By Dr. Easwaran Iyer
In every country, young people are a vital and valued asset. It is widely believed that developing countries with big youth populations can experience amazing growth if they focus on investing in quality education, health, and security, as well as ensuring their rights are preserved. We can confidently predict that today’s youth will become tomorrow’s leaders, creators, builders, and inventors.
Skills are critical for making the best use of human resources. A skilled workforce is both an asset and a necessity for long-term economic success. World Youth Skills Day-2023 represents the preparation of teachers, trainers, and young people for an inventive future. It focuses on the critical role that teachers, trainers, and other educators have in preparing youngsters to enter the labour market and become active contributors to their communities and societies. The incline in the young population has presented policymakers with numerous challenges and opportunities.
Few of the prime reasons for fostering entrepreneurial and transferable skills are the increasing use of technology and dynamic changes in the labour market as it acts as a positive marker of progress for youth.
Since India is one of the youngest developing nations in the world and has a comparatively larger youth population, it has introduced many programmes focussed on effective skilling, re-skilling, and up-skilling and aware of the future gaps regarding skills and capabilities. It is of utmost importance to make sure that the skills gained are recognised, certified, and employable to offer skill development opportunities for out-of-school youth and those who are unemployed, educated, or trained.
To prepare youth for the upcoming challenges and opportunities, we must focus on the key essential areas of involvement that will enhance the chances of their employability.
Below are the crucial areas that are required to equip today’s youngsters with the skills and mindset to succeed in shaping themselves to the future of work.
- Developing Digital Proficiencies: To empower youth, educators, and trainers must include digital proficiency as part of their curricula. This will benefit adolescents by giving comprehensive training on the use of digital tools, critical thinking and problem-solving skills that are vital in a digital context, and the development of creativity through technology. Partnerships with prominent industry leaders will help them provide practical exposure and help youth understand the digital requirements across different industry verticals.
- Developing Soft Skills: Soft skills play a crucial role in the workplace. Skills like communication, collaboration, and leadership are some of the most desired skills of employers. Educational institutions must focus on the development of these skills in youth through experiential learning, group projects, etc. They must introduce regular sessions on public speaking, debates, and team-based projects to develop interpersonal skills that will help them to prepare for professional life.
- Mentoring and Guidance: Establishing mentoring programmes where experienced professionals guide and support young individuals by providing insights into various industries, offering career advice, and helping them navigate challenges. By connecting youth with successful role models, they can gain inspiration, learn from others’ experiences, and expand their networks. Mentoring programmes can be organised through educational institutions, community organisations, or professional networks.
- Entrepreneurship and Innovation: Promoting entrepreneurship and innovation among youth empowers them to shape their destinies. Encouraging an entrepreneurial mindset helps develop problem-solving skills, risk-taking abilities, and creativity. Access to tools such as start-up incubators, business development workshops, and seed funding options can assist young entrepreneurs in converting their ideas into profitable ventures. Fostering an innovative culture enables youngsters to contribute to economic progress and promote societal change.
- Encouraging Lifelong Learning: A rapidly changing job market demands adaptability and continuous learning and educational institutions should be an avenue that promotes a culture of lifelong learning. This can be easily done by promoting curiosity, self-directed learning, and continuous professional development. Empowering youth to embrace change and seize new learning opportunities should be the prime focus of all educational institutions.
(The author is Dr. Easwaran Iyer, Pro Vice Chancellor, JAIN (Deemed-to-be University), and the views expressed in this article are his own)
