New Delhi, June 26 (IANS) The skills landscape in India is driven by demand and market, said Jayant Chaudhary, Minister of State, for Education, stressing the need to recognise informal and experiential learning.

Unveiling a report titled “Skills for the Future: Transforming India’s Workforce Landscape”, developed by the Institute for Competitiveness, Chaudhary noted that the skill landscape must address the evolving needs of industry and workforce.

The report, based on the data available in the public domain, presents a detailed examination of the skills landscape in India. It focuses on educational attainment, occupational distribution, and attainment of technical and vocational education and training of the workforce (TVET).

“Skilling is to be understood not merely as a supply-side intervention, but as a demand-driven, market-aligned, and outcome-oriented ecosystem that addresses the evolving needs of industry and the workforce. We must deepen pathways between education, vocational training and industry this includes recognise informal and experiential learning,” Chaudhary said.

Chaudhary also suggested that a robust employability index will help in monitoring the impact of education and skilling on the employment prospects of youth in the evolving economic and technological environment.

Atul Kumar Tiwari, Secretary, MSDE, said that skilling is an area of academic inquiry.

He also stressed the need for creating a corpus of literature around skilling with data and evidence and also urged further deep diving into structural changes around skilling, education, and work continuum.

Meanwhile, the report analysed India’s skills landscape against the backdrop of the emerging knowledge-driven global economy.

Data analysis based on Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) shows that in 2023-24, 88 per cent of India’s workforce is in low-competency occupations, while only 10-12 per cent are in high-competency roles.

Further, using PLFS (2023-24) data the report identified five sectors — IT and ITeS, textile and apparel, electronics, healthcare and life sciences, and beauty and wellness — which accounted for over 66 per cent of vocational training in India.

The report also recommended multifaceted and targeted interventions to develop a resilient and future-ready workforce.

It urged for a dedicated, standardised data collection system to generate estimates about skill requirements and enable targeted evidence-based reforms and policies.

–IANS

rvt/