By Benjamin Lyngdoh
According to National Skill Development Mission under Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, Govt. of India, less than 3% of the workforce in India has been exposed to formal skill training as compared to 68% in the UK, 75% in Germany, 52% in USA, 80% in Japan, and 96% in South Korea. This is a clear indicator that a skilled workforce is a must for any country to develop.
The ‘skilling-gap’ problem can be meaningfully gauged when it is read in relation to the statistic that more than 50% of India’s population is below the age of 30 years. India talks about reaping the benefits of demographic dividend. That would be impossible to attain if the Gen Z is not trained on specific skills. The outcome is that specialised entry-level jobs will not be filled-up due to skill-gap and consequently resulting in unemployability, underemployment, poor job retention, low salaries, high labour turnover, job-related anxiety and depression, etc.
For Meghalaya, there is no specific statistic on the percentage of skilled workforce. However, some estimates point to a trained workforce of less than 7% for north-east India as a whole. Hence, at best, the skilled workforce in Meghalaya would be around 6% – 7% only.
From degrees to certificates
The three/four year undergraduate degrees are fast losing appeal. Post graduate studies in its conventional form are fast depreciating in terms of value. As per current job market trends, UG and PG degrees are becoming relevant only for state/central government institutions employment which in any case is a small percentage as compared to the vast number of applicants. On July 27, 2022, Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) informed Lok Sabha that over 7.22 lakh people got permanent central government jobs since the year 2014 against which over 22 crore applications were received. This means a success ratio of only 1:305. It also means there is only a 0.3% chance of landing such a job.
The dire statistic reaffirms that the real openings in the job market is in the private sector. Indian states which are more investment-friendly will do better in the long-term. As of today, Meghalaya has not woken up to reality. Moreover, the conundrum of the private sector is that it is increasingly driven by artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) with many jobs being of contractual nature where even for entry level positions requires some form of practical experience. The skills sought for are very specific and specialised. It is because of these reasons that the skill of Meghalaya’s Gen Z is to be streamlined and strategized through short-duration certificate courses by targeting specific employment opportunities. This will also reduce the financial burden on families with a greater chance of being absorbed into the job market.
Now, where and what are the employment opportunities will depend upon the strengths and opportunities available in Meghalaya. At the top of the pecking order are sectors such as agri-produce and food processing, horticulture, pisciculture, event management, tourism development, hospitality, e-commerce, fashion, data science, data analytics, etc. As such, tailor-made certificate courses are the need of the hour. This will ensure that the local youth would be equipped to grab the employment opportunities available. The age of degrees is dead and the age of specifics (certificates) is here. The earlier this fact is recognised by the government and the educational institutions, the better.
Market decides
Economist Adam Smith talks about ‘invisible hand’. It is about how a market develops through the interplay of entrepreneurship and competition. In this interplay the role of government regulation is limited to only when there is bias and unfair market dynamics (say, a few entrepreneurs control all resources and/or there is no competition resulting in high prices). In this interplay of entrepreneurship, competition, and less/no government regulation, the consumer is the winner through his/her access to quality and reasonably priced goods and services. This is still the model of economic development largely prevalent today.
Meghalaya is largely driven by the informal economy which is dominated by unskilled or semi-skilled workforce. This is why entrepreneurship does not thrive. Add to it, the excessive regulation by the State Government and including the District Councils and various shades of Local Governance that need to be negotiated, the end result is a struggling local economy with skewed market dynamics where the rich are getting richer and the poor, poorer. The solution to this unfavorable situation is quite simple, skilling of the Gen Z along with an investment-friendly ecosystem. Importantly, it should be factored that this is a long-term exercise where the current generation might not reap the direct benefits, but the future generations definitely would.
Meghalaya picture
Developed countries of the western hemisphere and countries like Israel and Singapore have developed purely due to nurturing of a vibrant entrepreneurial culture. India is learning from them. But, the Meghalaya story is disappointing and has a long way to go. As on August 18, 2026, Meghalaya State Skill Development Society (MSSDS) records 63406 trained candidates spread across 175 sectors and trades through 745 training centres. The encouraging reading is that 19230 candidates have been identified as self-employed and entrepreneurs. These are victories that need to be celebrated. However, a major part of Meghalaya’s Gen Z is still left untouched. As per calculations, around 9 lakh Gen Z population of Meghalaya needs skill. Unless they are also brought into the skilling mainstream, the scale of unemployment and social unrest is only going to get worse.
NEP PGI 2.0
Performance Grading Index (PGI) 2.0 focuses on outcomes and not on output. The emphasis is on qualitative outcomes rather than quantitative (say, number of students who passed and went to higher classes). It implies that Gen Z needs to learn and acquire certain skills as they journey through school and college. While the aspiration for a government job remains, skilling on current job market demands is also a must. PGI 2.0 gives importance to training and capacity building of the youth which is in line with the nature of courses and vocations that is seen under NEP 2020.
The Government of Meghalaya needs to embark on a systematic and time-bound implementation of NEP 2020 at school level. In case it does not agree with the fundamentals of NEP 2020, it is a critical time to develop a state-level school curriculum which is based upon critical thinking, scientific temper, skilling and entrepreneurship. Shift the attention from output to outcomes.
Road ahead
According to World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs Report, 2025, 41% of organizations are expected to reduce their workforce by 2030 due to automation. Importantly, 70% of organizations are planning to hire people with new/specialised skills. In this context, Randstad Recruitment has found that today Gen Z workers are amongst the biggest adopters of AI with over half of them reporting the use of AI regularly to problem-solve at work. Any other road apart from this would be counterproductive.
(The writer can be reached at benjamin@nehu.ac.in )
