Skills and employability in South Asia
Skills and knowledge are key driving forces of economic growth and social development in any country, and the ability to sustain labour-intensive growth depends on whether a nation can expand the skills and capabilities of both its existing and future labour force.
As one of the fastest-growing economies in the world, India has prioritized skills development to promote a more inclusive and sustainable growth path. A critical challenge to achieving this goal is the large informal sector and the low level of skills development in the country.
The creation of a dedicated ministry, the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, signals the Government of India’s prioritization of this policy area. India’s National Policy on Skill Development (2015) and the guidance contained in ILO Convention - Human Resources Development Convention, 1975 (No. 142) and Recommendation - Human Resources Development Recommendation, 2004 (No. 195) provide the framework for ILO’s work on skills development in India.
ILO’s work in this area is achieved through a mix of research, knowledge-sharing and capacity building activities, which are delivered through strategic partnerships and pilot projects undertaken with key skills system stakeholders. Significant activities include:
As one of the fastest-growing economies in the world, India has prioritized skills development to promote a more inclusive and sustainable growth path. A critical challenge to achieving this goal is the large informal sector and the low level of skills development in the country.
The creation of a dedicated ministry, the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, signals the Government of India’s prioritization of this policy area. India’s National Policy on Skill Development (2015) and the guidance contained in ILO Convention - Human Resources Development Convention, 1975 (No. 142) and Recommendation - Human Resources Development Recommendation, 2004 (No. 195) provide the framework for ILO’s work on skills development in India.
ILO’s work in this area is achieved through a mix of research, knowledge-sharing and capacity building activities, which are delivered through strategic partnerships and pilot projects undertaken with key skills system stakeholders. Significant activities include:
- Support to the National Career Service
- Inputs on a national labour market information system and recognition of prior learning
- Strategies to improve the apprenticeship system
- Development of National Occupational Skill Standards (NOSS) for trainers and assessors
- Support on sectoral approaches to skills by supporting the establishment of the Domestic Workers Sector Skill Council
- Development of training materials for barefoot technicians under GOI’s Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Programme
- Facilitation of ways to enhance the employability of people with disabilities
- Provision of advisory services on a range of skills development topics to strengthen the technical capacity of selected government partners