Magdalene Jeyarathnam, founder-director East West Centre for Counselling, is often roped in by colleges to conduct courses in expressive arts therapy or psychodrama. \u201cAs per UGC guidelines it is now mandatory for undergraduate and postgraduate students to have skill certification. The certificate courses I conduct are part of it, and I get students from various disciplines,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
There is an expectation that India’s youth population will reach 420 million in 2024, according to the People Research on India’s Consumer Economy (PRICE) survey. This makes up 29% of the total population. <\/strong>By 2047, India will also have 1.1 billion people in the working age group (15-64).<\/p>\n\n\n\n The country\u2019s youth can be an integral part of India\u2019s economic growth. However, they need the access to the right skill sets and training to realise their full potential.<\/p>\n\n\n\n At present, the scenario is rather bleak. According to the India Skills Report 2020, the youth employment <\/strong>rate has remained stagnant for the past three years. According to UNICEF and the Education<\/a> Commission, more than 50% of Indian youth do not have the education and skills necessary for employment by 2030. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe educational curriculum has become redundant over the years. It doesn\u2019t look at the needs of the country and is not geared to help students enter the job market,\u201d says Magdalene. \u201cThe curriculum is based on what was taught in the past, and changes are made keeping the next few years, and not the long-term picture, in mind.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n In 2023, the University Grants Commission approved draft guidelines for the \u2018Introduction of Short-Term Skill Development Courses in Higher Educational Institutes\u2019, paving the way for introduction of credit-based courses of three to six months duration. <\/p>\n\n\n\nGround realities<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Unemployability on the rise<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n