Leading the multitude: What it will take to build a nation of skilled people

When it comes to training people, quality, more than quantity, is paramount. And yet it is the biggest hurdle. “The syllabus followed by many Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) was created in the 1960s,” says MSA Kumar, Chairman, Confederation of Indian Industry (CII).

In fact, the hoary system of training in a particular subject no longer applies. Instead, says Arulselvan, COO of Nettur Technical Training Foundation (NTTF), there is a growing need to train students in multiple skills. For instance, maintaining medical equipment requires knowledge of mechanical, electrical, electronics and embedded systems. These, together, form a whole new field of specialisation called mechatronics.

It is also important to have industry play a role in setting the syllabus. Various ‘sector skill councils’ have identified skills they require and mapped it to job functions. These are used as guidelines when private institutes come up with their curriculum.

Ensuring that quality standards are met so that certificates can be awarded is another challenge. For example, if the Government funds a training institute based on the number of people trained, some institutes may lower the standards for passing examinations, negating any positive.

You can avoid these issues by identifying the success metrics and aligning it with financial aid; institutes are now required to use third-party agencies for certification. Test and certificate providers also work with the sector skills council on what standards have to be met and what test format — practical, viva voce or written exam — must be followed for the award of completion certificates.

Start-ups are using technology to ensure that ethical practices are adhered to and also make it easy to audit any test conducted in the past. “We use a lot of technology to monitor and record exams. Using virtual test centres also reduces the cost and increases scalability in administering tests” says Tonmoy Shingal, Co-Founder and COO, Mettl, a test service provider.

Delivering quality training can be expensive. The cost of training a welder runs to between ₹6,000 and ₹8,000 a month, including equipment, electricity, consumables and teacher salaries, according to Arulselvan of NTTF.

Such high costs are prohibitive for many trainees, who tend to be from low-income families. Increasingly, industry is picking up the tab. Many, such as Ashok Leyland and Saint-Gobain, are partnering with NTTF to train their entrants and foot the cost of training . Some companies are using CSR funds and corporate foundations for skill development.

Many smaller companies are also offering extended training to new hires.

For instance, Health Care at Home hires Class XII-pass students and trains them according to NSDC guidelines, in collaboration with training provider Berkeley HealthEDU.

Still, many trainees abandon their acquired skills and return to their roots. One of the reasons for the high attrition is lack of employment in the vicinity.

But when a job requires trainees to leave their hometowns they face many issues, including lack of affordable housing. The salary paid is barely enough to pay rent and other living expenses in a large city. Hence many of the new entrants decide to return, as they do not feel they are better off.

Companies such as L&T provide accommodation to migrant employees, reducing the burden. Orion Edutech handholds trainees through the first two years, which it says is critical to gain confidence in a new place. Also, many city-centric businesses, especially BPOs, are moving closer to small towns, creating local opportunities.

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