World Youth Skilling Day 2020 – “Skills for a Resilient Youth”
Around the world, 2020 has emerged as one of the most challenging years in many of our lifetimes. In six months, the world has endured multiple challenges, including a pandemic that has spurred a global economic crisis. This year the World Youth Skills Day will also take place during this challenging situation. The COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown measures have led to the worldwide closure of technical and vocational education and training (TVET) institutions, threatening the continuity of skills development.
As societies reopen, it’s apparent that the economy in July will not be what it was in January. Increasingly, one of the key steps needed to foster a safe and successful economic recovery is expanded access to the digital skills needed to fill new jobs. And one of the keys to a genuinely inclusive recovery are programs to provide easier access to digital skills for people hardest hit by job losses, including those with lower incomes, women, and underrepresented minorities.
To help address this need, SOS Children’s Villages of India is committed to ensure that the young people have relevant skills and knowledge which will help them become self-reliant and contributing members of the society. In their comprehensive approach to make young people from the disadvantaged backgrounds employable with relevant skills and capacities, they focus their efforts on providing them access to appropriate professional/technical and job-oriented courses including higher education, vocational trainings and skilling programmes.
As a process, it is made sure that every youth has access to the courses as per their aptitude and interest. To understand this, a multiple intelligence and multiple nature programme is undertaken with them so as to identify their interest and existing skills. Extensive counselling sessions are also conducted with the youth in order to address their apprehensions of choosing the right courses, skills, suitable to their situations, scope and duration of the course and many similar concerns. The overall focus of Youth Skilling Programme is on experiential learning and building aspirations among the youth while developing employability skills and social skills to be able to successfully navigate in their lives.
Stories of Impact
{After becoming a part of SOS Children’s Villages of India at the age of 7, Nabin received the love of a mother and a family to call his own. This situation had a positive impact on the boy and upon growing up, Nabin decided to pursue a vocational course in Industrial Accountancy. Observing his interest and determination; Nabin was encouraged to take admission for CIA (Certified Industrial Accountant) in ICA-Edu skill Institute, Rourkela. During his course, he was trained on Accounting, Tally-ERP.9, SAP & GST etc. Additionally he completed P.G DCA from ALFA computer Institute Rourkela. After one year of job training he joined “CL Steel Syndicate” Rourkela as Accountant and his first salary was INR 12000/-. Nabin is quite happy with his job and is leading a smooth life. He always shares that whatever he is today is because of SOS Children’s Village of India that incessantly supported him to become a self-sufficient individual.}
“There is no secrets to success; it is the result of preparation, hard work and learning from failure” – Nabin Kishan (Accountant, CL Steel Syndicate, Rourkela)
{Harpreet and his biological brother became a part of SOS Family after the death of their father. Upon home coming the boy was entrusted under the loving care of his SOS mother. An edgy and little diffirent boy, he initially took time to adjust to his new surroundings and with active support and care given by the mother and her SOS brothers and sisters he gradually settled down. Soon it came to notice that the boy is facing difficulty while coping with further studies and it was decided that he will go for skill based vocational course so that he can settled himself smoothly. On the successful completion of his internship at BOSCH he got selected in HONDA Company, Alwar (Rajasthan). There initially he was offered INR 21000/-.}
“The moment when I came to know that I am not at par with other children it made me sad and very disappointed but today when I am far ahead, I feel I am second to none. This has been possible because of the way I was guided and taken care of, love and support of my mummy and people who took stand behind me, encouraged me at every step and motivated me not to give up at any cost.” – Harpreet Singh (Honda, Alwar)
{Priyanka from House No.9 of SOS Children’s Village Hyderabad passed her Class X from Hyderabad and got admission in KIKI Center for Technology, Mansar in the year 2014. During the course she got trained on Manufacturing components with conventional machines, Tool design, production and die maintenance with project Planning. After the completion of her three and half year course, she got shortlisted for On Job Training at Mindarika Private Limited. During the On Job Training, she got absorbed in the same company as a ‘Development Associate’ designation at Chennai Project Location in 2018”}
“I enhanced my skill set in computers and trained on Process control and audit at my work place. I would like to become an entrepreneur in my specialization and happy to convey my deepest thanks to SOS Family for the blessings” – Priyanka (Development Associate, Mindarika Private Limited)
Since January 2020, 812 youth from SOS Children’s Villages of India have completed their bachelors and master degrees in subjects like Economics, Business Administration, Engineering, Law, Agriculture, Social Work, Nursing etc. In addition to this, a total of 1659 youth, both from SOS Children’s Villages and vulnerable communities supported under Family Strengthening Programme finished various diploma and certificate courses through our youth skilling programme. These courses were mostly in the areas of hospitality, diploma in various engineering trades, travel and tourism, fire and safety, fashion and textile etc.
Additionally, 296 youth successfully completed their higher education or vocational training courses this year were supported in placements and hence got their first jobs with an average salary of INR 18,500 per month.
Goal no. 8 – “Decent Work and Economic Growth” of Sustainable Development Goal is critical for India in the employment landscape. Since according to Labor Bureau’s fifth employment-unemployment survey, 13.2% of people between 18-29 are unemployed. To put it in numbers India has a demographic dividend of 33 crores: unemployed young population (28% people between 15 to 29 years as per Census 2011). Those employed in this age group are largely engaged in agriculture (38%) and the 19.4% are in wholesale/retail, motor vehicle repair, transportation and storage, food services and information and communication, respectively.
One of the major reasons for high unemployment rates is the lack of skilled labor. According to Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship only 2.3% of the workforce in India has undergone formal skill training as compared to 68% in the UK, 75% in Germany, 80% in Japan and 96% in South Korea. Education is second big reason for youth employability. In the age group 18-29, the unemployment rate for those literate was 2.2% and 2.5% for those below primary education, while 10.5% diploma graduate were found unemployed and 18.4% with above graduate level (Labor Bureau’s Fifth Employment-Unemployment Survey). The government is trying to address the problem actively. The National Skill Development Mission was launched in 2014 aiming to provide training to 30 crore people by 2022. It is estimated that India’s demographic dividend will only last till 2040. It presents the much needed focus in the sphere by calling out non-state actors to intervene and fill the gap of providing skills and vocational training opportunities to youth in underserved communities on a large scale.
About World Youth Skills Day
Background: On 18 December 2014, United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) by consensus adopted, a resolution lead by Sri Lanka, and declared 15th July as World Youth Skills Day. Sri Lanka initiated this resolution, with assistance of G77 (Group of 77 Countries) & China, to highlight at global level, the importance of youth skills development.
Objective: To achieve better socio-economic conditions for today’s youth that would act as a means of addressing challenges of unemployment and under employment.
Organised by: The World Youth Skills Day is traditionally organized by Permanent Missions of Portugal and Sri Lanka, together with UNESCO (United Nation Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization), ILO (International Labour Organisation) and Office of Secretary-General’s Envoy on Youth.
Importance: WYSD is important because in today’s world rising youth unemployment is seen as one of the most significant problems facing economies and societies, for developed and developing countries alike.
Way Ahead: Nearly 73 million youth are currently unemployed, with 40 million joining labour market every year. To tackle this humongous unemployment problem, at least 475 million new jobs need to be created over next decade.
