A Big Disconnect between Skill Available and Skill Required

NEP 2020 as the Potential Game-Changer

By Dr. Jyotsana Pandit

December 16, 2021

"In this regard education can be a big game changer", said Om Pathak, administrator, Delhi Gymkhana Club, while delivering his opening remark during a  panel discussion on 'promoting education and skill development: Priorities and challenges' organised here on Saturday by the Delhi Gymkhana Club.

He said that there is a global demand of over 500 skilled workforce but it was unfortunate that the workers need skills to be employed while employers do not get the skills that they require. He exhorted the members of the Club who are always restless, wanting to contribute to society, to become a catalyst in bringing forth the much needed change through their rich knowledge, experience and expertise.

Dr Seema Puri, who moderated the session, said Covid-19 pandemic threw up new challenges as many people lost their jobs. She said that the situation becomes more serious as 28 million youths are added to the workforce every year. Of them, only 46 percent of youth, based on skills, are employable, she said, quoting a CII report. She laid emphasis on strengthening vocational training aligning it with higher education.

The panel discussion was chaired by Prof Nandini Sinha Kapur, chair, education and skill sub-committee.

Dr Punita Duhan of Delhi Skill and Entrepreneurship University said that there was a need to train children in learning new skills which helps them survive in the new challenging workforce market. She laid emphasis on applying knowledge into practice in skill mapping. She said that the university is offering some 54 diplomas to students and recently they have launched a course on personal health management.

While deliberating on the subject, Sanjay Kumar, World Bank Project, Directorate General of Training, Ministry of Development Skill and Entrepreneurship, narrated his experience in developing curriculum for skill development. He said that to make the programme successful, it was important to get the feedback from the ground levels, from those working on the field. But he said that it was unfortunate that only 5 percent of the industry came forward to give the feedback while they keep lamening that they are not getting the requisite skills required by the industry.

Ms Bhavna Srikrishna Chopra, Incharge, Skill vertical, CII, while laying emphasis on technology said that as more and more machine-driven manufacturing is taking place, the skill requirement has become more complex and in need of higher technical knowledge. She said that there was a need to train more women in developing skills as they constitute only 19 per cent of the present workforce.