Govt’s mission possible on skill development

Skill_DevelopmentIn keeping with the commitment on building skill development in the country, the Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, has given its nod for the institutional framework for the National Skill Development Mission.

The National Skill Development Mission, which was a promise made during the Budget Speech for 2015-16, aims to provide a strong institutional framework at the centre and states for implementation of skilling activities in the country.

The mission will have a three-tiered, high-powered decision-making structure. At its apex, the Mission’s Governing Council, chaired by the Prime Minister, will provide overall guidance and policy direction.

The Steering Committee, chaired by Minister in Charge of Skill Development, will review the mission’s activities in line with the direction set by the Governing Council. The Mission Directorate, with Secretary, Skill Development as Mission Director, will ensure implementation, coordination and convergence of skilling activities across Central Ministries/Departments and State Governments.

It will also run select submissions in high priority areas. Further, the National Skill Development Agency (NSDA), the National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) and the Directorate of Training will function under the overall guidance of the Mission.

The Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) provides a natural home for the mission, organically linking all three decision-making levels and facilitating linkages to all Central Ministries/Departments and State Governments.

PM Modi earlier had said, “Today the world focuses on trade in goods but in future the core issue will be how to get skilled people. We need to work in this direction.”

The majority of India’s vast population is of working age. An urgent and effective action to Skill India is needed to capture the demographic potential of India’s youth. Based on data from the 68th Round of NSSO, it is estimated that only 4.69 per cent of India’s total workforce has undergone formal skill training, compared with 52 percent in the USA, 68 per cent in the UK, 75 percent in Germany, 80 percent in Japan and 96 percent in South Korea.

Despite efforts to hasten and scale up-skilling through the creation of the National Skill Development Fund (NSDF) in 2009, the launch of the NSDC in the same year, and creation of the NSDA in 2013, progress to date has been sporadic.

India continues to face a skilling challenge of vast proportions. Based on the Census 2011 and NSSO (68th Round) data, it is estimated that 104 million fresh entrants to the workforce will require skill training by 2022, and 298 million of the existing workforce will require additional skill training over the same time period.

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