Re: Labour shortage for India Inc projects - CEOs point fingers at MNR
As a fast growing developing economy, India needs skilled architects, plumbers and masons among others to contribute to the country's growth. However, the Indian construction industry complains of a shortage of skilled workers which is likely to worsen if more workers are not made employable. Towards this end, multiple skill development initiatives have been launched in the country but it appears that these are unable to create avenues for casual workers and are not of the scale needed. This is problematic because it can stall the country's growth plans and development goals. This paper aimed to explain why India faces a shortage of skilled workers despite multiple ongoing skill building initiatives. The main reason behind the lack of a sufficient number of skilled workers is the absence of training for casual workers, who dominate the Indian workforce. Lack of inclusiveness in the current vocational training system and poor coordination between government levels have resulted in the exclusion of casual workers from the ongoing vocational training initiatives. India has adopted an education-linked Western model of vocational training without first putting in place compulsory education policies. Rigid entry requirements that mandate secondary education as a pre-requisite, and long course durations, are mismatched with the profile of casual workers.
