Employability & Work Force readiness to further spur economic growth

Youth Employment Context; Impact of COVID

In last few months, COVID19 pandemic & ensuing lockdowns have disrupted livelihoods of millions of young people across the world. As per UN report (2020) on "Protecting and mobilizing youth in COVID-19 responses", the increase in the unemployment rate as a result of COVID19 is likely to exceed the unemployment rate from the global financial crisis of 2009. The ILO estimates that more than 1 in every 6 young people have stopped working due to COVID19. In India, CMIE report highlighted that the unemployment rate was 23.5% and 27.1% respectively during March and April 2020. In comparison to the global unemployment situation, 1 in every 4 employed persons lost one's job, India - the situation is even more alarming from economic standpoint. Needless to mention the burden on public health and other adverse social impact. COVID19 situation shall further aggravate the situation for the youth and make them even more vulnerable. The impact of COVID19 shall be felt on Economy even in 2021 and recovery shall be expected by 2022. However, from 2020-2022 time frame, the number of young men & women passing out from university will significantly outnumber the number of employment opportunities.

Unprecedented impact on education & skills development initiatives: COVID19 pandemic has far reaching social consequences on the education and skills development initiatives globally. According to UNESCO (2020), so far 191 countries have implemented localized or nationwide closure of their schools, resulting into 91% of enrolled students i.e. 1.5 billion citizens are not able to attend the school or education.

Understanding Youth Employment conundrum

• Youth face multiple constraint, which affect their decision making to enter into labour market, obtain meaningful / adequate wages and ensure financial securities. Such constrains are: Gaps in Technical, Vocational, Non-technical, Behavioural and cognitive skills, leading to landing into jobs which in unsuitable to their interest/profile and/or not able to obtain the job at all.

Intervention: Class-room / Virtual Training: targeted & focused training, internship including apprenticeship, on-the job training - SAP's Code Unnati is creating the programme design for "most" industry relevant training and possible internship. Code Unnati initiative is identifying various apprenticeship and/or internship opportunities for the students. Code Unnati initiative has researched on job roles and competency requirements have been mapped.

• Lack of adequate career guidance and support-system for career counseling, selecting right skills development training and/or education.

Intervention: The skills development programme design should have integrated components of career guidance/counseling, information system, and placement components. Code Unnati Youth skilling initiative is following the same model.

• Linkages with jobs or companies (or placement opportunities) after completing the training.

Intervention: Landscape mapping of job clusters should be the part of programme design. As soon as the skills development training start the programme manager need to establish network with the prospective employers, internship or apprenticeship opportunities. SAP Code Unnati works on the premise of partnership with private sectors. This helps tremendously to the students under our training programme, as we have an established network & ecosystem.

• Lack of information / awareness; limited access to network which can further facilitate employment opportunities or necessary career guidance. Many a times, the right "match" between the prospective employer and a candidate is missing.

Intervention: Career guidance and counseling, mentorship by industry experts, and corporate volunteering is the key for the success. Code Unnati initiative provides all. Meaningful corporate volunteering and mentorship by SAP experts are the unique value proposition, SAP Code Unnati brings to the programme

• Little or no job experience; practical exposure leading to joblessness for a prolonged period of time. This results into further reduction in any productivity among the youth.

Intervention: Code Unnati has been working on an internship opportunities at SAP for meritorious young women, who have taken the training programme. The 2-month training will enable extremely valuable "on-the job" experience to the youth. Code Unnati will further establish connect with HR placement organization to support for the employment

SAP is taking necessary steps amidst COVID19

1. Ecosystem augmentation: We believe in strengthening the ecosystem for vibrant skilling programme, employment opportunities, collaboration with private sectors, industry associations, not-for-profit organization and government, alike.
2. Focused approach: Future skills and employability of youth will be the key success factor. The training providers need to determine on what kind of skills they want to provide to the youth. Defined approach will help achieve optimum outcome and inclusive impact.
3. Hybrid model & Accelerate Remote Learning: Virtual and Class room based training in a calibrated manner. We are scaling up and expanding the provision of necessary hardware and system through our not-for profit partner. We have created various video based tutorials and mobile (WhatsApp) based learning modals for the students. SAP team supported our non-profit partner, Pratham InfoTech Foundation, to create video based content during SAP Social Sabbatical (R). The learning tutorials & videos are in multiple languages and available on YouTube. While it is challenging to accelerate remote/ virtual learning, we engage with maximum youth via the virtual medium to optimize the learning. We have sanitized our already existing computer training labs for the class-room based teaching as & when feasible.
4. Capacity building of the trainers: Enhance the learning on on-line training, knowledge building on Future Skills topics viz., Data Science, AI/ML, Cloud Computing, IoT, etc. Teachers' Training has become integral part of our programme desi
5. Corporate Volunteering & Pro-bono: We have significantly enhanced skills based volunteering and pro-bono consulting. Skills-based volunteering is specific and targeted to provide necessary skillset, psycho-social support, impart soft- & behavioral skills among the beneficiaries. Volunteering provides industry insights; corporate practices and corporate cultural nuance sharing among the beneficiary audiences. Pro-bono and mentorship would help structurally & systematically build the youth's career. Virtual pro-bono & mentorship is the critical discerning factor during this time.
6. Digital skilling for Micro Small & Medium Enterprises (MSMEs): MSMEs are one of the most adversely impacted due to COVID. This situation also provides an opportunity to help MSMEs & their work-force to embark on a digital transformation journey. Digital skilling will be the first step towards it.

SAP has created training curriculum for MSMEs, ranging from Digital Marketing, Digital Financial Transactions, Navigating the team & company online. These courses are being imparted through "Code Unnati - Learning for Life" mobile application. Thus, technology will enable "technology education" to be extended to the last mile. We would further disseminate this by collaborating with MSME associations across India.

8. Placement & Student Counselling support: Critical success factor for skilling initiative. Code Unnati integrates these components. During this stressful period, youth need the maximum hand-holding, and meaningful employment will address multiple socio-economic problem.

9. Digital empowerment of micro-enterprises: Micro-enterprises and especially women self-help group (SHG) led micro-enterprises has been & will become one of the mainstay of economic activities. There are a few areas which can further spur the economic empowerment: Equipping the women led SHGs and enterprises with digital marketing skills, digital financial inclusions, navigating the e-commerce system, would be the key to success. Code Unnati would empower such enterprises through partnership with UNDP.

Digital empowerment holds true potential not just to spur the economic growith, equitable & inclusive development, but will have potential to singnificantly contribute to the nation's GDP also. 

Way forward

Collaboration among private sectors, youth development organizations, government and skills development agencies or department is the key. Private sector can leverage its expertise of human resources/technology; government through conducive & enabling policy making and facilitating ecosystem strengthening mechanisms. We would create "Youth Committees" in various geographies which can lend their voice to such programmes, make their skills demand profound and support with enabling programme for themselves. It is more important than ever that the integrated and holistic model would leverage the collective strengths of all stakeholders, and the success of the model will help us sail through the trying time of COVID.