Chhindwara: President Pranab Mukherjee today said that government and industry should work together to provide jobs to youth to avoid unrest and disturbances.
“India’s population is 130 crore. Half of this population is below 25 years of age, and in working age group of 15-59 years, this population is 62 per cent. If you keep these numbers in mind and think for a while what would happen if such magnitude of people do not have their vocation and opportunity of maintaining their livelihood in a decent way,” Mukherjee said.
The President was speaking at annual day celebration of CII’s skill training centre here.
He said that the agriculture sector is over saturated now and it can support very low number of people.
“These workforce is going to be an asset to us … But if we cannot provide job to them what will happen. There will be unrest, there will be frustration. There will be difficulties, disturbances,” Mukherjee said.
He said that there are 36,000 colleges producing graduates but a large number of passouts are unemployable.
It is estimated by the World Economic Forum that two-thirds of children who now enter a school will work in jobs that cannot be imagined right now.
Mukherjee said India will have the scope for employment generation but lacks skilled workforce.
The President said that a Skills Development Council was created in 2010 and target was fixed by 2020 to create large number of skilled workforce.
“Unfortunately not much progress was made in that direction. As a result in 2014 with change of government, when new Prime Minister came he established to focus on this issue with Department of Skill Development.
“A minister was entrusted with the job to focus and a programme was created over a larger period of time that by 2030 at least 500 million people are provided appropriate skill so that they get job anywhere in the world,” he said.
The President said more than 60 lakh people are working in West Asia and Gulf countries alone which are sending large number of remittances back home which is helping India build foreign exchange reserves.
He said that the average age in Europe and North America is increasing and India has the opportunity with its young population.
“That (skill development) is the reason I have come to Chhindwara for fifth time and why I am participating in the programme of CII to celebrate their annual day of skill development. This is the programme that country needs the most,” Mukherjee said.
He lauded efforts of local MP Kamalnath for setting up skill development centres in his constituency.
CII President Naushad Forbes said that the industry body has not been able to set up skill development centres in any part of the country like the ones set up here. He said that CII in coming days will make effort to set up such centres in all districts of the country.
The President also visited Apparel Training and Design Centre, IL&FS Skill Centre, Drivers Training Institute and Siddheshwar Hanuman Temple here.
PTI