'95% labour force do not have formal vocational skills'

Nearly 95 per cent of India's labour force do not possess formal vocational skills, says a report emphasising on the need for skill development in the country.

As per The City and Guilds Group's Skills Confidence report about 95 per cent of India's labour force lack formal vocational skills.

The report is an international study among 8,000 employees in India, the UK, the US and South Africa.

It has measured the confidence level of the working population with reference to their skills and jobs today and also has examined the role of vocational training and skill development and its impact on their professional performances.

In India, it was conducted by Censuswide during May this year, with 2,055 respondents, including 272 CEOs or senior leaders, 532 middle managers, and 1,251 general employees.

It revealed that the skills gaps in Indian organisations are the highest globally compared to the UK, US and South Africa.

"About 88 per cent of respondents in India identified skills gaps in their organisation, compared to 67 per cent in the UK, 68 per cent in the US and 82 per cent in South Africa," it added.

About 40 per cent think skill gaps reduce productivity and 35 per cent said it means organisations waste time and lack strong leadership.

One-third of senior leaders feel that companies with less skilled workforce lose out to their competitors, it said.

Vocational training, learning and development programs are the key requirements to upscale today's workforce, it noted adding that 96 per cent of respondents in the country agree there is a need for formal skills training and most (79 per cent) prefer learning on the job, 66 per cent rate online and e-learning and 54 per cent prefer learning from colleagues.

Further, it revealed that 46 per cent of Indians and 45 per cent of South African respondents believe that working in a multi-national environment is a key skill for their future career, compared to 21 per cent of the UK and 25 per cent of the US respondents.

"It is encouraging to see support for initiatives that are designed to drive forward skills development in India," Manipal City and Guilds, India-UK joint venture founded in 2009, Head Rajesh Kaimal said.

"However, if we want to continue to broaden the horizons of our future generations, it is important that skills development is encouraged throughout people's careers, so they are equipped with the skills they need in the fast-changing world of work," Kaimal added.