EMPLOYMENT AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP OPPORTUNITIES FOR SKILLED YOUTH

Table of Contents

Introduction:

Agriculture is truly the backbone of India’s economy, reverberating with a new dynamism and excitement. The sector is poised for a big leap forward. There are umpteen opportunities for youth in the agriculture and agribusiness sector.
Technological breakthroughs increased concern for food safety and hygiene, innovations in agricultural marketing have created a range of new jobs across the agri value chain, demand for services of skilled professionals in farm machinery, greenhouse farming, pesticide and fertilizer application, micro-irrigation and solar energy.
A raft of smart technology applications based on Al, Big Data, Internet of Things has enabled farmer-entrepreneurs to make smart decisions, adopt better farm management practices and access the best of market opportunities. This has triggered higher demand for professionals associated with scientific farm management, various specialized job roles in agri warehouses, cold storage and aggregation points.

Initiatives being taken:

Related to skilling:

Radical changes are being implemented in the skilling ecosystem.
The alignment of training programmes is being done by matching with the international standards which are making skill training aspirational and attractive to the youth.
There is a growing synergy between all skill development efforts among different ministries and state governments, and a focussed attempt at improving the scope for more private sector participation.
Foundation of the National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) in 2008 and the launching of the Skill India Mission in 2015 mark an important landmark.
The online modules have made new skills, technology and knowledge easily accessible.

Agri sector:

The Government of India also launched ambitious programmes for agri infrastructure, credit, market reforms, minimum basic income, and risk management, which are expected to improve the profitability of farming and farm ventures. Agricultural marketing is expected to attract more investments with the introduction of landmark reforms, reduce the market unpredictability and improve price realization.
Agriculture Skill Council of India (ASCI), the nodal agency under the National Skill Qualification Framework (NSQF), was set up in 2013 and works under the aegis of NSDC.

Central Schemes:

The Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana or PMKVY was launched with an aim to train 10 million youth between 2016 and 2020.
Other than PMKVY, opportunities for short-term training in agriculture-related job roles are available under Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY), Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH) and Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Grameen Kaushal Vikas Yojana (DDUGKY), Ajeevika under National Rural Livelihood Mission (NRLM), and Barefoot Technician Programme under Mahatma Gandhi National Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA).

State Schemes:

States are running their own skill development schemes that are NSQF-aligned and linked to employment creation.
Utkarsh Bangle scheme of West Bengal, Placement Linked Skill Training Programme of Assam, SURYA scheme of Haryana, Employment Linked Skill Training Programme of Rajasthan, Entrepreneurship and Employment Linked Skill Training Programme of Uttarakhand are some of these.

Skill Courses in Schools and Colleges:

The New Education Policy 2020 proposed to make VET an integral part of school and higher education in a phased manner. This initiative would help address the long-standing issues of integrating vocational and academic education, ensure mobility, and make skill programmes aspirational.
Skill-based programmes can also be taken as part of the higher education system under the University Grants Commission (UGC).

Apprenticeships:

The National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme (NAPS) has significantly improved the scope, access, and effectiveness of the apprenticeship programme.
Apprentices are now eligible for a monthly stipend of Rs. 5,000-9,000 depending on educational qualification and experience.

Involvement of Industry:

Industry participation in the skill ecosystem is critical for bridging the skill gaps, in-service and apprenticeship training, training of trainers, and absorption of trained candidates.

Support for Entrepreneurs:

Many of the youth want to start their business enterprises after the training programme.
Initiative for Development of Entrepreneurs in Agriculture (IDEA) under RKVY, Venture Capital Finance Assistance (VCA) of Small Farmers’ Agribusiness Consortium (SFAC), ASPIRE scheme of the Ministry of MSME, Support to Training and Employment Programme for Women (STEP) are a few initiatives aimed at boosting entrepreneurship.