India set to meet growing global demand for skilled workers

Driven by a rising number of elderly citizens in developed countries, India is positioned to step up and bridge the gap in the global workforce, as stated by a senior executive at TeamLease Degree Apprenticeship. Over the past decade, India has seen a surge in skilled worker recruitment, with an annual increase of 15-20%, largely driven by the ageing demographic in developed nations, shared TeamLease Degree Apprenticeship Vice President and Business Head Dhriti Prasanna Mahanta with PTI.

Looking ahead, the trend of Indian workers seeking opportunities abroad is projected to grow by 28-30% in the next five years.

India stands out as a youthful nation, with 554 million individuals falling within the 15-64 age bracket, according to Mahanta.

In light of the ‘Global Skill Gap Study’ by NSDC, there is a rising demand for Indian talent across various sectors globally. Different regions, including the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Germany, Netherlands, UK, Sweden, Switzerland, Singapore, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, USA, Japan, and Malaysia, show promising prospects for Indian workers.

To address this demand, the Indian International Skilling Centre (IISC) Network aims to facilitate global workforce mobility. The goal includes placing 1,00,000 skilled Indian candidates overseas, training 2,50,000 individuals through pre-departure orientation, and certifying 25,000 workers through recognition of prior learning assessment and certification overseas.

Additionally, ongoing labor agreements with countries like Japan and France further enhance India’s visibility in the global labor market.

Saudi Arabia leads in hiring Indian workers, accounting for 13,944 individuals, followed by Qatar with 3,646 and the UAE with 2,941 Indian workers.

Currently, 12,000 individuals are undergoing training for international opportunities, including 2,008 healthcare workers learning foreign languages such as Japanese, Italian, and German.

In OECD countries, there is a notable demand for professionals in healthcare and old-age care sectors. Construction skills are sought-after in GCC and Eastern European countries, while IT professionals are in high demand worldwide. The need for green jobs is also on the rise.

Japan’s ‘Specified Skilled Workers’ program addresses labor shortages by accepting foreign individuals with specific expertise. The Memorandum of Cooperation signed between India and Japan in January 2021 aims to implement the ‘Specified Skilled Worker’ initiative.

Data from the Skill Ministry shows that a significant number of individuals are employed in various sectors overseas, including construction, facility management, healthcare, and mechanical, electrical, and plumbing skills.

To meet these demands, candidates undergo training in alignment with international standards and receive language instruction tailored to the employer’s needs. Training covers areas like automobiles, construction, electronics, healthcare, mineral resources, iron and steel, mining, shipping, logistics, and management.

To stimulate growth, NSDC International has partnered with 11 countries to offer training, assessment, and recruitment services.

In the global hiring landscape, roles in IT, construction, healthcare, data analytics, electrical engineering, plumbing, mechanics, hospitality, sales, and marketing are highly sought-after among Indian workers.