Unemployment has emerged as a major issue in India’s economic policy discussions. Recently,  Economic Survey 2023-24 also highlighted that India needs to create 78.5 lakh new non-farm jobs annually until 2030 to meet the growing demand of its workforce. 

India’s Skilling Challenge

• Over time, India has developed a robust institutional and policy framework to promote skill development. 
• However, the success of these initiatives has been limited. According to the Periodic Labour Force Survey 2022-23, only 21% of Indian youth aged 15-29 years have received vocational or technical training, whether formal or informal. Of these, only 4.4% have received formal vocational training. 
• Moreover, India’s Chief Economic Advisor, V. Anantha Nageswaran, pointed out that only 51% of graduates in India are employable. 
• These figures raise critical concerns regarding the accessibility, quality, and industry relevance of existing skill development programs.

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Way Ahead

1. Innovative Approaches: To address these challenges, India can explore incorporating following innovative learning methods:

• Gamified Learning: Gamified learning incorporates elements of games—such as challenges, points, badges, and rewards—into the training process. 
  • This method makes skill development more engaging and fun, increasing participant motivation and knowledge retention. 
  • The module can be customized by identifying areas where skill sets are lacking. 
    • For example, learners can receive instant feedback, progress tracking, and participate in challenges that foster a sense of competition, encouraging them to strive for excellence. 
    • With clear goals and milestones, trainees can stay focused and motivated throughout their learning journey.
• Simulation-Based Learning: This type of learning uses virtual environments to mimic real-world scenarios, allowing learners to apply their skills in a safe, controlled setting. 
  • Simulations offer hands-on experience, enabling learners to make mistakes and learn from them without real-world consequences. It also helps in developing critical thinking, problem-solving abilities, and practical skills. 
  • These immersive simulations have been shown to improve knowledge retention and are effective in helping learners understand complex systems. 
  • Countries like Singapore and Germany have already integrated gamified and simulation-based training into their vocational education systems with success.

Adopting these approaches in India’s government-led skilling programs could improve the quality and outcome of training. 

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2. Leveraging Existing Platforms: SWAYAM and SIDH: India has already launched following platforms:

• SWAYAM: This platform, which hosts over 4,000 courses, has enrolled more than 40 million participants since its inception. It has been particularly popular for engineering and physical sciences courses, with 93.45% of successful completions in these streams. 
  • With such a large base of learners, SWAYAM is a promising platform for the implementation of new-age learning methods, such as gamification and simulations.
• SIDH: This platform offers 752 online courses, providing over 7.37 lakh minutes of digital content. 
  • It has enrolled 7.63 lakh candidates as of June 2024. With its extensive digital resources, SIDH has the potential to serve as a key tool in the expansion of skill training programs, including the incorporation of gamified and simulation-based learning.

Conclusion

Addressing India’s unemployment challenge requires not only the creation of new jobs but also ensuring that the workforce is equipped with the right skills.