Take for instance the youth trained by Prathan Education Foundation’s skilling centers. In 2015, over 85% of the youth enrolled had dropped out of the school system before grade 12. In 2021, however, less than 35% of the enrolled trainees were drop-outs, while the rest had completed grade 12 education. The eligibility criteria, content, courses and sectors have essentially remained the same over the last six years.Can see that more ‘qualified’ youth are choosing to pursue a pathway designed for ‘drop-outs’. Youth who typically come from low-income families do not have the luxury of investing in higher education and advanced learning, given the opportunity cost. In such a situation, the idea that you can be connected from your village to a training center and then to the workforce in less than 6 months is a more desirable alternative. There is a back-story which needs to be highlighted here.
Higher rate of graduation from schools, most youth do not possess the skills expected of them by prospective employers. Much of this can be attributed to an emphasis on exams and the lack of focus on learning outcomes (bit.ly/3yVHK0M). Trainees who join Prathan centres have spent 3-7 years unsuccessfully looking for jobs after graduation (their median age 24-25), with limited guidance and awareness about opportunities. For years, these youth were conditioned to believe that working as an electrician or a housekeeping attendant is not admirable and they turned to vocational centres only as a last resort. The unfortunate reality is that there are millions in India who choose to stay unemployed instead of pursuing a vocation-based job. We need to shift from a ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach to one that is tailored to match local realities.
The jobs of today are not the ones that existed two decades ago. Most professional degrees are designed to employ a minority within urban locations and require significant investment in academic education. Those who don’t pass the filters must settle for jobs which they believe are ‘below’ their qualification level, resulting in a vicious cycle of disgruntled employment. For more evidence of this, turn to the rapidly growing gig worker economy, where we see scores of young people with college degrees signing up to work as delivery partners, cab drivers and doorstep service providers.
We have been typecasting different types of jobs without accounting for their availability and accessibility. Rather than building a false narrative, we need to recognize the real jobs that the country has to offer. From policy to practice, the next advocacy mission should be for dignity of labour. for instance the youth trained by Pratham Education Foundation’s skilling centers. In 2015, over 85% of the youth enrolled had dropped out of the school system before grade 12. In 2021, however, less than 35% of the enrolled trainees were drop-outs, while the rest had completed grade 12 education. The eligibility criteria, content, courses and sectors have essentially remained the same over the last six years. Yet we can see that more ‘qualified’ youth are choosing to pursue a pathway designed for ‘drop-outs’. These youth who typically come from low-income families do not have the luxury of investing in higher education and advanced learning, given the opportunity cost. In such a situation, the idea that you can be connected from your village to a training center and then to the workforce in less than 6 months is a more desirable alternative. There is a back-story which needs to be highlighted here. The higher rate of graduation from schools, most youth do not possess the skills expected of them by prospective employers. Much of this can be attributed to an emphasis on exams and the lack of focus on learning outcomes (bit.ly/3yVHK0M). Trainees who join Prathan centers have spent 3-7 years unsuccessfully looking for jobs after graduation (their median age of enrolment is 24-25), with limited guidance and awareness about opportunities. For years, these youth were conditioned to believe that working as an electrician or a housekeeping attendant is not admirable and they turned to vocational centres only as a last resort. The unfortunate reality is that there are millions in India who choose to stay unemployed instead of pursuing a vocation-based job. We need to shift from a ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach to one that is tailored to match local realities. The jobs of today are not the ones that existed two decades ago. Most professional degrees are designed to employ a minority within urban locations and require significant investment in academic education. Those who don’t pass the filters must settle for jobs which they believe are ‘below’ their qualification level, resulting in a vicious cycle of disgruntled employment. For more evidence of this, turn to the rapidly growing gig worker economy, where we see scores of young people with college degrees signing up to work as delivery partners, cab drivers and doorstep service providers. We have been typecasting different types of jobs without accounting for their availability and accessibility. Rather than building a false narrative, we need to recognize the real jobs that the country has to offer. From policy to practice, the next advocacy mission should be for dignity of labours.
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