The present BJP government was the first to setup a ministry for skill development to coordinate the activities and liaise with industry and to create a skill trained workforce. The skill sector councils were setup in partnership with those in industry to craft standards of production. The skills being launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi would address the much needed required skilled manpower to cater to the growing industrial base. Our educational system is oriented towards more of book learning which hampers the growth of practical bend of mind. It is here the skills step in to give a practical bend of mind for youth to see life through a different prism so that they are equipped better for the emerging job market. There is an urgent need to revise education system and introduce courses which fine tunes the young minds at an earlier stage of education itself. India has very low skilled workforce compared to China, Germany, France, Korea and other countries resultantly our industrial production too has failed to reach a level where we can have a share of the global market. Today, China has emerged as world player in the industrial sector producing from small pins to sophisticated medical equipment, electronic goods, auto parts, toys, cycles and has become a supplier to various Indian companies who market their goods under the established brands. The skill development initiative undertaken by Modi no doubt would enhance the base production industry thus would also go a step further in nurturing his dream of ‘Make India’ a reality. Except for handful of trades like leather works, plumbing, motor driving and tour and travel operations most of the other categories of skilled persons exhibit a double digit growth in unemployment figure. Unless new jobs, especially in the manufacturing sector are created imparting skills to millions employment problem will not be salved. The policy should aim at growth and skill development to go in tandem so that existing as well as anticipated shortage of trained manpower can be foreseen as per the industry’s demand.
