India has gradually evolved as a knowledge-based economy due to the abundance of capable and qualified human capital. With the constantly rising influence of globalization, India has immense opportunities to establish its distinctive position in the world. However, there is a need to further develop and empower the human capital to ensure the nation’s global competiveness. Despite the stress laid on education and training in this country, there is still a shortage of skilled manpower to address the mounting needs and demands of the economy.
As an immediate necessity that has arisen from the current scenario, the government is dedicatedly striving to initiate and achieve formal/informal skill development of the working population via education/vocational education/skill training and other upcoming learning methods. The skill development of the working population is a priority for the government. This is evident by the exceptional progress India has witnessed under the National Policy on Skills (2009) over the years. The objective of the policy is to expand on outreach, equity and access to education and training, which it has aimed to fulfill by establishing several industrial training institutes (ITIs), vocational schools, technical schools, polytechnics and professional colleges to facilitate adult leaning, apprenticeships, sector-specific skill development, e-learning, training for self-employment and other forms of training. The government therefore provides holistic sustenance through all its initiatives in the form of necessary financial support, infrastructure support and policy support.
In addition, the private sector has also recognized the importance of skill development and has begun facilitating the same via three key dimensions — non-profit initiatives, for profit enterprises and as a consumer. Currently, there are many skilling opportunities fashioned by the government, the private sector and collaboration between the two (PPP mode).
India has seen rapid growth in recent years, driven by the growth in new-age industries. The increase in purchasing power has resulted in the demand for a new level of quality of service. However, there is a large shortage of skilled manpower in the country. In the wake of the changing economic environment, it is necessary to focus on inculcating and advancing the skill-set of the young population of the country. India lags far behind in imparting skill training as compared to other countries. Only 10{cc18709a0182c9c2c25c53b62feb82909a8e52d8328b543d21fe2602040bc5f7} of the total workforce in the country receives some kind of skill training (2{cc18709a0182c9c2c25c53b62feb82909a8e52d8328b543d21fe2602040bc5f7} with formal training and8{cc18709a0182c9c2c25c53b62feb82909a8e52d8328b543d21fe2602040bc5f7} with informal training). Further, 80{cc18709a0182c9c2c25c53b62feb82909a8e52d8328b543d21fe2602040bc5f7} of the entrants into the work-force do not have the opportunity for skill training. By 2022, India will need 500 million vocationally skilled young professionals. The Indian government has set a target to skill 500 million people by 2022. In a country where approximately 12.8 million people join the job market every year, how will the government skill the workforce? Govt. has put in place a 10-year plan to ensure that this target is met.
NIFA has now joined hands with Govt. of Rajasthan, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi and Govt. of India for executing the Government of India’s, ambitious National Skill Building Program across India. LAKES have experience of over 16 years in vocational training & skills development.