By 2020, India shall become the youngest nation with majority of its population being youth. As exciting as it sounds, it also poses a question – “How to utilise such great manpower of the working age?” So, there is a need to invest heavily in education and skill development as they are the creators, innovators, leaders and builders of future. Still, they can only transform the future if they have health, skills, decision-making ability and real choices.

The demographic dividend can be maximized if the working age population is equipped to seize job opportunities and different income earning possibilities. It’s youth who drive social and economic development in the country. Hence, the focus needs to be on them.
When one-fifth of the population is young and able, you often think of their employability. The problem is that only 29 percent of the women and 38 percent of the men have 10 plus years of schooling. The gap is more as we go into the rural-urban classifications.

Higher Education Must be Encouraged

Compared to the whole, just 31 percent of rural men have opted for formal schooling. The percentage rests at 20 when it comes to women. Only 4.5 percent of the population is graduate or above and 32.6 percent of the lot have not even had access to primary level education.
All said and done, education does not necessarily translate into employment.

Training Rural Youth for Employment sector

The Ponty Chadha Foundation (PCF) works to ensure that the employment sector is diverse and not just based on education or the lack of it. The CSR wing of the Wave Group offers to groom and train the underprivileged youth of rural India through Sardar Kulwant Singh Chadha Skills Academy. With Skill, Scale and Speed as its motto, the Skills Academy trains the youth in facility management, security services, computer literacy, fire-fighting, hospitality as well as soft skills.

Here, youngsters can hone their skills through lectures, peer education, practical sessions, audio-visual aids and on-the-job experiences. Its curriculum and syllabus is in accordance with the acceptable international industry standards and the experienced faculty imparts hands-on training related to the technicalities through the audio-visual aids.

Many have headed towards a respectable future, thanks to Sardar Kulwant Singh Chadha Skills Academy. Ultimately, the challenge lies in preparing a competent workforce with separate degrees to adapt smoothly to the varying industry demands.