Transforming Rural Youth Through Skill Development

The term ‘youth’ refers to persons between the ages of 15-29 years. According to the National Sample Surya Office (NSSO), the unemployment rate among rural male and female youth stood at 17.4% and 13.6% respectively. This is because regular jobs with additional benefits are hard to come by for rural youth.

This being a prevalent issue, forces rural youth to start working at an early age. Often, they are forced to work as bonded labour under harsh conditions. Though these youngsters are decently educated, they are not getting their desired jobs.

However, the key to a buoyant rural economy is improved livelihood opportunities for rural India. To achieve this, skill development plays a crucial role. But there are many challenges involved. This includes -

• Leveraging technology to deliver skills to rural youth,
• Making skilling initiatives sustainable with long-term benefits,
• Introducing skills training in rural education institutes among others.

A dynamic job market

Recently, owing to the COVID-19 pandemic, the country saw a rapid shift towards digitization. From payments, shopping, to education, everything turned virtual. While this change was adaptable for people in urban areas, in rural areas it was not the same.

Not only did people lack access to digital resources, but also were left behind in the country’s development. Many people in rural India lost their jobs, dropped out of school or college, and faced a global health crisis. Schools and students did not have access to internet services or smartphones to attend classes. This forced boys to take up day jobs, and girls faced harsher realities.

They were forced into child marriage, trafficked, and some faced abuse in their homes.

By the time the situation eased, these students were ready to enter the job market. But they lacked the current skills necessary to find well-paying jobs.

The solution?

Skill development. It is the process of identifying the skills gap in youth and providing training to strengthen them. In turn, also provide employment benefits to them.

Skill development programs aim to acknowledge the ability of the youth and extend their support by serving them with the proper guidance, infrastructure, opportunities, and encouragement that help them achieve their ambitions.

Despite the challenges, BharatCares, a non-profit organisation in India is working towards empowering the underprivileged through skilling.

Through their initiative BharatCareers, three programs are being offered.

1. Youth Job Readiness Program: This prepares final year college students for the job market. They mentor and train youth with life skills or offer entrepreneurship training to make them future job-creators.
2. Computer and Digital Literacy Program: This provides basic computer and digital literacy training for girls and women who have either dropped out from school or are currently pursuing their education. The onsite training program opens up avenues for housewives and married women who want to get hands-on training in the digital literacy space.
3. Banking and Financial Skill Development Program (BFSI): This aims to open avenues for the aspiring youth of our country who are keen on making their career in the banking and finance sector. The program focuses on equipping 12th pass students, final year undergraduates and graduates with the BFSI skills and relevant job-readiness skills.
Apart from this, as a part of another program - Bharat e Shiksha, they have also launched Digital Learning Centres (DLCs) across rural pockets of the country. Here, school students can learn, develop skills, build themselves, and grow using digital resources.