India houses the largest percentage of young populations worldwide and, hence, is home to massive economic power. Nonetheless, increasing concerns related to unemployment raise a significant question against this subject: Are the young Indians appropriately skilled to meet the demand of markets? The Skill India Mission is an initiative made in line with this intent by developing a skill set relevant to industries among the younger generation, leading them towards successful youth empowerment and economic development through their services.
About the Skill India Mission
Launched in the year 2015, the Skill India Mission was a comprehensive initiative by the government that looks into equipping the youth force in such diversified sectors with essential skills that require every individual. Its prime target lies in enhancing employability as well as fostering productivity that finally looks at bridging the skill sets of the workforce from the industry's perspective as well. It creates the skills of the workforce on global benchmarks through skilling, up-skilling, and re-skilling.
Most Recent Developments
One major accomplishment is the establishment of the East India Skills University in Assam, which demonstrates the government's dedication to the youth in terms of skill development. The university will train almost 10,000 students in 12 areas, and it is an important step toward regional skilling efforts.
Objectives of Skill India Mission
Provide market-relevant skills training to over 40 crore young individuals by 2023.
Close the gap between industry skill requirements and current skill sets.
Tailor the programs to empower rural communities.
Practical competencies and certification to enhance employability.
Compete with the best in the world by positioning Indian workers as assets.
Lifelong learning to adapt the industry to changing needs.
Sustainable investments to mobilise resources for skill development.
Optimising skilling resources with public-private partnerships.
Important Features of Skill India Mission
Focus on Employability: Job-ready skills that are equipped.
Comprehensive Training: Traditional and Emerging sectors, IT, banking, etc.
Global Standards: International opportunities for workforce.
Rural Outreach: Customised initiatives for rural areas.
Innovative Learning: Group discussions, case studies, and other engaging activities.
Components of Skill India Mission
The flagship initiative, Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana, includes:
Short-term Training: For school dropouts and unemployed youth. Focus areas include soft skills, digital literacy, and entrepreneurship under the NSQF.
Kaushal and Rozgar Mela: Events to display skills, networking, and transparency.
Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL): It accredits students having already spent time elsewhere to officially legitimise their skills.
Special Projects: Those specific programs that meet the exact requirements of a particular field and industry.
Monitoring and Placement Guidelines: This includes quality training and placement against market demand.
Courses Presented Under Skill India Mission
Skill India presents variety through such courses as:
Management Programs: Analysing financial statements, marketing, and office practice.
Entrepreneurship Development: Empowerment of women, micro-enterprise promotion, and EDPs (Entrepreneurship Development Programs).
Skill Development: Dairy-based entrepreneurship, carpentry, fashion designing, and electroplating.
Technology Infusion Programs: Training in emerging technologies and industry-specific skills.
Why Does India Need Skill Development?
Low Formal Skill Levels: Only 2% of the workforce is formally skilled, compared to 75% in Germany and 96% in South Korea.
Employability Crisis: Despite education, many lack the vocational skills required by industries.
Growing Manpower Demand: By 2022, 12 crore skilled workers were needed across 24 key sectors.
Limited Access to Training: Casual workers hardly have formal training.
Technological Advancements: Changing circumstances demand upgrading the skill constantly.
Urban-Rural Divide: In such cases, skilling opportunities available to rural regions are scarcer and of inferior quality.
Economic Transition: Skilling is inevitable while the labour is shifting from the agriculture sector to secondary and tertiary sectors.
Why Skilling is Important
Demographic Dividend: The youth in India is a very strong potential source if appropriately skilled.
Economic Growth: Skilled manpower accelerates productivity and increases the growth of GDP.
Global Competitiveness: Enhances employment opportunities in overseas markets.
Poverty Alleviation: Provides individuals with sustainable livelihoods.
Sectoral Mobilization: Exploits workforce potential with the emergence of sectors like IT, health care, and renewable energy.
Skill India Mission Schemes
National Skill Development Mission (NSDM): Coordinates skilling efforts across sectors and states.
Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY): Industries' relevant skill training schemes.
Indian Skill Development Service (ISDS): It improves the efficiency of implementation of skill development schemes.
Skill Loan Scheme: Offers financial support in between ₹5,000 and ₹1.5 lakh for skills.
National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme (NAPS): The scheme will share the cost of training the apprentices with industries and ask them to hire.
Other Related Government Schemes
Pradhan Mantri Yuva Udyamita Vikas Abhiyan (PM-YUVA)
Aims:
Delivering Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) for entrepreneurship education.
Building a national mentor network.
Setting up incubation centres and funding platforms.
Spreading social entrepreneurship awareness.
Apprenticeship Protsahan Yojana
Reformed to make apprenticeship opportunities more industry relevant and enhance the employability of youth.
Success Stories Under Skill India Mission
The Skill India Mission has been a game-changer for thousands of lives as it has produced skilled manpower in all sectors. For instance, Priya, a girl from rural Bihar, was trained in tailoring under PMKVY. Today, she runs a boutique and employs other youths in her village. Similarly, Rajesh, who had dropped out of school in Maharashtra, pursued a digital marketing course and now works for the leading MNC. He also earns a decent salary from his job. Stories like these explain how this mission has succeeded in spreading entrepreneurship and offering employment.
FAQs of Skill India Mission
Q.1 When did the National Skill India Mission initiate?
The mission was initiated in July 2015.
Q.2 What is a skill training program in India?
It has modules on vocational skills, digital literacy, and entrepreneurship that are standards of NSQF.
Q.3 What ministry governs the Skill India Programme?
Skill Development and Entrepreneurship is the Ministry.
Q.4 Who all can apply for the scheme of Skill India?
Anyone who is an Indian citizen in particular school dropouts as well as unemployed people.
Q.5 How do I get registered for the Skill India Mission?
Registration has to be done through a website or through authorised training centres.
The Skill India Mission is a highly transformative initiative that empowers the youth to improve employability and drive sustainable economic development. It bridges the gap of skills and innovation towards the positioning of India as a leader in workforce development in the world.
