Skill Development and Labour Migration in Tripura – A Skill-Gap Analytical Approach
Prabir Ghosh
Research Scholar, Department of Economics, Tripura University, Tripura.
*Corresponding Author E-mail: prabir.ghosh183@gmail.com, prabir.economics@tripurauniv.in
ABSTRACT:
India is a vast nation where, millions of labourers migrate every year in search of their livelihood. Most of the labourers are unskilled or low skilled and their migration takes place through informal channel. In many cases workers are exploited as they have to work under informal terms and conditions. In many cases their skills are unrecognized or in other words the workers are not getting jobs according to their skills. Asymmetry in information about the labour market is one of such factors responsible for workers’ harassment. The skilling of labourers as per the requirement of industry demand is very much essential to avert wastage of human capital. Proper skilling, institutionalised migration and symmetry in information of job market amongst labourers are important factors for developing healthy labour market. The present study tries to examine the effectiveness of government sponsored skill development programmes in serving the needs of migrant labourers from Tripura. The objective of the study has been analysed with the Skill-gap analysis, Likert scale and youth aspiration mapping. The study is based on primary data. Data have been collected from North Sarashima village (Gram Panchayat) which is located in Hrishyamukh block of Belonia Sub-Division, South Tripura district. It is observed that there is large skill gap of near about 95 percent amongst the randomly surveyed youths. It is observed that government sponsored skill development programmes have been successful in upgrading skills of youths and migration has become more institutionalised. The attrition rate amongst the placed candidates is high due to subsistence level of salary at the initial stages in the industries. The mostly demanded skill trainings in the state of Tripura are broadly technical courses (computer hardware, ITEs, BPO, electrician, mobile repairing), agriculture and allied sector related courses (mushroom cultivation, poultry farming, pisciculture, apiculture, goat rearing, piggery, organic cultivation training), health sector related courses (nursing, pathology, radiology) and tourism sector related courses (F&B, Beauty care and Spa).
KEYWORDS: Asymmetry information, Skill, Institutional Migration, Skill-Gap, Aspiration mapping.
INTRODUCTION:
It is vital for an economy to scale up of skills of unskilled labourers as International Labour Organisation (ILO) Multilateral Framework on Labour Migration (2006) states: “promoting the recognition and accreditation of migrant workers’ skills and qualifications and, where that is not possible, providing a means to have their skills and qualifications recognized’’. India is such a vast nation where, millions of labourers migrate every year in search of their livelihood. Most of the labourers are unskilled or low skilled and their migration takes place through informal channel. In many cases workers are exploited as they have to work under informal terms and conditions. In many cases their skills are unrecognized or in other words the workers are not getting jobs according to their skills. Asymmetry in information about the labour market is one of such factors responsible for workers’ harassment. So, skilling of labourers as per the requirement of industry demand is very much essential to avert wastage of human capital. Proper skilling, institutional migration and symmetry in information of job market amongst labourers are important factors for developing healthy labour market. This serves the needs of both industry requirements and workers’ wants.
In view of the aforesaid cases, government of India adopted many skill programmes and such programmes are being implemented for up-gradation of skills of youths seeking for jobs. Skill India mission, launched in the year 2015 is such a programme that aspires for vocational training and certification of youths for a better livelihood and earning. Aajeevika Skill Development Programme (ASDP) is also a skilling programme to upgrade rural livelihoods by providing opportunities to young people from poor communities to improve their skills and enter into the organised sector workforce. This skill programme is presently known as Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Grameen Kaushalya Yojana (DDU-GKY) which is a part of the National Rural Livelihood Mission (NRLM) that aims with the dual objectives of income opportunities for the poor families and meeting the goal of career aspirations of rural youths. There are other such skill development programmes, like Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY), project Unnati skilling for the workers of Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), training under Rural Self-Employment Training Institute (RSETI), Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK) etc.
India set up National Skill Development Council (NSDC) in the year 2008 as Public Private Partnership (PPP) model and not-for-profit public limited company with the aim of creating and catalyzing skill eco-system for industry demand oriented vocational training. Sector Skill Councils (SSCs) under NSDC plays pivotal role by bridging the gap between industry demand and skilling requirements. India has huge demographic dividends which are being streamlined into the skilled and experienced workforce of the economy with the help of such skill development programmes. Such skill development programmes are also being implemented in Tripura, one of the states of North-Eastern Region (NER1) of India.
RESEARCH ISSUE:
Tripura is second largest populous state after Assam in NER of India. The state’s population is 36, 73,917 (Census, 2011). The combined rural-urban and male-female inter-state out-migration rate (per 1000 population) of Tripura is 259 (NSSO report). Most of the people migrate outside the state for purpose of job. Thousand of such job seekers are being trained under government sponsored skill development programmes and are migrating from Tripura to other states of India for the purpose of job. Moreover, a substantial amount of government fund is spent on such programmes. Therefore, it is of vital importance to examine the effectiveness of such skill development programmes in serving the needs of migrant labourers from Tripura.
OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY:
The present study tries to examine the effectiveness of skill development programmes in serving the needs of migrant labourers from Tripura.
METHODOLOGY OF THE STUDY:
The objective of the study has been analysed with the help of Skill-gap analysis, Likert scale and youth aspiration mapping. The study is based on primary data. Data have been collected from North Sarashima village (Gram Panchayat) which is located in Hrishyamukh Block of Belonia Sub-Division, South Tripura district. Random sampling method has been used for collection of data. Randomly selected sample sizes of 100 numbers of households covering 100 youths have been interviewed on the basis of mostly closed interval and some open interval questions. For quantitative measurement of skill gap Likert scale has been used.
1NER comprising of eight states: Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Manipur, Nagaland Sikkim and Tripura.
Skill gap analysis is a tool to find out the variances between the existing and the required level of skill of an employee or individual to perform a specific task for any organisation or for any other purpose. This helps an organisation to determine the type and level of training required for its employees for expected outcome of work. But, in the present context, skill-gap analysis has been done for youths of age group 18-45 years as for the government sponsored skill development programmes age limit is given. Therefore, existing level skill of these youths has to be well measured in the context of industry requirements.
Methodology used for Calculating Skill-Gap Analysis:
In the present study there is no case where, existing skill (Se) is greater (>) than required skill (Sr) and hence the value of (Sr − Se) cannot be negative. So, ignoring square of mean deviation, as per the formula of variance of basic statistics, average skill gap can be measured as follows-
Average Skill Gap (Sg) = -------(1)
The value of Sg may range, 0 ≤ Sg ≤ 10
Where,
Sr= required skill and Se= average existing skill, i= 1, 2, 3 …….n, n=100, sample size of youths
As per the above mentioned formula no.(1), average skill gap for all the 100 randomly surveyed youths have been calculated separately for different courses (broadly assembled with similar attributes) and there after that again average have been calculated. Finally, skill-gap of all youths have been summed up and divided by the number of youths to get average skill-gap. To measure the existing skill of the youths Likert Scale ranging level 0 – 10, has been used. Zero (0) indicates no skill and ten (10) indicate very high skill. Scoring in the scale has been given on the basis of skills and experience of the youths interviewed during primary survey. In the present study as a rule of thumb, sample size of 100 households covering 100 targeted group of youths have been randomly surveyed. Youth aspiration map related data have been collected through dummy variable (Yes=1, No=0) coding of closed interval questions set up basing on courses, training and supports provided under government skill development programs. The dummy variable coded data has been plotted through horizontal bar-diagram to portray or to map youth aspiration.
Data Analysis and Results of Skill-Gap Analysis:
The results of data analysis of skill-gap analysis as mentioned below states that there is around 95.04 percent gap of skill required for industries; i.e., youths seeking jobs are not skilled and experienced for industry requirements.
Average Skill Gap (Sg) = -------(1)
= 9.504
Or, = 95.04 %
The above calculated result can be interpreted as; there is big skill gap (near about 95%) among the randomly surveyed youths. This means most of the job seekers don not have level of skills required for industry demand. Most of the youths surveyed randomly are not well equipped with skills for employment in industries. Mostly of the youths are school drop-out and some of them are having particular kind of self-employment based skills. But these youths have aspiration to pursue skill training from government sponsored skill development programmes and are interested to migrate outside the state of Tripura for employment. The youth aspirations or in other words the demand for kind of skills amongst the youths are mapped with the help of horizontal bar diagram below:
Results and conclusion of youth aspiration map:
A set of relevant questions in the context of migration, government skill programs and placement have been asked amongst the randomly surveyed sample of 100 youths between the ages of 18-45 years of North Sarashima village under Hrishyamukh Block. The responses of youths in the form of yes/no, coded by dummy of 1 for yes and 0 (zero) for no, have been plotted through horizontal bar chart representing (in %) the aspiration map of youths. It is worthwhile to mention that percentage of yes/no response regarding the asked question will not sum-up to 100%, as the same youth has multiple choices/aspirations.
Youth aspiration map:
Source: Author’s calculation on the basis of field survey data
From the above chart it is seen that 96 percent of the youths sampled want to migrate for training and placement and this migration percentage is 96 percent within the state of Tripura, 44 percent across India and 12 percent for international migration. However, some youths don’t want to migrate because of local employment based on their existing skill as well as their aged family members. Some of the married women don’t want to migrate due to obligation to their families. But this group of youths are interested in some technical training for up-gradation of their existing skill and self-employment. The attitude of the youths towards job in private sector is also good (64%) but a section of youths are more interested in public sector and self-employment. This changing attitude of youths is reverse to customary thinking of jobs in public sector in Tripura. Regarding up-gradation of existing skill, it is only 56 percent which shows the level of aspiration amongst the youths of Tripura. As far as interest or aspiration for broadly different govt. skill development courses is concern, 84 percent youths are interested in technical vocational courses (computer hardware, ITEs, BPO, electrician, mobile repairing) followed by agriculture and allied sector related courses with 52 percent (mushroom cultivation, poultry farming, pisciculture, apiculture, goat rearing, piggery, organic cultivation training),tourism related courses with 48 percent (F&B, Beauty care and Spa) and health sector related courses with 40 percent (nursing, pathology, radiology). Interestingly, it is good to see that 80 percent of youths are interested in self-employment locally, if suitable employment is not provided. Initially for fresher, monthly salary of Rs. 6000-10000 per month is provided in most cases, and 58 percent youths are ready to migrate for experience and further increment of income. It is also seen that 44 percent of youths are further interested for academic degree in distance mode for better future. However, youths belonging to higher age groups (above 30 years) who are locally employed with some self-employment based skills are not interested to migrate to other states.
CONCLUSION:
It is observed that there is significant skill gap of about 95 percent amongst the randomly surveyed youths as most of the surveyed youths have no industry demanded skill other than some self-employment based skill. There is a huge skill demand amongst the youths and 96 percent of youths want to migrate for skill training and placement but the desire for migration across the states of India is moderate with 44 percent, since the initial level of salary is at quite low or at subsistence level. But demand for skill development training mainly technical courses amongst the youths is quite high with 84 percent and most of them are interested in self-employment rather than migrating outside the home state for subsistence level of salary. Interestingly, there is moderate demand for agriculture and allied sector related courses which is mainly for entrepreneurship and self-employment based employment. The desire for interstate migration amongst the youths of higher age groups is less rather they are interested in self-employment based training and local placement.
It is observed that government sponsored skill development programmes have been successful in upgrading skills of youths and migration has become more institutionalised. The major concern is that the attrition rate is very high with around 52 percent due to subsistence level of salary at the initial stages in the industries which is why wage employment in industries is quite low with around 48 percent of the trained candidates. But those who have retained their jobs are earning double or in some cases thrice of the initial salary. The demand for local placement amongst the trained youths is mostly favoured, since the cost of living index in the state of Tripura is lower than that of metropolitan cities of India. The candidates are even more interested to work with comparative lower salary at local enterprises or industries, whereas local employment in organised sectors is limited due to less manufacturing or service sectors in the state.
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Received on 09.11.2021 Modified on 22.03.2022
Accepted on 27.06.2022 ©AandV Publications All right reserved
Asian Journal of Management. 2022;13(3):176-180.
DOI: 10.52711/2321-5763.2022.00032