Social Lens’ conference titled ‘Realising India’s Demographic Dividend’ brought to life the ideas and vision for the future Indian youth from those at the forefront of driving impactful livelihood solutions. The virtual conference was held on 16th April 2021 with an audience of 120+ people from all over India. We brought together CSR leaders, social purpose organisations and industry experts all united by one common purpose – to create meaningful employment opportunities for the youth of India.
At Social Lens and Jeevitam, we recognise that there is a mismatch in the Indian labour market, where the supply of labour grossly outstripped the demand – hence leading to unemployment and disillusionment of the youth. This gap is more strongly pronounced and felt by blue and gray collar workers. We believe that it is vital to bridge this gap and create relevant opportunities and secure the future of the upcoming generations of our country.
“The future of work is the future of learning and the two cannot be separated”
Dr Sabeena Mathayas
The panelists were cognizant of the massive roadblocks created by the pandemic, but at the same time were positive and hopeful about the future of skilling and learning going forward.
Jagdish Acharya rightfully said that we should be optimistic even though we can’t predict what can happen. The assumptions about the future need to be re-examined, and moving forward there is a need to leverage both human and machine capabilities. The audience could relate to the fact that we as a country are still very academically inclined and there needs to be a stronger momentum towards skill-based credentials and assessments. Earning and learning are strongly correlated. The panelists agreed that organisations such National Skills Development Corporation are changing what skilling means and how we approach it.
In the second panel leaders of non-profits from the skilling and livelihoods sector highlighted the on-ground perspective from rural and urban India in order for us to have the truest understanding of the extent of the problem at hand.
“We are looking at young people who don’t even have the ability to participate in the race, as they have been excluded from access to goods and services that all of us take for granted.”
Priya Agarwal, Antarang Foundation
While the pandemic highlighted the resilience of our communities, it also brought with it the risk of losing the sense of aspiration among an entire generation – everything became about survival.
The panel visualised employment and income as means of economic and social progress for the vulnerable. A concept that this panel focussed on was moving away from the word “livelihoods” towards income generation. The implications of this are creating long term solutions to develop resilient, sustainable and self-sufficient communities. We resonated with Meenakshi Nayar’s statement that everyone has potential – people just need the right opportunities and nurturing environment for it to be unleashed. That being said we also require the right attitudes and mindsets as well, to value work, income, and employment.
‘Any technology is as useful as how you use it’
Sridhar Seshadri, Jeevitam
There is a fear and lack of approachability around the use of technology for social programs, to which Sridhar Seshadri rightfully brought up that the manner in which technology is used will directly lead to how useful it is. In the livelihood sector, technology can not only solve existing problems, but create new opportunities as well. However, it is still important to think about those who get left behind, and how technology can address this, because the impact of that is exacerbated across generations. Sridhar highlighted how we must partner with the vulnerable, encourage them in their paths to survival, while also providing a path, where their aspirations can be achieved.
He candidly spoke about the role of Jeevitam within the ecosystem, and why technology is at the centre of what they do – their vision is to be livelihood partners to their stakeholders for life. It is about creating a 360° solution for blue collar workers – giving them the opportunity to earn better for the rest of their lives.
The conference brought together seasoned professional opinions, personal experiences and the on-ground work to realise India’s demographic dividend. We at Social Lens and Jeevitam, have a positive outlook towards the future of skilling and employment in India.
Social Lens Pvt. Ltd. is a for-purpose consulting firm working in the development sector to empower changemakers and drive impact.
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