Youth and Employment

A focus on the most vulnerable

Amir Ullah Khan

India Development Foundation

WDR, 17 December 2005

 Youth Unemployment Situation

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

Demand Supply

Most of
these jobs
Employment Need Trained
will require 60% of those400 million
in 2007 varied for civil
either are betweenin the Indian
estimated at & flexible service-like
technical 15 & 30 labor force
360 million skills jobs
or soft
skills
•Critical thinking •Rote learning
•Teamwork •Hierarchical
•Multi-skilled •One skill
•Multi-lingual •One language
•Customer oriented •Rigid/Inflexible

Source: Planning Commission

 The Situation Today

Healthcare
Construction
Retail trades
Youth Numbers

Light Mfg. Automotive

Financial Services

Agriculture Public Sector

Heavy Mfg.

Education level

The
The organized
organized sector
sector is
is doing
doing more
more training,
training, even
even while
while
hiring
hiring new
new recruits
recruits with
with higher
higher educational
educational credentials
credentials
Source: Planning Commission
 India’s Youth and Employment Picture

Current Daily Status Unemployment Rates (2000)

10%

8%
9.3%
6% 7.2% 7.7% 8.1%
7.0%
6.5%
Rural
4% Urban
2%

0%
All India Bihar Maharashtra

Source: National Sample Survey Organization (NSSO) 55th round, 2000

 India’s Youth and Employment Picture
Youth Unemployment Rates - Female

30%
25%
20% 25.9%
15%
Rural
18.0%
10% 12.8%
13.1% Urban
12.1%
5% 7.0% 9.4%
7.7%
0%
15-19 yrs 20-24 yrs 25-29 Total

Youth Unemployment Rates - Male

20%
19.0%
15%
17.1%
10%
13.1% Rural
11.7%
10.3% Urban
5% 9.2% 7.2% 7.3%

0%
15-19 yrs 20-24 yrs 25-29 Total

Source: National Sample Survey Organization (NSSO) 55th round, 2000

 Educational levels of youth

Bihar has a 62.3% dropout rate between grades 1 and 5

Percentage of Youth at Different Education Levels (2002)
100%

90%

80%

70%

60%
Bihar
Maharashtra
50%
Delhi

40% All India

30%

20%

10%

0%
No Education Grade 1 Grade 5 Grade 8 10 Pass

Source: Ministry of Human Resource Development Annual Report; Vision 2020: Towards a Knowledge
Society, Team Analysis
 Characteristics of the Unemployed

 Poor learning outcomes

 Ability to read and write
 Speaking and communications skills
 Low employability skills (soft skills)
 English
 Presentation skills
 Etiquette and hygiene
 Work ethic
 Not adaptable or portable
 Low numeracy
 Low computer/IT familiarity
 Lack of multi-skills
 Poor opportunities for Entrepreneurship
 Rural-Urban Migration

Delhi and Mumbai each report net migration of 500,000 in 2004. 89% are from
rural areas and over 50% of migrants, both male and female, are between 15-
25 years old
State of O rigin of M igrant W orke rs

6 0% 5 5.0%

5 0% 43.0%

4 0% 33.0%
35.8%

M a le
3 0%
F e male
2 0% 1 2.0% 12.0%

1 0% 5.0% 3.4%
0.0% 0.0% 0.8%
0.0%
0%
B iha r* UP W e s t B e nga l MP R a ja stha n Oris s a

Source: National Labour Institute, “Migration and Vulnerability to HIV/AIDS”, 2005; Ministry of Labour
Note: Bihar figures include Jharkhand
 Rural-Urban Migration

More than 80% of migrants have no formal education or

dropped out before secondary school
E duca tion Level o f M igra nt H ea d of H ousehold
39.7%
40%
35%
30%
25%
20% 16.3% 15.7%
14.3%
15% 10.3%
10%
3.7%
5%
0%
Illite ra te L ite ra te ; no P rima ry M iddle S e c onda ry G ra de 1 1 +
fo rma l e d.

Source: National Labour Institute, “Migration and Vulnerability to HIV/AIDS”, 2005

Note: Bihar figures include Jharkhand
 Women

More women are entering the workforce, but they have higher unemployment and are
disproportionately represented in the lowest educational and job categories
Female P articipation in the W orkforce* Dropout Rates Before 10-Pass, by Gender
85% 90%
80%
81.3% 82.3% 85.8%
80% 70%
79.0% 60%
50%
75% 75.3%
40%
49.0% 55.4% 49.6%
71.7% 30% 44.9%
70% 20%
69.3%
10%
65% 66.4% 0%
Bihar Maharashtra Delhi
Male Female
60%
1988 1994 2000

Rural Urban

Source: Ministry of Human Resource Development Annual Report 2004; NSSO 55th round,
2000
*Note: Scale does not start at zero
 Characteristics of Jharkhand Employment

 Dominated by heavy industries – Mining and Automotive

 Large planned investment by corporates
 Large rural and tribal population – mostly engaged in primary
agriculture
 High migration to urban areas (some seasonal)
 Strong Naxalite presence (especially in rural areas)
 Disparity of quality education
 Disparity of incomes and opportunities
 One of only two states with a budget surplus
 Low growth states, but with opportunities for faster growth
 Low capacity and inexperience in public administration
 Characteristics of Maharashtra Employment

 High inbound migration with many “at risk” migrant workers

 High unemployment among slum dwellers
 Relatively progressive policies – early adopters
 Vocational education
 Business Partnerships
 Employment Promotion Program (EPP)
 Booming technology, finance, retail trades and services and
construction industries
 Manufacturing industries moving out of Mumbai to suburbs
and secondary cities
 Agriculture in decline
 High pressure on urban poor due to rising costs of living
 Slum population shifting from central Mumbai
 Characteristics of Delhi Region Employment

 Similar to Maharashtra, but less progressive

 500,000 net inbound migration per year
 Booming retail, hospitality, tourism, household services and
construction industries
 Substantial “at risk” migrants predominantly from Bihar,
Jharkhand and Uttar Pradesh
 High unemployment among slum dwellers
 Demand and supply of workers

Supply of Workers
< 10 Pass 10 Pass 12 Pass or H igher
 A gribusiness &  A utomotive  H otels & H ospitality
Demand for Workers

Food Processing  Steel  H ospitals

Organized

 Garments/ A pparel  Education

 M ining  Pharmaceutical

 Construction  H otels & H ospitality  Retail Trades

Trades  L ight M anufacturing  IT/ BPO
Unorganized

 Domestic Support  Some Retail Trades  Financial Services

 Some Light  Self Employment  Self Employment
M anufacturing  H ome/ Community
 Self Employment H ealth Care
 Emerging Trends in Education & Training

India is going through enormous changes right now, not

just demographically
• Secondary education pressures increasing
• Rural-Urban migration increasing
• Services industries growing
• Policy environment liberalizing
• Increasing demand for technical professions (Engg, MBA,
MCA, Finance, IT)
• Increasing underemployment of workers with mid-level or
non-technical credentials
• Manufacturing sector growing, but job opportunities not
keeping pace
 Rapid Growth in the Service Sector

• Closer correlation between economic growth and

employment growth – higher elasticity of employment
• Growing middle class has more disposable income and
is more sophisticated requiring more services and
conveniences
• Rural poor also market for services
• Banking
• Insurance
• Health

Economic
Economic growth
growth in
in traditional
traditional industries
industries like
like manufacturing,
manufacturing,
but
but employment
employment growth
growth isis low
low because
because ofof automation,
automation, higher
higher
productivity
productivity and
and restrictive
restrictive labor
labor laws.
laws.
 Findings - OSY

• Ignorance of career possibilities

• Lack of job search skills / confidence
• Recognize need for English
• Recognize need to get employable skills
• Ignorance how to get employable skills
• Ignorance of skills earnings potentials
• Optimistic about their futures
 Problems of Skills Training Providers

• Majority Public sector VET institutions ineffective –

ossified teachers, management, curricula,
equipment
• Secondary / primary education vocationalization will
be slow/difficult
• Quality problems – much is poor
 Emerging Trends in Education

Government plans
• “Universal” primary & secondary education
• Curricula and instruction for needs of new economy
• Employability
• Vocational training
• Multi-skilling
• Close links with business
• New skills
• Recognize informal learning
• Encourage Entrepreneurship
 Education trends

 Mobility = IT and English literacy

 High demand
 Increase in private sector schooling
 Secondary education double crunch!
 Teacher shortages all levels public sector
 Growth in private sector schools
 Private high quality degree granting institutions pending
 Demand-driven vocational training
 Acceptance align education for the new economy
 Emerging Trends in Vocational/Tech Training

• Central government mandating industry partnerships in

Vocational training
• Maharasthra / Gujarat very advanced policies and model
institutions
• Delhi embracing new central policies re industry participatinon
• Jharkhand requesting Universities and institutes to start
polytechnics
• Jharkhand requiring training MOUs for all new industry
• Jharkhand requiring value added (means jobs)
• Good models youth skills training both government and NGO
 Emerging Trends in Skills Education

• Good Laddering between ITI – Poly – Degree

• National skills examinations
• National skills qualifications authority exists
• New recognition/certification of informal learning
• Switching to competency based training and assessment
• Private sector flexible & responsive to emerging needs - in
urban areas
• Employer based training encouraged / necessary
• Employer-govt. school partnerships encouraged
• Good leadership examples in Maharasthra being cloned
• Apprenticeship system OK
 Initiatives to bridge supply-demand gap

• Community Polytechnics – success and spreading

• Community Colleges – success and spreading
• Mandated industry involvement in ITI s and Polytechnics
and industry interested
• Tax break for donations to vocational schools
• Recognition of informal learning (Big potential)
• Private sector training acceptable
• Seeking quality improvement
• Evolving certification system
• Employers demanding better skills
 Positive developments in industry

• CSR movement growing

• Demanding better quality workers
• Optimistic about future and expansion
• Want involvement in skills training
• Industry skills standards developing -Recognition
informal learning (big)
• More emerging new skills and industries - e.g.
medical, financial
• Large potential manufacturing growth with sub-
contracting
 Restrictive Policy Environment

Tremendous pressures are building up for reform of

outdated policies that are impeding the normal growth of
healthy industries
Contract Labor Act
Industrial Disputes Act
Interstate barriers to commerce
Land distribution
Reservations for small-scale industry
Restrictions on food preservation
 Problems - cultural

• Premium still on government jobs

• Aversion to blue collar jobs
• Skill shortages often culturally driven – e.g. nursing,
serving
• Cultural immobility
• Women discrimination
• Aversion to rural work
• Family ties slow mobility / increase turnover
• Little worker loyalty in new high skill industries
 Madarsahs

• 1857, the first Director of Pubic Education in Punjab

• Removal of all schools from the precints of mosques and other
buildings of a religious character
• Also directions of disuse of all books of a religious character in
schools
• Bentick 1835 – withdrawal of all support
• His Lordship in Council is of the opinion that the great object of the
British Government ought to be the promotion of European literature
and science among the natives of India; and that all the funds
appropriated for the purpose of education should be best employed
on English education alone…
• Change jn policy – Report of the Education Commission of 1882
 Madarsahs

• Madarsahs are now seen as centres of obscurantism and

superstition, and as one of the principal causes of Muslim
decline.
• In different Muslim countries the attack on the Madarsah
system took different forms. In Turkey, 1925, Kemal Attaturk
ordered the closing down of all Madarsahs
• This policy was followed in several Muslim countries such as
Albania and other countries in the vast Muslim belt in Central
Asia
 Madarsahs

• There are indeed a certain number of old fashioned Maktabs

and Madarsahs which continue to give parrot like teaching of
the Quran and even in these places no attempt is made either
to improve the morals of the boys or bring them before the
eternal truths of the faith. As a rule, prayers are but rarely
repeated and when said not one per cent of the boys
understand what they say and why
 Migration - problems

• Unorganized (speculative)
• draws the poor and uneducated
• Slums, no social safety nets
• Increased crime
• Ideal is “Organized” migration to awaiting jobs
• Now in some fields – construction, nursing, security
• Could be better organized
• Basic employable skills first
• Health and safety awareness
• Orientation to city life/recourse/life skills
 Underemployment

The unemployment figures for India do not accurately

reflect the true situation in India
• Temporary work
• Seasonal work
• Self-employment
• Underpaid work
• Middlemen
• Non-formal sector - survival jobs
• Many over-educated for job
 Youth

Reinforcing this focus is the fact that youth, particularly

the unemployed, are also vulnerable to recruitment by
extremist organizations
• Ages 15-24
• School Drop-outs
• Those with unemployable credentials
• Unemployed / underemployed
• More exposure to/knowledge of the way the more
privileged live
• Jharkhand problematic 21/26 districts controlled

The
The economy
economy isis booming,
booming, but
but employment
employment growth
growth lags
lags population
population
growth
growth –– 14
14 million
million additional
additional jobs
jobs will
will be
be needed
needed by
by 2012
2012 to
to keep
keep
pace.
pace.
 Problems - employers

• Higher ed grad surplus / poor quality

skewing job entrance criteria with
employers skimming
• Employer aversion to lower education
workers as “troublemakers”
• Labor laws restrain hiring and growth
• Little use of apprenticeship for own
employees
• Finding staff for rural postings
 Options

• Advocacy on labor reform

• Support CSRs
• Assist secondary system to train trainers and develop new curricula
• Assist spread of community polytechnics and colleges
• Train the Trainers and capacity building
• New management paradigm of ITI s and Polys
• High speed teacher certificate program for trades practitioners
• Use / development of new teaching methodologies
• Support Competency-Based training and Certification systems
• Organized Migration in construction trades, domestics etc
• Support access to basic information and understanding of rights for
vulnerable youth – particularly rural youth and migrants
• Encourage ICICI rural bankers and finance instruments projects
• Experiment rural livelihood diversification
 Options (cont.)

• Strategy 1: Organized Migration for Construction Workers

• Strategy 2: Organized migration for domestics, nurse aides and home care workers
• Strategy 3: Rural village employment/self employment opportunity diversification
• Strategy 4: Rural Banking and Finance Training Programs
• Strategy 5: Vocational Teacher Professional Practitioner’s Diploma
• Strategy 6: Madarsah Initiative Scale Up
• Strategy 7: Support for Industry Management and Upgrading of ITI s and Polytechnics
• Strategy 8: Support for Industry-led Skills Certification Systems
• Strategy 9: Support for Industry-led Community Colleges and Polytechnics
• Strategy 10: Advocacy for Modification of Labor Laws and Streamlining of
Manufacturing Start up Regulations
• Strategy 11: CSR Support Scale up of Model OSY Skills Development Programs
 Delhi School Education Act
 The school must obtain Essential Certificate by establishing that
its existence serves the public interest. The administrator decides
by taking into account the number and categories of recognized
schools already functioning in that locality, and general
desirability of the school with reference to the suitability and
sufficiency of the existing schools in the locality and the probable
effect on them
 Delhi Municipal Corporation
 No person shall keep or ply for hire a cycle rickshaw in Delhi
unless he himself is the owner thereof and holds a license
granted in that behalf by the Commissioner on payment of the fee
that may, from time to time be fixed under sub section 2 of
Section 430. Provided that no person shall be granted more than
one such license.

 Widow or handicapped
 Delhi Municipal Corporation
 Cycle Rickshaw Bye laws 1960, Section 17A.
 Any rickshaw found plying for hire without a license or found
driven by a person not having proper license shall be liable to be
seized by the Commissioner or a person duly authorized in his
behalf. The cycle rickshaw so seized shall be disposed off by
public auction after dismantling, deformation of such process
including smashing it into scrap after a reasonable time as may
be decided by the Commissioner from time to time.
 Delhi Municipal Corporation
 Street Hawkers technical Conditions
 Sale of Ice cream by hawking Rule 6
 The ice cream salesman will not shout to attract customers nor
will he sit or lie on the trolley at any time
 Thank you

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