‘SKILL DEVELOPMENT TO ERADICATE UNEMPLOYMENT.’
- Anushka Dhar
- Meelee Chingakham
- Kumari Nishu Yadav
- Anisha Sharma
Unemployment is a serious problem among young people. There are thousands of people who do not have any work to do and cannot find work for themselves. Unemployment refers to the situation where a person wants to work but cannot find employment in the labour market. One of the major reasons that contribute to unemployment is the large population of India and the limited availability of resources. To live a dignified life, people need to earn money and fulfil their basic needs. Unemployment snatches this right from them and their standard of life gets degraded. The lack of money due to unemployment leads to the lack of nutritious food. The health of the unemployed is bound to deteriorate. The children of unemployed people cannot get the proper diet. Hence, they suffer from various illnesses. Their quality of life reduces drastically over time. An unemployed parent cannot give proper education to his child. As a result, the child too will not be able to get a good job once he grows up. Thus, unemployment breeds unemployment.
Unemployment in India is a significant barrier to growth. Some of the causes of unemployment in India include a lack of education, a lack of employment prospects, and performance problems. For society, unemployment is a big issue. It affects society as a whole in addition to the individuals. Unemployment is caused by a variety of circumstances.
FACTORS LEADING TO UNEMPLOYMENT IN INDIA :
▫ Increasing population
The rapid increase in the population of the country is one of the leading causes of unemployment.
▫ Slow Economic Growth:
Slow economic growth of the country results in lesser employment opportunities for people, thereby leading to unemployment.
▫ Seasonal Occupation:
A large part of the country’s population is engaged in the agricultural sector. With this being a seasonal occupation, it provides work opportunity only for a certain part of the year.
▫ Slow Growth of the Industrial Sector:
The growth of the industrial sector in the country is slow. Thus, the employment opportunities in this sector are limited.
▫ Fall in Cottage Industry:
The production in the cottage industry has fallen drastically and this has left several artisans unemployed.
POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS TO PREVENT UNEMPLOYMENT:
▫ Population Control:
It is high time the government of India should take stern steps to control the population of the country.
▫ Education System:
The education system in India focuses majorly on the theoretical aspects rather than skill development. The system must be improved to generate skilled manpower.
▫ Industrialization:
The government must take steps to boost the industrial sector to create greater opportunities for people.
▫ Overseas Companies:
The government must encourage foreign companies to open their units in the country to generate more employment opportunities.
▫ Employment Opportunities:
Employment opportunities must be created in rural areas for seasonally unemployed people.
India has long struggled with unemployment. Although the government has started a number of programmes to create jobs, the desired progress has not been made. More jobs should be created, and residents and policymakers should work together to develop employable skills and more jobs.
STEPS THE GOVERNMENT TOOK TO ERADICATE UNEMPLOYMENT:
1. Employment Guarantee Scheme (EGS): Employment Guarantee Scheme was first introduced by the Government of Maharashtra on 28th March 1972. This scheme was intended to provide productive employment to the rural population and thereby solve the problem of rural unemployment and poverty. Under this scheme, the government assures to provide minimum employment opportunities. Due to its success in Maharashtra, EGS was implemented in other states as well.
2. Swarna Jayanti Gram Swarozgar Yojana (SGSY): This scheme was launched in April 1999 after restructuring the Integrated Rural Development Programme (IRDP) and allied schemes. It is the only self-employment scheme for the rural poor in India.
3. Swarna Jayanti Shahari Rozgar Yojana (SJSRY): This scheme was launched in December 1997. It provides employment to the urban unemployed and underemployed. It included self-employment, women self-employment program, skill training for employment promotion, and urban wage employment Programme. For this scheme, the Central Government shares 75% of the cost and the State Government shares 25% of the cost.
4. Pradhan Mantri Rozgar Yojana (PMRY): this scheme is being implemented since 1993.it aims at creating and providing sustainable self-employment opportunities to more than one million educated unemployed youth.
5. Training Rural Youth for Self-employment (TRYSEM): It was initiated in 1979 with the objective of tackling the unemployment problem among the rural youth. It aimed at training about 2 lakh rural youth every year to enable them to become self-employed. TRYSEM was merged into Swarnajayanti Gram Swarozgar Yojana in April 1999.
6. Jawahar Rozgar Yojana (JRY): On 1st April 1989, the Government announced a new wage employment scheme, the Jawahar Rozgar Yojana for intensive employment creation in 120 backward districts. It was restricted to rural areas. With effect from April 1999, it was renamed as Jawahar Gram Samrudhi Yojana (JGSY).
7. Mahatma Gandhi a National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS): Since 2nd October 2009, National Rural 31 Employment Guarantee Scheme has been renamed as Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme. This scheme provides at least 100 days of guaranteed wage employment in a financial year to at least one member of every rural household whose adult member volunteers to do unskilled manual work.
8. Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Grameen Kausalya Yojana 2014: it is the most important placement linked skill training program under the ministry of rural development announced on September 23, 2014. The aim of this scheme is to reduce poverty as well as provide gainful and sustainable employment through regular wages. The focus of this program is on the rural youth from families, in the age group of 15-35 years.
9. National Policy for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship 2015: The first National policy on skill development was notified in 2009 to promote private sector participation Via innovative funding models. The objective of this scheme is to co-ordinate and strengthen factors essential for the growth of entrepreneurship across the country. This would include:
a) Promote entrepreneurship culture.
b) Encourage entrepreneurship as a viable career option through advocacy.
c) Promote entrepreneurship among women.
10. Start-up India Initiative: It was introduced in January 2016 with an aspiration to impart more strength and inspiration to the talented young generation of India to do something new for India and humanity.
11. Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (2016-20): The objective of this scheme is to encourage skill development among youth by providing monetary rewards for successful completion of approved training programs. The government has allocated a budget of 12,000 crores till 2020 for the implementation of the scheme.
In order to accelerate the development of our India, the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi has created many schemes. One of those schemes is Skill Development Scheme. With the help of this scheme, the Government of India will encourage and help the youth of the country to take their skills to a higher level and move forward with their skills. Due to this, the problems like unemployment and poverty in our country will be completely destroyed.
WHAT IS SKILL DEVEOPMENT:
Skills development is the process of (1) identifying your skill gaps, and (2) developing and honing these skills. It is important because your skills determine your ability to execute your plans with success. Skill development is one of the most crucial factors for achieving inclusive and sustainable growth. It is essential for creating more job opportunities, enhancing productivity, and ensuring that individuals have the necessary skills to participate in and benefit from growth. In today's globalized economy, there is a growing demand for highly skilled workers who can contribute to the development of new technologies and industries. Thus, skill development is essential for promoting economic growth and achieving inclusive development, especially among marginalized and vulnerable groups. This is because it enables those individuals to participate in the labor market and increases their chances of securing formal employment.
We identified that the problem with the Education System is that the education system in India focuses majorly on the theoretical aspects rather than skill development. The system must be improved to generate skilled development to become a step in eradicating unemployment.
This problem mainly happens with the under privileged section of society, where education is a privilege, they give very less attention to skill development. We decided to work on this aspect and contribute to society in any way possible.
Since we are college going students working on this aspect on our own would have led to barriers and eventually become time consuming for us to identify and eliminate those barriers. Hence, we decide to work with pre-existing NGOs who are already working on this agenda. After listing out the various NGO options, we decide to join Lakshya Noida Foundation .
ABOUT LAKSHYA NOIDA FOUNDATION:
Lakshya Noida Foundation is a city chapter of Lakshya Shamiabagh foundation, which comprises a team of young minds who having common spirit, belief, hope, determination and an aim to help the people of India specially the vulnerable sect at large to get acquainted with employment skills which would help them freeing themselves from the shackles of unemployment, as they have a dream of fully employed India. Their goal as the volunteers of Lakshya Noida Foundation is to create responsible individuals and communities who are well informed and self-sufficient. The vision is to work with people in order to solve their problems thereby bringing a significant change in the society in the long run. They believe in perseverance and not succumbing to any obstacle.
We volunteered in this organization for 6 weeks (about 1 and a half months) and carried out 3 campaigns.
OBJECTIVES OF THIS PROJECT.
1. Work with an NGO to know how they work and reach a large number of underprivileged sections.
2. To study the current trends of children education in Noida, Uttar Pradesh.
3. To understand the perspective of these children towards various aspects of life and guide them.
4. To help them be more vocal and discover their talents which they can later use as a skill.
5. Help them enhance their skills. If there is any skill enhancement course appropriate for them or their family (e.g., spoken English, personality development etc.), guide them to enroll and if possible.
6. Guide the children and make them understand the importance of having clean environment, and how one can help in keeping the environment & their surroundings clean.
7. Spread awareness in the society about waste management as it is an important part of keeping our environment and surrounding clean.
AREA OF THE STUDY.
Upliftment of the Underprivileged for getting a proper understanding of how we are going to approach this study, we were instructed by the NGO to conduct a field work to collect data for analysis of the lives of the underprivileged. After conducting the field work as initiated by Lakshya and collecting data, we drew a basic analysis observation that, the ground reality is very different from what is given and what we have perceived from the textbooks. Life looks overwhelmingly simply when studied from the specs of the author and his perception of society. After reaching out to the people, we understood the difficulties faced by them despite India being a socialist country with equality of opportunities. Many of them come from a household where two times meal is a luxury, their soul purpose in life is to fight hunger and battle against poverty. Despite of these challenges many of the children we reached out to have a hope for education and employment to support their family ahead. The less fortunate on daily basis are subjected to deprivation and exploitation. Lakshya thus emphasizes social awareness and other activities to help the exploited people stand a chance in the society and make life better for themselves in order to bring overall development and enhancement in the society.
THE ACTIVITIES AND CAMPAIGNS WE DID UNDER LAKSHYA:
1. Waste Management Campaign: - Lakshya Noida organized the one - day campaign at Raipur village sector 126, to create awareness among people regarding waste management and also how to productively and effectively manage waste in a manner that would keep our environment and our home and surroundings clean and hygienic. We, as a group, volunteered in the awareness campaign and contributed our part in making the campaign a successful one.
We interacted with the residents and shopkeepers of the village and addressed them regarding our motive for the campaign. We also carried with ourselves posters, charts, and banners to make it easier for people of any age and gender to understand the importance of waste management, its benefits and the correct ways and methods to how waste materials should be managed so that it does not cause harm to our environment. While roaming the streets of Raipur village, we realized the importance of educating them about waste management. The roads were littered with waste products. There were abandoned grounds used as dump yards and small children were playing close to it. Our target was to spread awareness as much as possible about waste management and keeping your surroundings clean. We talked to people from different age groups, trying to convey the message as simply as possible. The people in the area were quite cooperative during this campaign. Everyone we talked to was ready to listen to us. Some of them even appreciated the work we were trying to do and happily clicked pictures with us. Our volunteers even made posters to help the locals understand the importance of waste management better.The Campaign ended with a group picture with the children of the area. It was a successful event. We learnt a lot from the campaign about waste management, but while interacting with the local people of Raipur village, we also learnt from them how they usually manage waste products in their household and surroundings. The Waste Management drive was important as it is important to first live in a clean environment to intake any education. A healthy mind, body and environment help boost the will to gain another knowledge. It is a part of skill development to take care of self-hygiene, be healthy and be presentable.
2. Interaction with the kids at SEVA GROUP FOUNDATION regarding skill development: - Under Lakshya Noida, we also visited an orphanage called Seva Group Foundation (NGO for poor child education). The agenda for this visit was to highlight and develop writing skills in kids under skill development for better tomorrow. This visit was an eye-opener for many of us. The Seva Group Foundation is situated in street no. 3, near Aashiyana Apartment, Rani Laxmibai Nagar, Yusufpur, Nai Basti Dundahera, Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh 201009. We reached there around 2:00pm. The children were very welcoming, and they welcomed us with a welcome song. We then introduced ourselves to them. Chocolates and toffees were distributed to the young kids. This NGO gives shelter, food, and care to kids coming from 4 diverse backgrounds. 1. those kids who do not have parents, 2. kids who have lost one of their parents, 3. kids whose parents are in jail. 4. kids whose parents have leprosy. These kids are provided with shelter, food, and education by Seva Group Foundation. For the first 15 minutes we interacted with the kids so that they could be comfortable with our presence. Then they started introducing themselves. By 2:30 we were divided among the kids and the story writing competition began. Each volunteer had to sit with two kids and help them to learn how they can use their imagination and creativity to develop it into a skill so that they can tell their own stories. It was a good interactive session. The kids really enjoyed the game of story writing. Seeing how some of the kids did not know how to write we changed the rules a little bit and encouraged them to draw the story. By 3:00 we wrapped up the event. And announced the winners. Seeing the smile on the kids' faces lighted up our day and made us realize how important it is to provide a helping hand to the ones who need it. Our intention of this drive was to help the kids understand that they can tell their own stories and be independent by developing their skills. Our main agenda of that visit was to interact with the childrens of Seva Group Foundation and make them aware of skill development. It was such an eye-opener for ourselves when we interacted with the kids there and all it felt really good to have contributed a little we can for the betterment of their future.
3. An interactive session with the kids and students of SAKSHAM KIDS NGO regarding soft skills and other related skill development: -
Skill development being the main agenda of Lakshya Noida, we visited the Saksham Kids NGO in Nithari Village, sector 31, Noida to have an interactive session with the kids of the NGO. The motive was to help children/students develop soft skills for fluent verbal communication in English, confidence building, and removal of language as a barrier in securing employment and other career opportunities. The Saksham Kids NGO is in Nithari Village, Sector 31, Noida, Uttar Pradesh 201303. This NGO provides education facilities to the children of various age groups residing in this village/slum. There were approximately 38 kids studying under this NGO. We reached there around 03:00pm. 3-4 volunteers were assigned to interact with one class.
. Each volunteer tried to talk to the kids personally, understand their problems and make them understand what skill development is, why is it important, how we can use it in our favor, why confidence building is important, how that can help in the future, why spoken English is important, how we can improve it very easily etc. We asked them about what they want to do when they grow up. By analyzing their answers, we tried to advise them what the feasible option would be, how they would be able to pursue it. By the end of the discussion, the children seemed motivated and ready to work on what we advised them. The main agenda of the visit was to make the kids aware of soft skills which are very important to help them enhance their personality and will also help them secure a job ahead in future. Also in that session, we talked to the kids about various other related things too like confidence building, personality enhancement, body language and also about what all they can do ahead in life regarding their career options and what all skills they’ll need to develop and area of studies they need to focus on to pursue their preferred career options ahead. Overall, it was a good take away. We had a productive interactive session with the kids. While interacting with them we also got to listen to them and also what they aspire to do ahead and how they are working despite of other hardships they’re facing in life. We saw in them the desire to get ahead and conquer their goal and we also believe that this is how we as a society get ahead together by helping and motivating each other out. With the help of this event, we wanted to help children develop soft skills for fluent verbal communication in English, confidence building, and removal of language as a barrier in securing employment etc. Soft skills are an essential part of improving one’s ability to work with others and can have a positive influence on furthering your career. This is why it is important to learn soft skills in today's world. Hence, we intend to be a hand in diminishing this barrier of unemployment and help the children in that school.
WHAT WE HAVE LEARNT FROM THE ACTIVITIES: -
• Empathy and community engagement: Working with an NGO necessitates engaging with various groups and understanding their particular needs and concerns. This assisted me in developing empathy and a deeper knowledge of various cultures and perspectives. It helped us learn humbleness. It is a rare quality, at least in today's world. It is very much needed to keep a person down to earth. The more the person is free from ego, the better will be his perspective on self and others. Gaining that kind of perspective and learning humbleness early in life will help them in the long run when they work as professionals in different fields. In every sector and organization, the decisions have to be made. If there is too much ego in everyone, there will always be chaos. How good will it be if a few professionals are working in organizations with zero egos in them? Everyone will listen to them and care about their opinions.
• Project management: NGOs frequently work on numerous projects at once, and effectively managing these projects necessitates skills such as planning, budgeting, and time management. We studied how to manage projects from beginning to end, including identifying needs, making proposals, implementing projects, and assessing their effectiveness. When we work with a team in an NGO, we are often given a chance to lead a group of people. Managing a group might sound easy but it's not. There are decisions you need to take in everyone's favour and which are right for everyone. At the same time, we need to consider everyone's opinion without hurting their sentiments. For taking care of these things altogether, we need to be unbiased and fair, which is a skill that could be precious to possess.
• Collaboration and teamwork: NGOs frequently work with groups of volunteers, staff members, and partners. To ensure that everyone is working towards a common goal, good communication and teamwork skills are required. Working for an NGO can allow you to gain significant skills in community participation, project management, teamwork, fundraising, and advocacy. These abilities aid in our personal and professional development and can be employed in a variety of circumstances throughout our careers.
• Interactive Skills: Working in a team demands us to talk with different types of people with varied natures and behaviours. Dealing with everyone with humbleness and not losing our temper is a quality which can only be learned by spending time with people who are working together. This develops great interactive skills which could be fruitful in all walks of life.
• Cultural Awareness: teaches us to not see the caste or religion of the people for whom they work. That ultimately means when we work with an NGO, we get to deal with people from various social backgrounds, religions, and cultures, which helps us learn to adopt a new culture and working environment. Having great cultural knowledge and adaptable skills makes you versatile for the future; thereafter, wherever or whoever you work with, you know how to deal with different situations.
• Broadens Our Thinking: When we work for our own self, our thinking spectrum gets limited and we never think beyond the enclosure of our life and gains. But, working in an NGO force us to think for people. This widens our thinking spectrum so that in future when we work, we think of the group or on a company level, which ultimately enhances our credibility and reputation.
CONCLUSION.
We at Lakshya have a vision of making individuals self-reliant and freeing themselves from the shackle of unemployment. Our country is a home to the maximum number of youths, yet the percentage of unemployed youth has kept rising over the years. A majority of the children living in the outskirts of urban cities are deprived of certain facilities and consider them as a luxury which might appear necessity for the people living in urban sector. We at Lakshya with an aim to bridge this gap are reaching out to the underprivileged children & women and providing them vocation training and exposure of skill development courses which would help them live a better life.
At the end of our internship, we received guidance from the Lakshya NGO. Starting with their unwavering support throughout our activities and counsel to each of us. They have taught us a lot. They taught us that working for an NGO is really beneficial to the people around us, but as a human being, you don't need an NGO to help those in need; it all comes from the heart. With this our journey of working for this NGO ended. The things we learnt were eye opening. We hope that our contribution made a difference for those in need. And we also hope to continue working for society in life.
REFERENCES:
1. https://LAKSHYAngo.wordpress.com
2. https://www.shaalaa.com/question-bank-solutions/answer-the-following-in-detail-explain-the-measures-taken-by-the-government-to-reduce-unemployment-specific-measures-undertaken-by-the-government-to-generate-employment-opportunities_147034
3. https://personalexcellence.co/blog/skills-development/
4. https://www.historydekho.com/skill-development-essay/
5. https://currentaffairs.adda247.com/indias-unemployment-rate-rises-to-3-month-high-of-7-8-in-march-2023/
6. https://www.adda247.com/school/unemployment-in-india-essay/
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