Everything looks like a nail, if the only tool you have is a hammer! The maxim validates the current scenario where the gap between unemployment and employability has become a subject of debate. The matter gets even more serious when the discussion veers towards the job loss due to automation. If we look closer in history, automation has created more jobs than it ever killed. The real issue is that companies are now no more willing to support huge bench strength and are rather moving towards an approach which is defined as up-skill or perish.

According to FICCI report, India, considered as a developing economy with a population of 1.2 billion occupies a unique and special place today, in the global skilling ecosystem. It also states that in coming six years the average age of the population is estimated to be within 29 years. It can be predicted that by the end of 2022, India can be considered as having the utmost working age inhabitants. According to the NSDC report, the IT industry has tremendous potential for growth and is expected to touch the Rs. 24 lakh crore mark by 2020, on account of rising consumer and business demand. In addition to this, the electronics manufacturing & design sectors too, have opened up and increased the demand for niche operating skills coupled with computer knowledge, which has been the primary requirement. There are opportunities galore. Yet in the same breath, we discuss the extent of unemployment and the dilemma of unemployability.

The Need for Upskilling
Considering the emergent need in the Indian skill ecosystem, there is strong focus and

intent from the government on skill development. Government efforts need to be supplemented by active participation from the industry to create skilling platforms. It’s time for an honest admission that a skilled India is not just in the interest of the government but more so for the industry. Even within companies, it’s not just the responsibility of human resource department. It is now a critical factor determining the operational efficiencies, and therefore, should be part of the COO, CFO and CEOs active KRA. One must understand that a skilled employee is more task efficient (in terms of productivity and turnaround time) than an unskilled employee. It’s a fact that the industry is on a fast paced change trajectory that forces it to adapt to the changing needs of the market. It’s no more a unidirectional, pipe model where the industry dictated the terms. Customers and external environment do most of the talking today.

Government efforts need to be supplemented by active participation from the industry to create skilling platforms

Setting up a process that promotes re skilling and up skilling is in the long-term interest of company and its employees. This requires much more than just drafting a company policy. It merits a change in company culture. Upskilling is a cultural issue. As a company expands, it is evident that it will face the issue of skill gap among few of its employees. There are two ways to tackle the situation. Firstly, induct a new employee base that is equipped with the right skills. Second is to upskill the existing employee base with new skills. Progressive companies chose the second alternative as it also fosters a culture of trust and builds loyalty among the employees. Many companies are also adopting an on-demand learning model, where employees can choose courses themselves and complete them online at a certain pace; this is far more conducive to building a continuous learning culture. Courses can be tailored for the employee based on the proficiencies required for the available roles.

Companies that embrace continuous learning curve empower their employees and derive more value across the organization, set the stage for the better performance. A strong learning culture can also help drive a faster turnaround time to market products and services, better employee productivity, faster response to customer needs, and a better ability to meet future demand in the market. An off-quoted story about management highlights the worry of a CEO, who wonders what if all those who remain away from up-skilling stay with this organization? The impact of it will be on the efficiency level of the company. Thus, more and more companies are adopting a policy of up-skill or perish. This creates a virtuous circle motivating an employee to graduate from being a job seeker to a skilled expert; thereby, sowing in seeds of intraprenuership. After all, today it’s only about survival of the smartest.