Integrating Skills in Higher Education:Problems & Prospects

Title: Integrating Skills in Higher Education:Problems & Prospects
Author: Dr Raheijuddin Sheikh
ISBN: 978-93-86934-05-5
Edition: 1
Year of Publication: 2017

About the Book:

As it is rightly mentioned in the Framework of the National Skill Development Mission, India has become one of the youngest Countries in the World with the largest population of youth by the end of 2022. The Country has now more than 55% of the total population below 25 years of age and over 65% of the population in the working age group ranging from 15 years to 59 years of age. The population pyramid of the Country is going to bulge across 15 years to 59 years of age groups over the next one decade. This demographic dividend is predicted to have advantage which may last only until 2040. India, therefore, has a very narrow time frame for harnessing the skill potentialsof the youth as per this demographic dividend and to overcome the skill shortages in time.

In the same report it is also stated that India currently faces a severe shortage of well-trained, skilled workers. It is estimated that only 2.3 % of the workforce in India has undergone formal skill training as compared to 68% in the UK, 75% in Germany, 52% in USA, 80% in Japan and 96% in South Korea. Large sections of the educated workforce have little or no job skills, making them largely unemployable till now. However, India has taken up many initiatives which would focus on scaling up skill training efforts to meet the demands of employers and drive economic growth.It is a well-known fact that Skills and knowledge are the driving forces of economic growth and social development for any country.Therefore, we need to find out an education policy where Knowledge may be integrated with Skills in a judicious proportion in the higher education sector.

From the statistics discussed above, we are expecting to make India a Skill Country in the World by the end of the next decade or so. This needs perhaps, a tough competition with some of the South Asian Countries including South Korea who had already achieved a target of almost 100% skilled youth in the workforce followed by Japan and China. We are expecting40 crore people trained in various skill sectors by the end of 2025. This dream would be fulfilled only when the youth in the north eastern part of the Country are givenskills trainingin all sectors irrespective of the skill gap analysis under the National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC). This is because India needs to capture the international skill markets in the north eastern region before it has been under the control of the South Asian counterparts including China and Korea. The people in the north eastern region more particularly, the Manipuri youths have to be focused while harnessing the skills potentials with more attention, more infrastructure and more facilities as a targeted mission to make each and every individual trained in all skill sectors.

It may be maintained that Manipur stands at the corridor of the proposed Trans Asian superhighway and the capital city of Imphal would become one of the skills hotspots in the World. It would be the people of Manipur who would defend the nation’s skill policy from the South Asian Countries. Even today, the Paona International Market at Imphal has been dominated by the innovations and skills from Myanmar. Many items of daily requirements, though not durable, right from the smallest needles to the biggest ones including the products of Information Technology (IT), Food, Beauty and Wellness, Apparel and Households etc. can be purchased at the cheapest prices either from the international border town of Moreh or even from the Paona International Market Complex at Imphal City.

India has initiated translating the erstwhile Look East Policy into Act East Policy enhancing the international trade linkages with the South Asian Countries including China, Japan, Thailand and Korea etc. In the meantime, out of 28 lakhs population of Manipur more than 7 lakhs educated youths are now seeking employment with more than 3 lakh girls listed in the employment exchanges. Many boys and girls have been scrambling for jobs in government offices only as they cannot find any big industries for placements. Many had to go outside the state seeking for employment as we can see a large number of Manipuri boys and girls who are working in offices in the big cities in India. At this moment, the skill development programs which are being implemented in Colleges and Universities are going to be a boon for the youths.

We also have enough potential of skills particularly in Art & Culture, Games & Sports, Tourism & Hospitality, Media & Entertainment, Healthcare, Beauty & Wellness, Traditional Art & Crafts, Food & Agriculture, Information Technology (IT) & IT enable Services. Some of our traditional Art & Crafts are also dying out due to the lack of support in terms of infrastructure, management, training and funding. If proper skill education is given to the youths in these sectors, still we may hope for running much faster than the neighboring countries and can make the sale of our skills and innovations in the international markets.