY 2.0 (2016-20), disbursements totaling approximately Rs. 7,279 crore (US$ 977.40 million) were allocated to implementing agencies by February 2021. The initial goal, during PMKVY 2.0 (2016-20), was to train 1 crore youth, and as of January 2021, 1.07 million candidates have successfully undergone training. With the launch of PMKVY 3.0 on January 15, 2021, the government introduced demand-driven, short-term development training programs aimed at covering all districts in the country.
Jan Shikshan Sansthan (JSS)
The program offers vocational training to marginalized communities, including scheduled castes, scheduled tribes, and minorities, utilizing minimal infrastructure and resources. Between fiscal years 2019 and 2021 (until February 23, 2021), a total of 6.68 lakh candidates have undergone training through diverse skill programs under JSS.
Integration with General Education
The Ministry of Education (MoE) and the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE), along with other administrative ministries, are strategizing the gradual integration of vocational education programs into the mainstream educational system. Aligned with this initiative, the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 aims to empower 50% of general education students with Vocational Education and Training (VET) over the next five years.
Pradhan Mantri YUVA (PM YUVA) Yojana
The objective of this program is to establish a conducive atmosphere by imparting entrepreneurship education and training while facilitating convenient entry into the entrepreneur network. This initiative is applicable to ten states, namely Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Bihar, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Kerala, Assam, Meghalaya, and Maharashtra, along with two union territories, Delhi and Puducherry.
SANKALP (Skills Acquisition and Knowledge Awareness for Livelihood Promotion)
Initiated in January 2018, SANKALP is a program financed by the World Bank and administered by the Ministry of Skill Development. The overall project cost amounts to US$ 675 million, with US$ 500 million in assistance from the World Bank, to be executed in two installments (US$ 250 million each) over a six-year period until March 2023.
Under the Skill India Mission, the government earmarked a budget allocation in the Union Budget 2021-22. A sum of Rs. 2,785.23 crore (US$ 379.06 million) was allocated to the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship from this overall budget.
CONCLUSION
As India is recognized as a ‘youthful nation,’ its population stands as a formidable asset. It is imperative not only to train and nurture the young workforce for the domestic economy but also to prepare them for the global stage. This can be accomplished by mapping skills, designing tailored training programs, adopting best practices, embracing foreign campuses, and cultivating industry-ready skills.
Furthermore, the government’s partnerships with international industries and individual stakeholders will play a crucial role in successfully executing various initiatives. This collaborative approach will ensure the availability of a skilled professional workforce, leading to increased employment opportunities. Ultimately, such endeavors could position India as the global hub for skills and expertise.
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