Anil is a thin, shy, 22-year-old boy from Rajeev Nagar Nagra, Jhansi, who could not continue his studies. Having failed the tenth standard examination, he had been sitting at home, highly frustrated. He tried hard to get a job but could not succeed due to lack of experience, skills and education (in some cases). He was forced to work as a labourer but never liked his work. During an informal discussion, he said, ‘Sir, mai kaun sa kam karoon mujhe pata hi nahi hai. Mai tenth class tak padhai kiya hoon lekin koi kam nahi janta hoon aur na hi maine kabhee koi kam kiya hai’ (Sir, I don’t know what work I should do. I have studied up to class 10 but I don’t know about any work and I don’t have any work experience).

Anil has undergone a week-long security guard training by the TARA Livelihood Academy (TLA) and is currently employed with Group ‘S’ Security Services, placed at Aptech Computer, Civil Lines, Jhansi.

With the Indian economy growing like never before and many multinational companies bringing in their money, establishing their offices, business houses, enterprises and industry in India, there is the need to provide a good, stable and secure social environment.

To address the safety concerns and requirements of these companies is the need of the hour. The police look after the law and order situation in civil life in general. But with increasing demand for specialised security personnel in the industry - business undertakings as well as at the private level - there is a need of an established system for providing training to the unemployed youth, grooming them to take up jobs in the security sector. These trained youth can fill in the void that is present in our system, earning their livelihood respectably and also playing a constructive role in the society.

TLA is providing employable training to youths of Bundelkhand in such trades where much specialised skill is not required. In case of a security guard, what is required is the right kind of attitude and respect towards the job. Only a few days’ training can make a difference. To make these trainings more effective, an 8-hour-long soft skill training module is also used as a part of the training curricula.

Matching today’s youth with employment needs is like trying to put a square peg in a round hole – there are too many and they lack the right skills.

The TLA team at Bundelkhand conducts different employability training, particularly for the youth and women. Some of the common problems of these youths are:

• Poor learning outcomes: Ability to read and write, speaking and communications skills
• Low employability skills (soft skills): English, presentation skills, etiquette and hygiene
• Work ethics: Not adaptable or portable, low numerical skills, low computer/IT familiarity, lack of multi-skills
• Poor opportunities for entrepreneurship

Also some important aspects like:

• Ignorance of career possibilities
• Lack of job search skills / confidence
• Recognise the need for English
• Recognise the need to acquire employable skills
• Ignorance about how to learn employable skills
• Ignorance of skills earning potential
• Optimistic about their future

In this region, more women are entering the workforce, but they have higher unemployment and are disproportionately represented in the lowest educational and job categories. They do migrate with their family members but face a lot of challenges in all regards due to one reason or another.

What is really needed is to increase employment in the region so as to develop employable skills in the youths. Employability or soft skills refer to a cluster of personality traits, social graces, facility with language, and personal habits that make someone a good employee and a compatible co-worker. Soft skills complement hard skills, which are the technical requirements of a job.

‘It is not unemployment that is the major problem; it is the question of unemployability that is the major crisis in this competitive arena…’

APJ Abdul Kalam, Former President of India

Madhuban Pandey
mpandey@devalt.org

 

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