Skill development in schools
In the changing world scenario with regard to industry and the job market, there is now an overpowering need for skilled workers. However, the definition of 'skill' in India, and the world in general, has also changed over recent years.
India is relatively young as a nation with around 28 million youth population being added every year. More than 50 per cent of its population is below the age of 25 and more than 65 per cent are aged below 35. In 2020, the average age of an Indian will be expectedly 29 years, while it will be 37 for China and 48 for Japan.
As President Pranab Mukherjee said in a recently organised CII event in Kolkata, "We often boast about India's demographic dividend. But the question that arises is what we do with this if we cannot skill them, if we cannot educate them and cannot enhance their employability."
India Today spoke to three experts on the issues of skill development in Indian schools today and how to overcome them:
· Nayana Mallapurkar, Program Head, TISS School of Vocational Education
· Dr Lakshmi Mohan, Campus Head, ITM Business School
· Siddarth Bharwani, Vice President, Jetking Infotrain Limited
Prominent employable skills at present:
Nayana Mallapurkar: In general, apart from the core subject expertise, some of the prominent employable skills that employers seek are:
· communication skills (verbal and written)
· commercial awareness
· attitude towards work
· lifelong learning
· self-management
· teamwork
· problem solving
· initiative
· self-motivation
· adaptability
· stress management
· creativity
· interpersonal sensitivity
· technology/it skills
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