Knowledge Paper on Skill Development in India
Learner first
September 2012
Knowledge paper on skill development in India
Foreword
Abhaya Krishna Agarwal
Partner, Government Services, Ernst & Young Pvt. Ltd.
Low labor-cost and a rich talent pool are distinct advantages available to India, clearly powering its global competiveness as a knowledge-based society. Education and training are both strategic necessities, which will deliver employment-enhancing skills, in turn increasing productivity and accelerating the future economic growth of the country. To further strengthen India’s position of being a dominant service economy, it is imperative for the government to invest in skilling and training the available human capital, especially to provide for the knowledgeintensive sectors. In collaboration with FICCI, Ernst & Young has prepared this paper, highlighting the current vocational education and training (VET) scenario of India in terms of current capacity, available infrastructure, projected growth and quality of education. The need for skill development has been assessed in comparison with the projected growth and demand for the same. Keeping the theme “learner first” in mind, the paper provides a comprehensive profile of today’s learner in terms of his/her demographic, social and educational status. Furthermore, the report voices the opinion of the learner, regarding his/her understanding, expectations and need for skill development. Being the prime provider for skill development in India, the government has established various avenues and pathways to increase employability of the learner, under the national policy on skills. Furthermore, the private sector too has entered this space by being both a supplier and consumer of skilled manpower. Initiatives under the public private partnership mode (PPP) such as the National Skills Development Corporation currently has 59 partners who are paramount in catalyzing vocational education and training in the country. Learning from the case studies of state
September 2012
Knowledge paper on skill development in India
Foreword
Abhaya Krishna Agarwal
Partner, Government Services, Ernst & Young Pvt. Ltd.
Low labor-cost and a rich talent pool are distinct advantages available to India, clearly powering its global competiveness as a knowledge-based society. Education and training are both strategic necessities, which will deliver employment-enhancing skills, in turn increasing productivity and accelerating the future economic growth of the country. To further strengthen India’s position of being a dominant service economy, it is imperative for the government to invest in skilling and training the available human capital, especially to provide for the knowledgeintensive sectors. In collaboration with FICCI, Ernst & Young has prepared this paper, highlighting the current vocational education and training (VET) scenario of India in terms of current capacity, available infrastructure, projected growth and quality of education. The need for skill development has been assessed in comparison with the projected growth and demand for the same. Keeping the theme “learner first” in mind, the paper provides a comprehensive profile of today’s learner in terms of his/her demographic, social and educational status. Furthermore, the report voices the opinion of the learner, regarding his/her understanding, expectations and need for skill development. Being the prime provider for skill development in India, the government has established various avenues and pathways to increase employability of the learner, under the national policy on skills. Furthermore, the private sector too has entered this space by being both a supplier and consumer of skilled manpower. Initiatives under the public private partnership mode (PPP) such as the National Skills Development Corporation currently has 59 partners who are paramount in catalyzing vocational education and training in the country. Learning from the case studies of state