India is a young nation; more than 54 % of the population is below 25 years of age. With time and energy on their side, the youth of India belonging to any social/economic class have a potential to benefit not only themselves, but also those around them and the nation herself. The fast changing global and national markets have created a mismatch between existing skills and skills required to avail the market opportunities. This needs corrective action to align skills of young people with the ever expanding and changing markets. Business acumen and entrepreneurship among young people is critical to generate more opportunities for gainful employment.
India’s Balance of Payment (BOP) is in negative mainly because of increased trade deficit. Imports are more than exports mainly due to reliance on foreign markets for finished products and some raw material. Majority of these items are low technology and low cost items required by manufacturing industry. With due support with regard to imparting skills set training, infrastructure and finances youth of India can fill up this void. Vocational training courses or work-study programs can teach marketable technical or occupational skills. Imagine what a difference number of small and medium industries, manufacturing / assembling variety of low technology and low cost but high volume parts and material and creating a supply chain within the country driven by suitably skilled youth, can make to the status of trade deficit and in turn to BOP.
Another area where skilled youth can make a difference is in services sector. A huge number of students pass out of schools and colleges with no idea of their future job profile. Finding a job can be a challenge for youth. They must determine what careers are available, what their interests are, and what skills they have or need to develop. Quite a few of them are adept in public relations and offer a great opportunity to impart soft skills to them. It can enable them to become a contributing member in services sector providing a stable career and earning revenue for the nation increasing the GDP growth. BPO industry (Call Centres) is one such example which can assist the youth and the nation in moving forward on the path of growth.
We all know that India is a land of farmers. Agriculture is the main stay of rural youth involved in farming following traditional methodology of crop production. In fact quite a few of them are not pursuing their family traditions and migrating to cities in search of jobs in absence of guaranteed results and lack of opportunities in the agriculture sector. Suitably skilled rural youth in advanced technology in the field of agriculture will be able to make a difference in crop produce nullifying the factors like dependence on nature. Innovations in the fields of seeds variety, soil conservation, irrigation and pesticides etc will enable the rural youth in self-improvement and national independence in terms of food security. Who knows how many urban youth will get motivated to take up agriculture and related fields as a vocation?
Youth of a nation is its national resource and suitably empowered can become the engine for its growth. In the process they enrich themselves with skills, experience and financial stability while the nation moves forward on the growth trajectory otherwise not possible.
