ICT AND SKILL DEVELOPMENT OF THE WORKFORCE -A REVIEW OF LITERATURE (WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO PRADHAN MANTRI KAUSHAL VIKASH YOJANA- PMKVY)

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1 International Journal of Civil Engineering and Technology (IJCIET) Volume 9, Issue 9, September 2018, pp , Article ID: IJCIET_09_09_027 Available online at ISSN Print: and ISSN Online: IAEME Publication Scopus Indexed ICT AND SKILL DEVELOPMENT OF THE WORKFORCE -A REVIEW OF LITERATURE (WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO PRADHAN MANTRI KAUSHAL VIKASH YOJANA- PMKVY) Snigdha Suhagin Research Scholar, School of Management, KIIT University, Bhubaneswar, Odisha Dr. B.C. M.Patnaik Associate Professor, School of management, KIIT University, Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India Dr. Ipseeta Satpathy Professor, School of management, KIIT University, Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India ABSTRACT The present paper is an attempt to understand the importance ICT and skill development of workers. For this purpose secondary data is being considered and the objective of this paper is to undertake the empirical study on PMKVY. Of late it is being found that the present initiative of Kaushal Vikash Yojana plays an important role in the life of the unemployed people and it also helps for the improvement of skills of workforce. The ICT being a game changer for this direction. Keywords: ICT, PMKVY, Skill. Cite this Article: Snigdha Suhagin, Dr. B.C. M.Patnaik and Dr. Ipseeta Satpathy, ICT and Skill Development of the Workforce -A Review of Literature (With special reference to Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikash Yojana- PMKVY), International Journal of Civil Engineering and Technology, 9(9), 2018, pp INTRODUCTION ICT and skills are going hand in hand in the present scenario. Skill is important to survive in the existing competitive market. Today, industry requires workforce pre loaded with skills. They often not will to spend a significant amount of the money on training and development of the workforce. In case of informal sector where percentages of unskilled labours are editor@iaeme.com

2 , ICT and Skill Development of the Workforce -A Review of Literature (With special reference to Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikash Yojana- PMKVY) highest, arranging skill enhancement programme is a distance dream. Though around 90% of the workforce are working in the unorganized sector, there skills are not adequate or upto the mark to be adopted in the formal sector. This mismatch leads to creation of demand supply gap in the labour market and lead to uneven distribution of the workforce. It is observed that existing education model may not be sufficient to train the workforce. Adopting a new training module is not possible because of investment in infrastructure building. As a result of which, there is a need to identify the alternative ways. Information and Communication Technology or in short ICT tools may prove to be effective to develop a system where a quality training may be imparted to the workforce using existing infrastructure. Since, independence India has seen significant improvement in infrastructure and communication networks. Expansion of mobile, internet and electricity connectivity surely reached to most of the villages and most of the regions of the country. This is a biggest advantage that the country is able to develop. Right now there is a need to develop a strategy that can rightly use these existing ICT tools to enhance the skills of the existing workforce as well as new workforce who are ready to join in the workforce. The objective of the paper is to identify the skill building strategies using ICT tools so that a suitable model may be develop subsequently. 2. ABOUT PMKVY The Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY) ( ) is a flagship and grant and outcome- based skill training scheme of the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE), Government of India (GoI). It is being implemented by the National Skills Development Corporation (NSDC). 3. OBJECTIVES OF PMKVY Enable and mobilize a large number of youth to take up industry designed quality skill training, become employable and earn their livelihood Increase productivity of the existing workforce, and align skill training with the actual needs of the country Encourage standardization of the Certification process and put in place the foundation for creating a registry of skills 4. OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY To understand the types of ICT tools available that can be use to enhance the skills of the workforce To identify the research gaps and undertake empirical study on Prime Minister Kaushal Vikash Yojana in Odisha 5. REVIEW OF LITERATURE Martha Garcia-Murillo (2014) This paper focuses on the role of information and communication technology (ICT) on the lives of informal workers. Informal sector has its own set of disadvantages for the people of that country. People belong to this group are normally excluded from various social and economic benefits. Due to lack of education, they are unable to find a suitable job in the market. Even if the jobs are available, there is a shortage of skilled workforce, which is the demand of the industry. ICT may play a vital part to handle the crises by providing required skills and training at an affordable cost. This sector normally counted as unproductive as its contribution does not add up to overall economic editor@iaeme.com

3 Snigdha Suhagin, Dr. B.C. M.Patnaik and Dr. Ipseeta Satpathy growth of the country. But the sector indeed contributing significantly towards the growth of the economy and in the long run it cannot be ignored. Technology is the need of the hour and it has the ability to change the socio economic profile of the people associated with the informal sector. The technology should be used to reduce the skill gaps that are rampant in informal sector and this needs immediate attention. OECD Report (2016) The report identified the structural change in the economy that is happening due to globalization and its impact on the workforce. Previously most of the jobs are labour intensive in nature and people learn the job by experience only. The world economy has seen many structural reforms and that have created a direct impact on the people working in the sectors with their traditional knowledge and expertise. As a result of this, jobs are becoming more competitive and a new era has come up which is known as skills. Skill based job started showing its importance and suddenly a gap arises because workforce do not have the required skills to adopt the changes that are happening in the job market. Information technology also started playing a significant role and adopting it becomes a primary focus for every employers. The report also suggests that adaptability becomes an important norm for existing workers and prospective workers. This should come through a formal and structured skill based education system. Unless this process is not formed it will not be able to create a robust workforce with specific skills as demanded by the industry. UNDP Report (2007) The UNDP report highlighted the growing importance of ICT based skill enhancement training to bridge the demand supply gap of the manpower as demanded by the industry. Most of the Asian countries have seen tremendous growth of ICT related activities which is a good sign Initially the growth was restricted to urban areas only but slowly the expansion of the system in the rural areas open up the new market opportunities. This readymade market becomes the main point of attraction for most of the marketers. However, it is true that only having customers and required workforce in the new market will not be sufficient unless an investment is being made to build the required infrastructure in the rural areas as well. The industry requirement is changing and keeping in view of the changing requirement the existing technology enabled services should be used to improve the capacity and adaptability of the workers. Skill enhancement should be done in accordance with the industrial requirements and priorities must be set develop a skill enhancement system by linking it with technology. Bello etal (2013) The author discussed the importance of ICT in vocational and technical education. Human resource development is one of the important tasks to develop a healthy nation. There is a need to focus on employability of the workforce as they are lacking skills. Traditional employment programme is not sufficient to meet the demand gap and industry requirement. Changing working environment also forcing the companies to look for more skilled workforce. Technology is started playing an important role in this changing environment. Workforce may have skills to adopt new productive activities but performing the job with the help of ICT tools becomes the new demand of the economy. As a result of which, traditional training as well as ICT enabled training both becomes imperative in the new age workforce development programme. The mismatch remains and this has to be addressed specifically for the workers who have experience but do not have sufficient skills to be absorbed in the formal sector. World Bank Report (2003) The World Bank report prepares a case study to understand the impact of ICT tools on the lives of the poor. People living below poverty line in most of the developing and under developed countries are the main area of concern for most of the governments throughout the world. Providing basic amenities and services to maintain the editor@iaeme.com

4 , ICT and Skill Development of the Workforce -A Review of Literature (With special reference to Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikash Yojana- PMKVY) livelihood is a challenging task. Over the years, providing adequate social security becomes important for the people belong to this vulnerable section. ICT has the advantage to provide facilities at the ground level. On the one hand it has ability to provide education and technical skills to the workforce on the other it is able to provide other value added services like providing financial services and government benefits. The gap lies in terms of adopting this technology enabled services. The facilities are there but to make these implementable all the stakeholders should work jointly. Awareness building should be the primary objective that needs to be implemented. If that is done then only the new age facilities can be implemented for the betterment of the poor people. Report of Result for Development Institute (2013) The institute working closely with its partner organizations in most of the South African countries to judge current secondary as well as higher secondary education system. The need of the study is to identify the major thrust areas where changes are needed in the existing system. There is no harm in implementing the existing education system but the same should be modified depending on the existing industrial requirement. The study also reveals that as more number of workforce are entering in the workforce, they are lacking basic skills to upgrade themselves at the workplaces. One of the main reason is lack of skill enhancement at the entry level of their education. A mid term appraisal is needed to look into the existing skill gaps and subsequently an effort should be made to upgrade the skills of the workforce. But this is a short term goal. To achieve the long term goal there is a need to change the existing education system to get a more trained workforce. Tas (2010) have shown the importance of the education of information and communication technology for development in a case study. Author have justified that it is very important for the groups of people who are in disadvantage situation socioeconomically and it is needed for them for poverty reduction. Most of the people are facing problems in the job market due to lack of knowledge and expertise in ICT. It has been suggested that the method of learning should be peer to peer training. In this way people can enhance technical skill, presentation skill, communication skill as well as verbal skill. The time has come already where basic IT training is must for any kind of job. For this reason IT education has considerable significance in the progress and wellbeing of people and the community. Yusri et al. (2013) in the research paper have depicted that appropriate training in information and communication technology is necessary for the teachers in Indonesia. It has been said that ample ICT skills will progress the self-confidence of teachers in using ICT in core curriculum in different schools of that country. Due to different reasons like proper opportunity, time, cost and location teachers participation in training is limited in Indonesia. According to the author ICT training for teachers by using mobile phones can be a solution of the problems as mobile phones are widely used and easily available. Mobile learning has been proven as an effective tool for skill training for the teachers. Different types of mobile learning projects have been initiated for the training purpose. Yasar et al. (2011) have examined the power of social media for informal learning. It has been said that interrelating with people and technology enhances the knowledge that people possess. Interacting with a colleague, watching a TV show, internet surfing are commonly known as informal learning. It can be stated as the most effective way of knowledge which increases eagerness to learn and self-motivation. Different Social networking sites permit people to create personal pages and attach with friends to share content. There exist different kinds of social media such as blogs, micro- blogging, wikis, podcasts, forums etc. It is also measured as a useful device for informal learning at workplace settings. There is a basic difference between informal learning and non-formal learning. Non-formal learning is editor@iaeme.com

5 Snigdha Suhagin, Dr. B.C. M.Patnaik and Dr. Ipseeta Satpathy basically curriculum based where informal learning based on social media for which technological skill is mandatory. Swarray et al. (2013) have discussed about the uses of and the practice of it amongst different informal businesses in Africa. The main objective of this paper was to examine the scope to which informal businesses of the country utilize ICTs in their daily actions. Authors have also tried to find out the eagerness of businesses to use the IT based technology and different challenges they facade in the process of implementing it. It has been said that Information and communication technology have that potential to progress the productivity of small and informal businesses and socio-economic growth. Computers, internets, fixed lines are not widely used in the informal economy. Mobile penetration level is high in this sector. In spite of the availability of a number of ICTs, the most common method of communicating in the informal business is noticed as face-to-face interaction between both customers and suppliers. Policy makers of the country should concentrate about the access to ICTs in the informal sector. Chinienc (2003) have done a survey on the utilization of ICTs in technical and vocational education and training. The main focus of the paper was on various types of ICTs which are frequently applied in different fields of vocational education, teaching and learning, curriculum development and assessment, career education etc. It has been mentioned that On the one hand, ICTs can downgrade skills and competence to single-task machine-tending and, on the other, it can upgrade skills and competence to multi-task work relying on greater creativity. The amplified use of ICTs has resulted in a foremost paradigm shift in teaching and learning. In the new economic scenario ICT has become essential for learners to have admittance to education anytime and anywhere. ICTs are contributing new substitutes to the traditional classroom. Web-Based training provides surroundings where student can study the course materials online. It uses different kind of live e-learning apparatus such as application sharing, Internet telephony, online whiteboards, break-away rooms, discussion boards, and chat and messaging programmes that permit real-time interaction between instructors and learners. The rationale of the project was to determine the educational benefit of using wireless technology. It also helps students to explore his or her career options through video, graphics, and sound. There is a significant scope of ICT in technical and vocational education. Policy Makers should maintain sufficient policies for establishing the necessary ICT infrastructure for socio-economic development. Okada (2012)- To identify the initiatives taken by different stakeholders to provide adequate supply of manpower so that the industry requirement is met This paper reviews the current state of education, skills development, and employment for Indian youth Discussed on the issues of vocational training to take the advantage of demographic dividend that the country is having Lavina Sharma and Asha Nagendra (2016),- The objective of this article to understand the current state of vocationaleducation and training and review the vocational training models of the emerging economies for successful implementation of Make in India Model It aims to identify the challenges faced in development of skillsin the country and highlighting the employment opportunities arising in the different sectors with emphasis on the Makein India campaign The branding activities and active involvement of Public Private Partnership ensure abetter supply of skilled workforce Shyamal Majumdar (2008)- This report focuses on the issues, practices, challenges, and policydirections for workforce development in India, especially, the need to reposition technical and vocational education and training (TVET) for the development of high-quality skilled workers and knowledge workers and at the same time to facilitate the process of editor@iaeme.com

6 , ICT and Skill Development of the Workforce -A Review of Literature (With special reference to Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikash Yojana- PMKVY) encompassing the unorganized and informal sector within its folds to discuss the education system in India in general and the issues and challenges facing vocational, polytechnic,and engineering and professional education and training systems, in particular Introduction of Modular employable Skills. Developing Partnership with Industry and providing opportunities for Vertical Mobility for Graduates of the Vocational Stream 6. CONCLUSION The reviews have shown an interesting picture. It is true that skill building is a continuous process but the need for skill development is not specific to unskilled workers only. Though the need is more for unskilled workers, in some cases the skilled workers are also in dare need of skill upgradation. This is mainly happening because of changing nature of business environment. It is important to remain adaptive in the new system. Traditional tools may not be relevant and ICT becomes an important tool to provide skill enhancement training to most of the workforce engage in various capacities. These tools help them to give adequate flexibility to learn the required skills at a convenient time. It was also observed that the required infrastructure is there but the target groups are not ready to adopt the facilities as they are too much complex for them. So, it is suggested to improve the awareness programme of these skill enhancement training and then the process may be implemented. Practical exposure is very much important, as this will help to gain enough confidence to adopt new technologies. Moreover, as mentioned skill enhancement is a continuous process, providing training only once will not be sufficient. There is a need to keep tap on the trained workforce and call them back for skill upgradation (re skilling) so that they become capable enough to accept the new business challenge. The initiatives taken by PMKVY will definitely to change the skill and ability of the workers and this will also increase the more and more selfemployment opportunity among the youths. REFERENCES [1] Evin M. Tas (2011); ICT education for development a case study; Procedia Computer Science 3 (2011) , doi: /j.procs [2] Iin Karmila Yusri and Robert Goodwin (2013); Mobile Learning for ICT Training: Enhancing ICT Skill of Teachers in Indonesia; International Journal of e-education, e- Business, e-management and e-learning, Vol. 3, No. 4, August 2013, DOI: /IJEEEE.2013.V3.243, pp [3] Özge Yaşar & Şirin Karadeniz (2011); The power of social media in informal learning, Education in a technological world: communicating current and emerging research and technological efforts; FORMATEX 2011; pp [4] Mariama Deen-Swarray, Mpho Moyo and Christoph Stork (2013); ICT access and usage among informal businesses in Africa; VOL. 15 NO , pp , Q Emerald Group Publishing Limited, ISSN , DOI /info [5] Analytical Survey The Use Of Icts In Technical And Vocational Education And Training; Report on UNESCO Institute for Information Technologies in Education, 2003 [6] Garcia-Murillo, Martha; Velez-Ospina, Jorge Andres (2014) : The impact of ICTs on the informal economy, 20th ITS Biennial Conference, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 30 Nov Dec. 2014: The Net and the Internet - Emerging Markets and Policies, International Telecommunications Society (ITS), Rio de Janeiro [7] Enhancing employability Report prepared for the G20 Employment Working Group with inputs from The International Monetary Fund, editor@iaeme.com

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