By Anubhuti Vishnoi
Copyright indiatimes
New Delhi: As many as 11 ‘formidable gaps’ in skilling a ‘future-ready workforce’ for Viksit Bharat have been flagged by the Centre in a note shared with chief secretaries.The note circulated ahead of the 5th conference of chief secretaries lists out a series of efforts, but highlights that “despite demonstrable progress, formidable gaps persist”. ET looks at the challenges red-flagged in the joint concept note by the Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship (MSDE) and the department of agricultural research and education (DARE).Limited coverageOnly 4.42% of India’s population in the 15-29 age group have a recognised vocational certificate; South Korea (96%), Japan (80%) and Germany (75%) .Enhanced focus on recognition of prior learning and integration of vocational education within mainstream curricula is essential as ‘current coverage is inadequate’. Vocational training is often viewed as a ‘secondary option’ due to unclear progression pathways from certificates to diplomas/degrees and weak links to wages.Live Events lack of Dynamic Demand planEcosystem remains unresponsive to fast-evolving labour market trends driven by automation, AI, and new technologies. Only 41% of ITI and 29% of polytechnic graduates are deemed employable.Absence of Labour Info SystemSectors such as aerospace show how academic outputs remain misaligned with high-end demand.Information needed to integrate high-frequency datasets, such as GST, e-Shram and Invest India.Industry Co-ownership’Industry involvement in curriculum design, training delivery and hiring remains limited’; apprenticeship programmes ‘yet to reach critical mass’.Ltd Skilling-Edu integrationThe note suggests flexible, well-defined pathways for career mobility and vocational education’s appeal.Fragmented skilling systemThe note has highlighted how over 20 ministries are involved in delivering skilling schemes, leading to a ‘fragmented’ system with limited coordination across central and state levels.Trainer Shortage, Capacity GapsThe quality and availability of skilled trainers are ‘major bottlenecks’, the note has said pointing to lack of formal industry experience or exposure to modern pedagogies and technology.Ltd Access for the marginalisedMarginalised communities have limited access due to poor connectivity, physical isolation, and lack of infrastructure.Gender BarriersSociocultural norms to mobility constraints, lack of safe infrastructure, limited child care support, unpaid work and digital exclusion continue to limit career options for women.Gender-targeted initiatives have been proposed but are yet to achieve scale and impact, the Centre’s note reads.Global Mobility RoadblockLack of mutual recognition of qualifications and limited language training result in low global placements.The MSDE-DARE note has held that while Skill India International Centres are being developed, “greater institutional and G2G effort and support from the Ministry of External Affairs” is required to unlock international skilling opportunities at scale.Agriculture & allied sectorsUnder-employment and low productivity continue to bog down agriculture and allied sectors, which employ 43% of the workforce but contribute only 18% to GDP. With less than 10% of its 25 crore workforce formally trained, there is an acute need to ‘formalise the informal’, it states.Add as a Reliable and Trusted News Source Add Now!
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Read More News onSkilling GapsSkill India International CentresVocational EducationWorkforce DevelopmentTraining and DevelopmentYouth EmployabilityAgriculture and Allied SectorsViksit Bharat
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(You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel)Read More News onSkilling GapsSkill India International CentresVocational EducationWorkforce DevelopmentTraining and DevelopmentYouth EmployabilityAgriculture and Allied SectorsViksit Bharat(Catch all the Business News, Breaking News, Budget 2025 Events and Latest News Updates on The Economic Times.) Subscribe to The Economic Times Prime and read the ET ePaper online….moreless
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