Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship and Minister of State for Education, Jayant Chaudharybon Friday unveiled a report titled “Skills for the Future: Transforming India’s Workforce Landscape” in New. Developed by the Institute for Competitiveness (IFC), the report offers a comprehensive analysis of India’s skills ecosystem, emphasizing the need for a demand-driven, market-aligned, and outcome-oriented approach to skilling.
Speaking at the event, Chaudhary highlighted the importance of aligning skilling initiatives with industry needs and evolving workforce demands. He emphasized that skilling should not be viewed solely as a supply-side intervention but as a holistic ecosystem that bridges education, vocational training, and industry requirements. He also proposed the development of a robust employability index to monitor the impact of education and skilling on youth employment in a rapidly changing economic and technological landscape. Additionally, he stressed the value of recognizing informal and experiential learning to strengthen pathways between education and industry.
The report, an independent effort by IFC, draws on publicly available data, including unit-level analysis from the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) 2023-24. It reveals that 88% of India’s workforce is engaged in low-competency occupations, with only 10-12% in high-competency roles. The report identifies five key sectors—IT and ITeS, Textile and Apparel, Electronics, Healthcare and Life Sciences, and Beauty and Wellness—that account for over 66% of vocational training in India. Using a Competitiveness Framework Analysis, it also highlights five high-potential regions for these sectors, integrating data from PLFS, the PMKVY 4.0 dashboard, Sector Skill Councils, and the National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme to assess training, certification, and industry alignment.
Atul Kumar Tiwari, Secretary of the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE), commended the IFC’s efforts, underscoring the need for a robust body of academic literature on skilling supported by data and evidence. He called for deeper exploration of structural changes in the skilling, education, and work continuum to drive meaningful reforms.
