India's Urgent Call: Bridging the Education-Employability Divide

At the 16th FICCI Global Skills Summit, Union Minister Jayant Chaudhary urged businesses to offer better pay for certified workers and reconsider informal hiring practices. He highlighted India's skilling gap, comparing it to the infancy of carbon pricing. Chaudhary stressed the importance of valuing skilled labor effectively.

India faces a growing disconnect between formal education and employability, with warnings from policymakers and industry leaders. Without immediate reforms, the country's demographic dividend could become a liability. Chaudhary reiterated Government efforts to safeguard national interests, including those of farmers, fishermen, and rural artisans.

Industry leaders echoed the urgency. Bijay Sahoo, chair of FICCI's Skills Committee, emphasized leveraging India's tech talent, while AAP MP Vikramjit Singh Sahney outlined a plan for a regional apprenticeship program. With over 230 million young Indians, the clock is ticking. Chaudhary emphasized the pivotal role of the National Education Policy 2020 in addressing the skills gap through collaborations.

(With inputs from agencies.)