Why India Needs a Mentoring Movement

With over 40 million students in higher education and 10 million youth entering the labour market annually, the education-to-employment transition is a major national challenge in India.

Limits of Policy-Only Solutions

• Recent Policy Initiatives: Governments are focusing on upgrading skilling institutions, expanding internship opportunities, and supporting young people in their first jobs.
• Limitations of Policy and Infrastructure: Policy and infrastructure alone cannot bridge the gap between learning and livelihood.

The Human Nature of the Transition Gap

• Psychological and Social Barriers: The gap appears in fears, uncertainties, and limited exposure, especially among first-generation learners entering adulthood.
• Women’s Workforce Participation Gap: Women enter higher education on par with men, but fewer than 40% of women with advanced qualifications join the labour force due to social norms, safety constraints, and low confidence.
• Unequal Access to Opportunity: Young people may have equal talent but unequal access to opportunity, affecting career outcomes.
• Network Disadvantage: Men have 8.3 percentile points higher median network strength than women, and people are four times more likely to get jobs through existing connections.

Changing Skill Demand in the AI Era

• Employer Preferences: Employers increasingly seek communication, problem-solving, adaptability, and leadership skills.
• Entry-Level Disruption: Artificial Intelligence is reshaping entry-level work, increasing uncertainty for new job seekers.
  

Mentoring as the Missing Link

• About Mentoring: Mentoring is a relationship rather than a tutorial, in which an experienced person provides personalised guidance to overcome fears. 
  • Research by the organisation ‘Mentor Together’ suggests that mentoring significantly boosts confidence and decision-making.
• Functions of Mentoring: Mentors help youth clarify goals, build confidence, and navigate uncertainty. It supports entry into work, retention, and career progression.
• Women’s Participation in Workforce: Mentoring improves networks and expands aspirations for young women.

Mentoring in Public Systems

• National-Level Integration: The Ministry of Labour and Employment has integrated mentoring into the National Career Service platform.
• State-Level Scale-Up: Karnataka and Telangana are implementing mentoring across collegiate and technical education.
• Policy Shift: Mentoring is being treated as an essential tool for capability building, not an optional add-on.
• Need for National Mentoring Architecture: There are demands for a national, inclusive mentoring system with standardised mentor training, structured evidence-based curricula, strong monitoring and safeguarding, and digital platforms to scale access while retaining human connection.
  

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Multi-Stakeholder National Mentoring Movement

• Government Role: Governments should embed mentoring in education, skilling, and employment systems.
• Non-Profit Role: Non-profits should develop training, safeguarding, and curriculum frameworks and support institutions.
• Corporate Role: Corporations should mobilise employees as mentors and open professional networks.
• LinkedIn Coaches Program: Since 2015, volunteers have supported over one million students in tier 2 and tier 3 engineering colleges through coaching and mock interviews.
• CSR and Leadership Development: Integrating mentoring into CSR builds youth opportunity and strengthens leadership skills within firms.
• Philanthropy and Research: Philanthropy should fund technology, research, and capacity building, while researchers should evaluate what works and at what cost.
  

Conclusion

National-scale impact is possible if working professionals mentor even one young person each year. Such widespread mentoring can transform opportunity, aspiration, and workforce readiness across the country.

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