On Friday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi claimed that India has the potential to rank among the world’s largest suppliers of skilled labor. According to PM Modi, technology has evolved into and will continue to be the primary source of employment in the age of the fourth industrial revolution. On the final day of the 4th G20 Employment Working Group (EWG) and Labour and Employment Ministers’ Meetings, which began on July 19 in Indore, Madhya Pradesh, Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed optimism that the gathering would send a clear message for the welfare of all workers everywhere.
The Prime Minister said that it is fortunate that this meeting is happening in a country that has had the experience of creating a large number of technology jobs during the last such technology-led transformation. He pointed out that Indore, which is home to many startups was leading the new wave of such transformations.
“Globally, mobile workforce is going to be a reality in the future. Therefore, it is now time to globalise the development and sharing of skills in the true sense. The G20 must play a leading role in this. I commend your efforts to initiate the international referencing of occupations by skills and qualifications requirements,” said PM Modi.
Underlining that employment is one of the most important economic and social factors, the Prime Minister said that the world is at the threshold of some of the greatest changes in the employment sector and stressed the need to prepare responsive and effective strategies to address these rapid transitions.
“We all need to skill our workforce in the use of advanced technologies and processes. Skilling, re-skilling and upskilling are the mantras for the future workforce. In India, our Skill India Mission is a campaign to connect with this reality,” PM Modi said.
He gave examples of India’s ‘Skill India Mission’ making this a reality, and ‘Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana’ which has trained more than 12.5 million of India’s youth so far. “Special focus is being laid on Industry ‘Four Point O’ sectors like Artificial Intelligence, Robotics, Internet of Things, and Drones”, the Prime Minister added.
The Prime Minister highlighted the skills and dedication of India’s frontline health workers during Covid and said that it reflects India’s culture of service and compassion.
The Prime Minister commended the efforts of member nations to initiate the international referencing of occupations by skills and qualifications requirements. He said that it requires new models of international cooperation and coordination, and migration and mobility partnerships. He suggested sharing statistics, information and data regarding employers and workers for a start which will empower countries across the globe to formulate evidence-based policies for better skilling, workforce planning, and gainful employment.
The evolution of new categories of workers in the gig and platform economies, which have emerged as the cornerstone of resilience during the pandemic, is what the prime minister said constitutes transformative change. He continued by saying that it provides flexible work schedules and complements other income sources. He claimed that it has the enormous potential to create gainful employment, particularly for young people, and to transform into a powerful tool for the socioeconomic empowerment of women.