Skilled labour imperative for sustained growth

HYDERABAD: Four out of every 10 people in India fall under the working age group. But it is imperative for India's youth to acquire efficiency in skills in order to achieve sustained growth and hence, formal training is no longer a matter of choice, according to vicechairman of Tata Consultancy Services Ltd (TCS) S Ramadorai.
"93 per cent of our work force is concentrated in unorganised sectors with no formal training, even so, their contribution to the economy is considerable. But a highly skilled workforce can be a passport to India's success," he said. According to established estimates, 60 per cent of India's 1.2 billion are in the working age group. However, only 10 per cent of the 300 million children in India between the age 6 to 16 pass out of school and continue their education. Only 5 to 7 per cent of India's labour force in the age group 19 to 24 years is estimated to have acquired formal training.