Future skills survey brings good tidings

It is a recognition of the potential of India’s growing economy that the QS (Quacquarelli Symonds) World Future Skills Index has ranked the country’s job market as second only to the US. The survey looked at readiness in future skills, especially in the areas of AI, digital, and green technologies. This is the first ever survey of the position of various countries, with respect to their need and preparedness for emerging technologies. The index ranked India globally in the Future of Work indicator, with a score of 99.1, just behind the United States. It placed the country 25th overall across four indicators, identifying it as a Future Skills Contender. The indicators include the alignment between skills and employer needs, academic readiness, and economic transformation. The assessment of the ‘future of work’, where India is ranked second, has been done largely from the demand side, which reflects job postings. While this indicates the potential, there is much to do to realise it. 

On some parameters, the country’s performance is poor. While it got 100 marks on account of economic capacity, it scored low on parameters like innovation, where G-7 countries are far ahead and some African countries have fared better. The report has identified gaps in investment and innovation capacity which could slow down long-term growth. It said that “India’s overall ‘skills fit’ score is lower than that of its counterparts in APAC, with a particularly large skills gap in ‘entrepreneurial and innovative mindset.” The APAC (Asia-Pacific) region is known for its skills in these areas and will pose challenges to India. 

The report specifically says that ‘’employers across India are highlighting a critical gap in the work force’s ability to meet the demands of a rapidly changing economic landscape” and that the ‘’shortfall underscores a broader challenge for India’s higher education system, which is struggling to keep pace with evolving employer needs.” That underlines the need for aligning the country’s education, especially its technical education, with future needs. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has welcomed the ranking of India as the top job market in the survey. He said that over the last decade, the ‘’government has worked on strengthening our youth by equipping them with skills that enable them to become self-reliant and create wealth.” He believes they have leveraged the power of technology to make India a hub for innovation and enterprise. There is much more to be done to realise his claim. The criticism that most of the country’s technical graduates are unemployable still stands. The country needs to improve the quality of education to welcome the future knocking on its doors.