Dhuwarakha Sriram & Ms Richa Gupta
The question of whether 21st-century skills and especially Social Emotional Learning (SEL) therein should be included in the educational curriculum has never been more pertinent. Employability percentages currently rest at 51.44% among girls and 45.97% among boys. According to a UN Population Statistics database, it is estimated that India will add another 183 million people to the working age group of 15-64 years between 2020-50. It also means that a whopping 22% of the incremental global workforce will come from India over the next three decades. This gives India a major demographic dividend that can be optimized through the21st-century of 21st-century skills that are closely linked to employability, well-being and future-readiness.
However, the pandemic has widened the gaps in learning outcomes among school children globally. Learning losses from school closures have undone much of the educational progress achieved in recent years. These statistics should compel us as educators and advocates for young people to examine how best we can enable, equip and empower them to maximize their potential.
The need of the hour is to look beyond traditional academics and bring in key life skills that are relevant to the 21st century. These age-old “soft skills”, such as the 4Cs of Communication, Collaboration, Creativity and Critical Thinking, in addition to digital skills and financial literacy, must be given the same amount of emphasis as academic performance. Further, strengthening young people’s Social and Emotional Learning skills will enable them to become more resilient, build better relationships, and feel more motivated to learn. This investment in children and young peoples’ skills will enable them to become effective learners and productive citizens of the world. There are three key steps that are to be taken to enhance the employability and well-being potential of the youth.
To bridge the underlying gaps in our education system, we must focus on building Public-Private-Youth-Partnerships. Urgent action is needed to accelerate learning, build key 21st-century skills and abilities, and corollary to this, and support scaling up solutions that will not only address these gaps but also create sustainable learning environments. There is a need to utilize accessible and scalable digital and other technologies to address these learning gaps and make education accessible to all, with the overarching aim of making young people ready for 21st-century jobs, and India to be the leader in the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
Co-creating the future with young stakeholders of the nation
India is home to 300 million young changemakers who are observant of the changes happening around them and require the appropriate resources and exposure to proactively explore their passion and deploy solutions to systemic issues. It is certain that young people are ready to take charge of their future with the help of the right kind of tools and guidance. Our experience shows that the best employability, skilling, education and other adolescent and youth related solutions are born out of deep co-creation with young people. Young people have strong lived experiences of various challenges and can be catalytic in building scalable and effective solutions for other young people, especially the most vulnerable population.The engagement of youth as equal stakeholders in partnership with governmental and intergovernmental organizations and private sector can increase incentives crucial to enhancing employability.
Pushing for the localization of solutions
India’s young people are incredibly diverse. Therefore, solutions for children and youth must be designed keeping in mind their diverse gender identities, socio-economic status, disabilities, and more. It is imperative that solutions tailored to increase employability are equally diverse and rooted in local contexts. Many socio-economic factors shape children’s learning experiences, and it is crucial to tailor training programmes to accommodate these considerations. A one size fits all approach might alienate vulnerable and underserved demographics instead of cultivating resilience as well as social and emotional learning. Localised solutions are the key to transforming the children and youth of today into the talented leaders of tomorrow.
Integrating specific SEL skills into the curriculum
A well-rounded professional is one who is well equipped with technical knowledge as well as Social and Emotional Skills. Businesses irrespective of the industry have aspects of the workflow that warrant seamless in-person interactions. Therefore, it is important to inculcate appropriate skills including conflict resolution, relationship skills, and problem-solving among the children and youth. Practicing these skills from an earlier stage would reinforce the importance of teamwork, accountability, and diligence among the young people and add greatly to their employability and entrepreneurial potential. There is immense scope to design the educational curricula of today to include Social and Emotional Learning (SEL).
Young people in India are aspirational, creative, innovative, and are the leaders. Further, empowered young people go on to critically examine their lives and the inequities in their societies. When equipped with quality 21st-century skills and Social and Emotional skills, they have the potential to shape the future of the nation and contribute actively to sustainable socio-economic development.
About the authors: Ms Dhuwarakha Sriram, Chief of GenU India (YuWaah), Youth Development and Partnerships at UNICEF.
Ms Richa Gupta is CEO & Co-Founder of Labhya Foundation.
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