Union Minister of Petroleum & Natural Gas and Skill Development & Entrepreneurship, Dharmendra Pradhan on Saturday called for a collective introspection on the changing nature of job profiles and urged those responsible for fashioning public policy to zero in on the nature and availability of future jobs.
Internet, he said, was changing the character of the workplace at a frenetic pace, and therefore, policy shapers need to astutely comprehend the jobs scenario.
Inaugurating the 11th Global Skills Summit, 2018, orgainsed by FICCI and the Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship, Pradhan said the belief that technology and innovation were squeezing the job space was a myth. While some jobs were being squeezed, a multi-fold increase was being witnessed in many other sectors due to technological innovation.
India, he said, was blessed with intellectual manpower, and the time was ripe to channelize this asset into creation of gainful employment for the people endowed with the right type of skills.
On the occasion, the Minister released two knowledge reports titled, 'Future of Jobs in India-2.0' and 'Employer-led Models of Job Creation- Version:2'. The summit also witnessed the launch of initiatives such the future skills courses by NSDC; digital platform for blue collar skilling ecosystem by Betterplace and rural e-commerce distribution system by Connect India.
While Chandra Mohan Patowary, Minister of Skill, Employment & Entrepreneurship, Assam, underscored the dire need to impart industry-oriented skills to the wave of young people who join the workforce each year. 'Showman' Subhash Ghai, Founder and Chairman, Whistling Woods, said the first priority for the country was to train the trainers so that the skilled workforce could apply the knowledge acquired productively. "We need to transit from being believers to seekers of knowledge," ghai pointed out.