Skill Development - scope

Skills Development
Ms. Tine Staermose
Director, ILO
Ms. Tine Staermose
Skills development is a high
priority for collaboration
between ILO and its tripartite
partners. As an integral
part of the operationalization
of the National Skills
Development Policy, the ILO
continues to provide technical
support to improve
qualification systems and
pathways to increase recognition
of skills development
programmes and reinvigorate
the apprenticeship system,
including through support to
piloting new approaches and
to ensure more relevant and
inclusive outcomes.
Youth unemployment &
underemployment is prevalent
around the world
because young people lack
skills,work experience, job search
abilities and the financial resources
to find employment. In developing
countries, this situation is
exacerbated by poverty and the
competitive pressures that result
from a rapidly growing labour
force. Globally, young people
are, therefore, more likely to be
either unemployed or employed
on more precarious contracts
and in the informal sector. India
has the largest youth population
inthe world, with around 66 percent
of the total population being
under the age of 35(representing
over 808 million young people).
According to 2010 population
figures, one in five young people
in the world is an Indian. These
young people are much more
likely to be unemployed: looking
at the age group 20-24 living in
urban areas in India, 9.7 percent
of young men and 18.7 percent of
young women were unemployed
in 2009-10.
While India is experiencing a ‘demographic
dividend’ due to the
youth bulge, many young people
struggle to acquire the right skills
demanded by employers to successfully
navigate the transition
from school to work. Moreover,
with the dependency ratio expected
to rise from 2025, India
faces a pressing challenge to increase
education and skill levels
amongst its population to take
advantage of this unique moment
in its history. However, the scale
of India’s challenge to improve
the skills of its burgeoning labour
force is significant. Whilst 12 million
people enter the workforce
each year, less than 10 percent
have had access to training,and
whilst 90 percent of jobs require
vocational training, only 6 percent
of the workforce receives any
form of workplace training.
The imperative for economic
growth, combined with concern
over the social consequences of
28 Kaleidoscope July 2013