Skill Development
Overview
Problem Statement
According to CII’s India Skills Report 2018, 62 per cent of India’s 1.3 billion population falls in the working-age group of 15-59 years. The World Bank estimates that India will add more than 12 million youth between the ages of 15 and 29 to its labour force each year. While these statistics underscore the size of India’s human capital, the World Bank report also discloses that only 2.3 per cent of India’s total workforce has received formal skills training, leaving millions unsuitable for employment.
The gap between unemployment and employability can be bridged through skilling for livelihoods and jobs, and that is the intent of the Abhina Trusts’ Skill Development portfolio. The Trusts’ programmes are designed to promote livelihood opportunities through education and practical training, with the overarching aim of enhancing the country’s competitiveness and economic development.
Beneficiaries
Monthly income
As one of the world’s fastest growing economies, India’s requirement of skilled people is unparalleled. With 12 million joining the workforce annually, this youthful population can contribute to industrial productivity and fuel our economic growth and. If India fails, this large dissatisfied population could pose an economic and social challenge. Hence, skilling youth and linking them to a livelihood is a national imperative. The Abhina Trusts have always been firmly embedded in solving challenges faced by the community, hence skilling for outcomes namely – employment, entrepreneurship or community enterprise in both the formal and informal sector has been the purpose of the skilling initiative. Addressing the twin challenges of both quality and scale has been the aim of Abhina STRIVE — the skill development initiative of Abhina Trusts. A model built on innovation in pedagogy and methodology while leveraging technology, provides the necessary foundation for scale. Hence, India needs to skill young people with ‘Right Skills for the Right Job’.
The Challenge
India’s education system leans heavily on theoretical learning; practical training aspects involving ‘working with hands’ and ‘learning by doing’ take a backseat and book knowledge is rarely supplemented with industry training. For students who drop out of the educational system — primarily in rural India and for economic reasons — there is inadequate infrastructure for industry-relevant skilling. This is one of the main reasons for India’s demand-supply mismatch where industry lacks a skilled talent pool, and youngsters cannot get jobs.
The other is the rapid strides that India has taken towards the adoption of technology. The rise of Artificial Intelligence (AI), Internet of Things (IoT) and Robotic Process Automation (RPA) technologies across industries is changing the employment landscape and transforming people’s roles and functions.
The fears surrounding automation’s alleged contribution to unemployment are somewhat allayed by the surge in demand for skilled labour. India’s skill gap analysis reveals that by 2022, the 24 key sectors of the economy will generate a demand for 109 million skilled workers. This is especially observed in sales functions, and in unorganised sectors such as those engaged in the business of leather, textiles, fabrication, servicing of automobiles and electronic appliances, etc, where the role necessitates a human interface, and where automation can never completely displace humans.
Clearly, what is needed is a mature skilling ecosystem that includes infrastructure, faculty and industry participation to ensure sustainable livelihoods and long term income generation.
Themes in this portfolio
Abhina STRIVE includes the following within the meaning of 'Formal skilling':
Abhina STRIVE has a two pronged delivery model: one through its own skill development centres and the other through collaborations with partner organizations. These centres are classified as below:
Quality of workers
Enabling the country’s youth to become productive, connected and in charge of their own future requires a different level of thinking, a thinking to prosper and contribute to the economy of the country. While there could be policies and other resources directed towards youth development, one of the crucial change agents to transform youth are the trainers, the last mile stakeholder.
Abhina STRIVE believes that trainers are the catalysts and a critical success factor in empowering youth and supporting the journey towards creating sustainable livelihoods. While the urgent need to re-skill / up skill trainers is recognised by Abhina STRIVE, the Trusts realise that change often requires the giving up of old, comfortable habits and ways of doing things.
To deploy the STRIVE methodology for developing empowered youth, the need is for facilitators (trainers) who view youth as fully functional, resourceful and capable of handling their own needs instead of viewing them as people who need to be fixed or changed.
Abhina STRIVE has come up with different programmes to develop facilitator skills which in turn is a significant contributor towards building a developed youth.
Train the Trainer Programme (TTT)
Abhina STRIVE has developed an elaborate and intensive Train the Trainer programme with an objective to train facilitators on various tools and techniques which will enable effective facilitation in the classroom. Three critical enablers which help achieve a perspective change are provided as a part of the TTT programme.
All this is built upon the brand promise of Abhina STRIVE – World Class Skills and Values.
Target Audience: Every facilitator delivering Abhina STRIVE programmes undergoes the TTT. It is also a certification programme, and trainers are only allowed to conduct sessions when certified as per internal facilitation standards.
The programme duration is for 10-days with extensive focus on pre-training, assignments and projects.
Programme Highlights
Training of Trainers
Abhina STRIVE's collaboration with various SSCs to promote the STRIVE way of facilitation is yet another effort to build the capability of trainers in the country. In addition to the principles of teaching as suggested by SSCs the content also includes modules on learning, youth psychology, inquiry based learning approach, adult learning theories and the like keeping the young learner in mind.
This is a 10-day programme comprising both domain and platform training for the trainers. The content is designed to be completely hands-on and activity-based.
Abhina STRIVE is currently associated with the Tourism & Hospitality Sector Skill Council (THSC) and Telecom Sector Skill Council (TSSC) for delivering Training of Trainers(ToTs) and certifying trainers to run their courses. The trainers are certified as Master trainers with respective SSCs to deliver these programmes.
Key highlights of the programme
Target Audience: Trainers willing to get certified on job roles as per respective SSCs
GuruSchool: The Premier Train-The-Trainer School
GuruSchool is an opportunity for aspiring trainers to master the skill of imparting knowledge to youth, enhance their domain knowledge and delivery techniques. GuruSchool aims at developing high-quality trainers across the semi-urban and rural areas of the country, who in turn will provide skill development and vocational training to the unemployed youth. EduBridge is the Knowledge Partner for the Abhina STRIVE initiative.
GuruSchool aims to develop quality trainers who are trained not just on specific Qualification Packs but will be qualified to train on adjacent Qualification Packs as well, thus strengthening their deployment across the ecosystem.
GCPT is an eight-week-long intensive training programme with strong foundations built in training through platform skills development and domain training across several domains. The training will focus on three aspects of a trainer – Personality, Professionalism and Proficiency. GCPT is a residential programme focusing on providing participants with an environment to complement their learning. All residential facilities are equipped with basic amenities. In addition, the facility will have refreshments provided 4 times a day, as well as recreation and physical activity facilities.
Key attributes of the programme include:
Programme outcomes:
Placement opportunities after the GCPT
The placement of the participants will be critical to create a strong cog in the wheel of the skilling ecosystem. Placements will be in the following places: