New Report Highlights India’s Proactive Approach to Skill Development
The world’s leading conference for workforce development and labor market insights, the Global Labor Market Conference (GLMC), recently published a report that highlights the ways in which quickly changing technology are changing employment patterns around the world. India’s crucial position in the Global South’s reaction to automation and artificial intelligence is highlighted in Navigating Tomorrow: Mastering Skills in a Dynamic Global Labor Market, which also highlights the nation’s workforce as leaders in technological adaptation and skill development.
India’s Workers Rise to Meet the Challenge of the Tech Era
According to the survey, India is a global leader in technological adaptability, with more than 70% of Indian professionals actively looking for opportunities to upskill. This proactive approach is motivated by the dynamic character of the Indian labor market, where automation, machine learning, and artificial intelligence are becoming essential.
Key Insights:
- Higher Trust in Government Compared to Other Markets: While global trust in governments to support upskilling remains low at 20%, Indian respondents (31%) and those in Saudi Arabia (35%) demonstrated significantly higher confidence in their governments. In contrast, countries like the USA (15%) and UK (12%) reported markedly lower trust levels. Indian respondents also expressed 49% trust in businesses, further emphasizing the private sector’s role in workforce development.
- Technological Change is Driving Urgency for Skills Development: The urgency to reskill due to technological advancements is a shared concern among Indian workers, with 55% fearing that their skills could become partially or fully obsolete within the next five years. This places India in line with the global trend, where similar concerns are expressed by 61% in Brazil and 60% in China, compared to lower levels in developed markets such as the UK (44%) and Australia (43%).
- Climate Change Spurs Skills Development in Key Sectors: Climate change is a more significant driver of upskilling or reskilling in India, with 32% of respondents identifying it as a factor influencing their reskilling decisions in the next five years. This aligns with countries like China (41%) and Vietnam (36%) but contrasts with countries such as the UK (14%) and USA (18%), where climate change has a comparatively lower impact on skills development priorities.
- Barriers to Skill Development Persist: Barriers to upskilling or reskilling remain consistent globally, with Indian respondents citing lack of time (40%) and financial constraints (38%) as primary challenges. Similar patterns are observed in Brazil, where 43% report lack of time and 39% financial constraints, and in South Africa, where 45% and 42% respectively cite these barriers. In contrast, respondents in developed markets like Norway and the UK report fewer obstacles. In Norway, only 27% cite lack of time and 28% financial constraints, while in the UK, the figures are 31% and 24%, respectively, reflecting the impact of stronger support systems in these countries. These variations highlight the differing levels of accessibility and institutional support across global regions.
- Emphasis on STEM, Cognitive, and Socio-Emotional Skills: When considering the future of skills, respondents in the APAC region, including India, prioritized cognitive skills (54%) and STEM capabilities (38%) as essential for thriving in a technology-driven economy. In contrast, socio-emotional skills were more valued in service-oriented economies such as the USA and the EU, with 39% and 41% of respondents prioritizing these skills, respectively. Meanwhile, in Africa and LATAM, STEM skills are relatively lower in priority at 30% and 34%, respectively, while entrepreneurial skills gained prominence in Africa (47%). These variations highlight regional differences in workforce priorities and the influence of economic structures on skill demand.
India’s Position in the Global Context
India’s proactive stance on upskilling (55%) for the next five years contrasts sharply with trends in more developed markets like the US (51%), UK (44%), and Australia (49%), where fewer workers reported urgency to reskill due to technological change. Additionally, 26% of Indian respondents expressed anxiety about job automation, showing a more optimistic outlook compared to 36% in China, which leads as the most technologically anxious market. These figures highlight the Indian workforce’s balanced awareness and proactive approach to navigating an AI-driven economy.
The full report and an executive summary of the findings is attached.
The Global Labor Market Conference will host the second edition of its annual meeting at the King Abdulaziz International Convention Center in Riyadh January 29-30, 2025.
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