Bridging the skills gap in today’s economy

-by Vishwajit Singh

In this era of high-paced growth and dynamic investment in India, the demand for skilled labour across many industries has definitely increased. The shortage of appropriately skilled labour has emerged as a significant and complex challenge to India’s growth and future. 

Two weeks ago, I had the opportunity to visit the PACE center in Chembur, a suburban neighborhood in eastern Mumbai, which is preparing youth from low income backgrounds in skills which are in high demand in the Indian labour market.

PACE is an initiative of Pratham Institute for Literacy, Education and Vocational Training which views education as an effective tool for bringing social change through community development.

The PACE center in Chembur currently offers courses in English, Marathi, personality development, basic mathematics, banking and taxation, tally, hardware and networking, mobile repairing and has a beauty centre offering beautician courses. It caters to youth from economically disadvantaged backgrounds who have not had access to formal education or have studied only up to grade 8. The courses, which usually last for 2-4 months and are conducted from morning to evening in different batches, provide them with greater access to the job market and enable them to meet the growing demands of the Indian labour market. The centre has 15 qualified trainers who provide not only theoretical knowledge but also practical training and help students raise their aspirations for the future. According to the centre in charge Ajit - we need more such centers for youth from low income backgrounds to improve their income generation opportunities and to bridge the skills gap .The centre so far has been able to secure jobs for more than 75% of its students in related industries. Many students also pursue higher education after completion of these foundation courses.

Jaya Sheikh, a resident of Mysore, Karnataka who shifted to Mumbai to look for employment opportunities in the unorganized sector said “I found out about the centre from a friend and joined the foundation course. I had always dreamt of speaking in English and learning computer skills and now my dream has come true.”  She seemed quite confident in her ability to secure a good job, having now learnt basic conversational English and computer skills.

Having spent some time talking to students and trainers and seeing their commitment and motivation levels, I am confident that the center will continue to grow in the future and achieve its mission of training youth from low income backgrounds in different vocations and help bridge the skills gap in today’s economy. I look forward to seeing students of this centre improve lives of people in their community and become role models for others like them.

Till my next visit!

A visit to Latur, the earthquake-prone city

-by Aparna Bhasin

Healthcare is one of India’s largest sectors, both in terms of revenue and employment, and is continuing to expand rapidly. However, India faces a huge shortage of medical personnel to meet the demands of rapid expansion (PWC, 2007). This not only includes doctors and nurses, but also paramedics and support staff such as nursing assistants. The PACE center in Latur is contributing to filling this gap. The center provides certification in bedside assistance as an alternative to formal higher education, at a nominal cost. The course is three months long, with one month spent in the classroom and the remainder in practical training at a local hospital. Most of our students are then placed with a local hospital where their starting salary is Rs. 3,500.

I recently visited the center in Latur, and want to share the stories that I heard with you.

In the Land of Lakes...

- by Vikram Singh

The Pratham Arora Center for Education (PACE) in Udaipur is one of our smaller training centers. In the beautiful city of Udaipur, the center runs a hospitality course for students from disadvantaged socio-economic backgrounds. Being in a city with a bustling tourist and hospitality industry, the center has the advantage of being close to many hotels – most notably the Taj Lake Palace. The Taj Group supports us greatly and, as our knowledge partner, aids us in our endeavour to provide vocational training to underprivileged youth. Students from the center even get a chance to learn from the experienced staff at the Lake Palace.

The story of Rekha Didi from Rajasthan

- by Yatin Shriwardhankar

Rekha always dreamt of a career in IT, but being the eldest of 7 children, she could not afford access to higher education. Having completed her schooling, she struggled to find a job with a decent pay. She learned about Pratham’s Education For Education(EFE)’s digital literacy program and upon completion of the training became an Entrepreneur in her rural village in Rajasthan.

She soon became the best performing EFE Entrepreneur in the state, and was given space to run her own center by the Gram-Sarpanch. She is committed to social responsibility and understands the limitations of students like herself; hence, she charges her students a fee ranging from Rs. 200-1000 based on their ability.

“Rekha Didi” is now a familiar face in her village, and is committed to helping EFE spread. Rekha now dreams of opening a successful computer center of her own, once the agreement with Pratham ends.

“I am very proud to be supporting my family financially and helping students like myself.” - Rekha Didi