Embedding skills for sustainable employability role of Kaushal Kendra in Kerala

Abstract

Skill development programmes have undergone spectacular changes since 2015, when Skill India Mission was implemented. Skill is a life-long process, and it is a key driver of any economy. Policymakers worldwide are focussing on job creation, which contributes towards increased productivity and the country's GDP. India which is enjoying a demographic dividend when compared to other nations, is witnessing a job environment where people are joining the workforce without being skilled. Therefore, it becomes essential to develop a skill-based eco-system in the country. With the introduction and implementation of the skill development programmes in 2015, there has been a spillover effect on the skill eco-system in India. Flagship skill programmes such as PMKVY and DDUGKY have been introduced to skill the youth at scale by establishing skill centres with good facilities, known popularly as Kaushal Kendra, with zero fees for the course. A structured questionnaire is used to collect the data from the respondents. Statistical tools such as SPSS and AMOS have been applied to analyse the study's objectives. The research work is a descriptive and analytical study based on samples selected from Kaushal Kendra. The present research work analyses the influence of self-perceived individual skills, organisational factors and labour market factors on sustainable employability dimensions of career development, vitality and valuable work. The study also identifies the influence of these four constructs on type of scheme, gender and districts. The findings of the study reveal that there is a significant positive influence of constructs on the sustainable employability dimensions such as career development, vitality and valuable work of the trainees who completed their skill training from Kaushal Kendra in Kerala. The proposed employability framework will provide insights to the important stakeholders of Kaushal Kendra. The study has contributed to the existing employability framework and has designed a modified employability model to be considered for creating skill training policies. The research work is expected to direct academicians and policymakers to consider dimensions such as career development, vitality and valuable work while formulating policies related to skill development and training.