After Harsh Goenka drew attention to the shortage of skilled workers in India, the internet is now engaged in discussions. Mr. Goenka pointed out that despite ongoing complaints about unemployment, his company is actually grappling with a scarcity of workers possessing the necessary skills.
The internet is currently abuzz with discussions following Harsh Goenka’s highlighting of the shortage of skilled workers in India. Despite concerns about unemployment, Mr. Goenka, the Chairman of RPG Group, emphasized that his company is struggling to find skilled workers.
Unemployment remains a significant challenge that poses ongoing difficulties for India’s economic landscape. As the country’s population and economy expand, the unemployment rate continues to rise, leaving a considerable number of young individuals without job opportunities.
However, Harsh Goenka has shed light on a paradox within the Indian economy. On one hand, companies are grappling with a severe shortage of skilled workers, while on the other, there are numerous educated individuals unemployed in the country. He pointed out the disconnect between the complaints about unemployment and the actual dearth of skilled labor his company is experiencing.
In a tweet, he expressed his observations, saying, “We want construction workers- we can’t find enough! We want truck drivers- huge shortage! We want plantation workers- they are not available! Can’t understand the solution. Do we need to mechanize more to reduce needs of people? Do people not want to work and live on doles? Do we need to do more towards skill development? Do we need a digital platform that matches employees and employers effectively?”
People in our country complain of unemployment. My own problem is to find skilled people in our business. We want construction workers- we can’t find enough! We want truck drivers- huge shortage! We want plantation workers- they are not available!
Can’t understand solution.
Do we…Also Read :- Uttarakhand: Boiler explosion in steel factory of Haridwar, 17 workers injured
— Harsh Goenka (@hvgoenka) August 22, 2023
This tweet ignited a robust online debate, with individuals commenting on how skill development could significantly alleviate unemployment. Many attempted to decipher the reasons behind the shortage of skilled workers in India and proposed potential solutions.
One user pointed out a fundamental issue: “Root cause: Lack of Respect – truck drivers, carpenters, masons, all are looked down upon by the middle class and hence we don’t want our kids to become one. Informal job contracts – They don’t get jobs but gigs. Try hiring truck drivers like you hire salespeople and see if you don’t get them.”
Another user noted, “Bitter truth is Skill Training Centres hardly find students. Our youth want only white-collar jobs, no blue-collar jobs even if they pay well. Advert for peon or clerk you will get 1000s of applicants.”
A proposed solution came from a third user: “The most effective way to meet and match demand would be for industries to come together and establish Skills Development Centres across the country that work with colleges and polytechnics to teach, train, and develop skills required by the Industry & take them in.”
A fourth user added a perspective on using more machines: “Using more machines could help, but we shouldn’t forget about the importance of people’s jobs and skills.”
According to the International Labor Organization (ILO), India might face a shortage of approximately 29 million skilled personnel by 2030. This emphasizes the urgent need for efforts to bridge the skill gap and address the shortage of skilled workers in the country.
