India may be the most populous country in the world, but more than 60% of its population is aged less than 35 - a young, growing nation. With such a large portion of the population in the employment bracket, the size and age of the workforce is expected to play a significant role in propelling economic growth. Consequently, skilling this young generation for gainful and sustainable employment is among the top priorities of the government, evident through a plethora of initiatives and schemes to achieve this.
In a country so diverse in almost every context, a one-size-fits-all approach to skilling may not be as effective- regional differences due to various factors such as natural resources, geography, native trades, the literacy rate, skill training infrastructure, self-employment, and regular wage/salaried employment potential must be considered to ensure effective and targeted development.
As per a report, the country’s Northeast region- comprising the 8 states of Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Tripura, and Sikkim - accounts for more than 5% of the population aged 15–35(mind you, don’t be fooled by the small percentage because this translates to crores of individuals in absolute numbers). Subsequently, the skilling pool is large and related initiatives must address key issues in the region,which include a declining percentage of women in the labour force, supply - demand imbalances at the sectoral and geographic level, and a high level of employment in the unorganised, non-farm sector.
Skill development has gradually improved across the country, including the Northeast: while some states are following the larger nation-wide objectives for skilling, a few are modifying these with more state-focused considerations.
On one hand, the Assam State Rural Livelihoods Mission Society aims to empower the state’s rural poor by promoting self-help groups (SHGs), providing skill development and placement for youth in wage-based occupations across private/business organizations, and imparting training centred on self-employment.This program is being executed under the larger country-wide DeenDayalAntyodaya Yojana, which aims to mobilize disadvantaged communities by enhancing sustainable livelihood opportunities through skilling. The state also recently set up a skill development department to lead progress in this area.
In Meghalaya, the State Skill Development Society fostered skill development of 7,700 adolescents and facilitated their placement across multiple sectors and companies.On the other hand, Sikkim has opened livelihood schools where young people are taught skills in several fields, including art and craft instruction. These schools have yielded excellent results,helping revive the state's art and craft economy.
With an abundance of natural resources and niche markets in the region but slow economic growth, entrepreneurship becomes an area with significant untapped potential to address several localemployment-related challenges. With a gradual shift in the mindset of today’s youth, from job seeker to job creator, several entrepreneurs from the northeast are also establishing startups to help address local issues and scale niche markets:for instance, one entrepreneur’s aromatic plantations aim to restore green coverage in Meghalaya’s mining wastelands, while another decided to brew the world’s first variety of kiwi wine to find a market for the abundantly grown kiwi in Arunachal Pradesh.
Through the Start-up India Initiative, which aims to promote entrepreneurship and innovation by creating and enabling a robust start-upecosystem, 408 start-ups have already been recognized in the region. The Northeast Development Finance Institution (NEDFI) has also extended financial assistance to nearly 7,000 projects. Additionally, organizations such as the Northeast Handicrafts &Handloom Corporation and Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of India have launched e-commerce portals that enable entrepreneurs to reach out to a wider market, helping them sustain their crafts and livelihood.
The Indian Institute of Entrepreneurship in Guwahati has also been providing training, research, and consultancy activities to small and micro enterprises—more than 2.5 lakh people have been trained through more than 6,700 programs conducted by the institute.
To develop skill development infrastructure, short-term training and polytechnic centres, and industrial training institutes (ITIs) have been set up; more than 22 ITIs have been upgraded; and other infrastructure shortages are being addressed by constructing more hostels and special project centres.
Further, with the central government relaunching its Skill India program through PMKVY 4.0, it aims to train nearly 145,050 youth in the region with future-ready skills with industry-backed job opportunities. Under PMKVY 4.0, the Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship targets to skill around 60,000 youth in Tripura and 35,000 in Nagaland across several approved courses. With digitalisation gaining traction at an unprecedented rate, a 10-acre state-of-the-art facility is also expected to be established in Shillong under the National Institute of Electronics and IT to provide training on cutting-edge digital skills for the local youths.
In addition to ongoing efforts, a plethora of other skilling initiatives aligned to the unique requirements and resources of Northeast India can significantly bolster the region's progress by building a competent workforce, encouraging entrepreneurial endeavours, and promoting sustainable livelihoods.
About the author
Joydev Lahiri is a Senior Consultant with SFC Asia. He can be found at [email protected]
