Unemployed Youth - The Nation’s Biggest Concern

Unemployment is a state where an active job seeker isn’t able to find a job suitable to his or her qualifications or skillset. According to recent reports, an approximate of about 31 million people are unemployed in this country coming from different sectors and socio economic backgrounds. But they have something in common. That is, most of them lie in the age group of 15-35.What does that mean? It means that India’s youth is suffering from a massive job crises. Meaning that our youngest and most efficient workforce is sitting at home and doing nothing.

So now there are questions that arise in our mind. Is unemployment really that big of an issue? Why is it increasing day by day? Is it the youth himself responsible for this? Or is it the government that is failing to create more jobs to solve this problem? What if our education system was at fault?

The rate of unemployment has risen time and again from being 2.98 in July 2017 to 4.11 in March 2018. This has directs consequences on the individual, social and national level. Its individual consequences are loss in respect among family members and society, deteriorating mental health and overall being of an individual. Studies have also shown that being unemployed for a long time can actually reduce the potential and efficiency of an individual. The person is seen to earn comparatively less than what he or she used to earn before. Moreover, it is far more difficult for an unemployed person to find a job because of the obvious fact that employers question the gap produced in the person’s employment record and that creates a negative impression of the employee’s commitment to his job. The effects on a societal basis are increase in crime rates and violence. And nationwide affects are reduction in the GDP, increase in the overall loss to the economy and a halt on the growth of the country.

So what exactly are the steps that can be taken either by the government or the people? First and foremost is education and that being said “right education”. Why? Because of the fact that education has become nothing but a business these days.There are umpteen number of schools and colleges in this country promising to provide the best education one could ever ask for.But do they really? Colleges nowadays are manufacturing degree holders rather than educated individuals. People have all kinds of degrees but no knowledge and thus are unemployed. To prevent this, first the government bodies that regulate and control these respective educational institutions must make strict and stringent rules regarding revision of the existing curriculum, use of advanced infrastructure, hiring of experienced faculty, incorporation of research and development wings, mandated vocational training for everyone, adoption of subjects that are more demanded in the industries and subjects like employability skills and personality development.

Moreover skill development classes, seminars on employability, industrial visits, and courses specifically designed for certain jobs must be included in the curriculum. The authorities must conduct regular inspections in order to ensure that the rules are being followed sincerely. In fact colleges must emphasize more on the individual’s practical knowledge and work experience rather than marks or grades he scored for that matter. Also, schools must emphasize on producing a well-rounded individual with professional, technical and management skills and ample vocational training. A person must be able to use and apply the knowledge he gained from his school/college.

Secondly, a vast population of individuals is actually unemployable. This means that even though they are willing to work but they are under qualified for it. The reason could be anything from lack of skills, no vocational training or low practical knowledge. And as said by Late Former President Dr.A.P.J Abdul Kalam “Unemployability is far more dangerous than unemployment.” To prevent such a situation, an individual must enrol himself in increasing his skillset be it communication skills, personal qualities like leadership, self-confidence, team work etc. Moreover the youth must learn to have more than one income source.Part time jobs are an ideal thing for those who have limited work hours or want to work from home.

Thirdly, the government should create new policies regarding skill development schools, scholarship programs, revise unnecessary employability schemes like MNREGA, promote self-employment by exempting taxes on start-ups and small businesses for an initial period of time to help them get settled, provide them with loan schemes at low interests. Moreover the government should create more such policies like MAKE IN INDIA and reduce tax on FDI. Another big move could be the implementation of Universal Basic Income (UBI).It basically means that the government promises to provide every single household with a certain basic income. This income would be same for everyone and it would be enough for a person to have three meals a day. Its advantages will be reduction in crimes, reduction in poverty, increase in employment, increase in self-employment and a sum total of increase in the GDP and economy of the country. It is has been implemented and is doing wonders in small nations like CROATIA and being tested in countires like the UK. It has its own pros and cons but if somehow implemented it could do wonders for a nation whose 1/3rd of the population goes to sleep on an empty stomach.

So the need of the hour is to focus on quality education with greater emphasis on learning, gaining practical knowledge, prioritizing vocational training and attending seminars on employability skills and personality development. Creation and implementation of new policies, programmes, initiatives could tremendously contribute in changing the situation. Only a combined effort from individuals, the government and the educational institutions could improve the present scenario. Because having the right education equipped with right knowledge and getting it rightly implemented leads to success in life afterall.