Entrepreneurship & Skill Development

We cannot simply dream about development if we are not skilled. It is the skilling of our youth that will make us a self-reliant nation. For an Aatma Nirbhar Bharat, skilling is foremost. We are a knowledge-based population, with quick grasping power. Only an opportunity has to be provided, and our youth are waiting for it.

- Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

Out of our vast population, only 1.8 % has received formal vocational training. A substantial part of our youth are not in employment, education or training. Studies estimate that India could lose up to 2.3% from its annual growth rate between 2018-2028 because of this skill gap.14 Appropriate skills training can improve women’s participation in the workforce, make youth more employable and help release the at-risk sections of society from low-productive employment and poverty. Moreover, technological progress, globalisation and climate change are impacting the structure and nature of work. Skills development can help workers safely adapt to that change.

The Challenge

Unemployed youth: Youth are disproportionately affected by the economic forces that drive unemployment and vulnerable employment. 54% of our total population is below 25 years of age and most of them find themselves working in the unorganized sector or living in poverty.

Involvement of women: Women make up 48% of India’s population. Only 65% are literate and less than a third of the women – 15 years or older – are working or actively looking for a job. – World Bank 2019

Marginalized population: Marginalized groups such as scheduled castes and tribes, persons with disabilities, migrants, prisoners, substance-users etc, face structural discrimination in Indian society, thus reducing access to livelihood and employment opportunities.

Strategy

Reducing inequality: We focus on unemployed youth, women, marginalized groups and underserved geographies.

Providing value: Being 100% subsidized, our programmes incentivize unemployed and low-income individuals.

Providing credibility: Government and relevant certification adds credibility, boosts employment prospects and eases access to bank loans for setting up entrepreneurial ventures.

Tools of the trade: In many cases, we distribute free tool kits to our skilled graduates at the end of the training.

Access to employment opportunities: We help students gain access to job and business opportunities through job fairs, campus placement, mentoring support, micro-finance facilitation and linkages to markets.

Holistic framework: Our programs include behavioural training and attitudinal change through self-development programs, combining yoga and meditation with practical tools and tips for stress-free living.

India faces a unique opportunity to leverage its huge demographic dividend in order to grow into the next economic superpower. This requires speedier, more comprehensive and sustainable growth, which can only be made possible by a highly skilled workforce. Thus, the need for government, private sector and NGOs to work together, with this end in mind, becomes all the more relevant.

GUIDESTAR