Mit seinem doppelten Fokus auf Beschäftigung und Wachstum betont Premierminister Narendra Modi erneut die Wichtigkeit der Kompetenzentwicklung in den Produktions- und Dienstleistungssektoren. In seiner Rede zum Unabhängigkeitstag am 15. August sprach er von seiner 'Skilled India'-Mission zur Förderung der ganzheitlichen Entwicklung.
Towards a skilled workforce
With his twin focus on jobs and growth, Prime Minister Narendra Modi seems
intent on placing renewed emphasis on skill development in the services and
manufacturing sectors. In his Independence Day speech, the Prime Minister spoke
of his 'skilled India' mission to promote holistic development.
There is no
doubt that India needs to equip its youth with greater work skills. At present,
the country churns out a mostly semi-literate workforce without the requisite
marketable skills in a globalised world. According to a report by the Adviser to
the Prime Minister on the National Council on Skill Development, among those in
the 15 to 29 years age group, only 2 per cent have received formal vocational
training, and 8 per cent non-formal vocational training. Against 128 lakh new
entrants to the workforce, there were only 31 lakh seats for vocational skill
training.
As Mr. Modi stressed in his speech, with 65 per cent of the population
under 35 years of age, India will have to think of reaping the demographic
dividend. However, India ought to set its sights higher than what Mr. Modi
envisaged when he lamented the shortage of drivers, plumbers and cooks. The real
challenge is not to find low-paying jobs for the unemployed, but to equip those
entering the workforce with the necessary skills in a competitive
environment.
By promising to enhance the skill development of India's youth
at a rapid pace, Mr. Modi spoke of forming a pool of young people who are able
to create jobs. More importantly, he also talked of a workforce that will be in
a position to "face their counterparts in any corner of the world" by virtue of
hard work and dexterity of hands. Capacity-building was spoken of in the global
context as the ability of India's youth to "win the hearts of people around the
world" through their skills. The importance of promoting the manufacturing
sector was highlighted both in the context of creating employment opportunities
and developing a balance between imports and exports.
The exhortation to
multinationals to sell in any country but manufacture in India, also came in the
context of putting to use the education and capability of India's youth. For
employment-led growth, for the "Come, make in India" slogan that Mr. Modi
delivered on Independence Day to have any meaning, the government must invest
heavily in education and training, in research and development. Otherwise, cheap
labour will remain the only attraction for foreign investment in India. Skill
and talent are the results of education and training, and India must lay greater
stress on its educational infrastructure before it can attain higher levels of
growth. The skill set of India's youth have to necessarily match that of the
world's best.