“While gamified learning incorporates game elements into skill training, simulation-based learning uses virtual environments that mimic real-world scenarios, allowing learners to practice and apply skills in a safe and controlled setting”
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The problem of unemployment has become a contentious issue in economic policy discussions in India in recent times. Economic Survey 2023-24 estimated that India needs to create 78.5 lakh new jobs in the non-farm sector annually until 2030 to meet the demands of the rising workforce. One of the policy prescriptions often suggested to overcome the unemployment challenge is to close the growing gap between the skill sets of job seekers and the skill requirements of the industry.
India’s skilling challenge
Over time, India has established a comprehensive institutional and policy framework for training and skilling. However, the success of this is somewhat limited. The Periodic Labour Force Survey 2022-23 identified that only 21% of the Indian youth aged 15-29 years had received vocational/technical training through formal and informal sources. The share of youth who had received formal vocational/technical training was 4.4% in 2022-23. The Chief Economic Advisor, V. Anantha Nageswaran, recently stated that only 51% of India’s graduates are employable. These facts raise concerns regarding the reach, quality, and industry relevance of existing skilling programmes. Incidentally, one of the focus areas of the Prime Minister’s package for employment and skilling announced in the 2024-25 Budget was improving the outcome and quality of skilling and aligning the training content and design to the skill needs of the industry.
The enormity of India’s skilling challenge is further aggravated by the need to equip the workforce with skills and knowledge that meet the requirements of industry 4.0 (I4.0), which entails integrating advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence, robotics, the internet of things, and big data to do smart manufacturing. Over two-thirds of Indian manufacturers are expected to embrace digital transformation by 2025. Government policy support has been given to prepare the industry for I4.0 through the SAMARTH Udyog Bharat 4.0 initiative. But according to estimates, only 1.5% of Indian engineers possess the skills for new-age jobs. Sixty percent of the Indian MSME workforce lacks the new-age digital skills. So, it becomes crucial to skill and upskill our workforce according to I4.0 needs.
A new initiative
India could consider incorporating gamified and simulation-based learning and training modules. While gamified learning incorporates game elements into skill training, simulation-based learning uses virtual environments that mimic real-world scenarios, allowing learners to practice and apply skills in a safe and controlled setting. Using game mechanics makes skill training interactive and enjoyable, leading to higher participant engagement and knowledge retention than traditional learning methods. Also, the rewards and recognition through points and badges can motivate learners to complete training tasks and strive for excellence. Gamified systems often provide instant feedback to help trainees understand their progress and areas for improvement. Features such as ‘Leaderboards and challenges’ can foster a sense of competition, thereby encouraging trainees to perform better. Clear goals and milestones in gamified learning help trainees stay focused.
Simulation-based learning provides hands-on experience in a controlled environment and allows trainees to experiment, make mistakes, and learn from them without bothering about real-world consequences. Simulations also help trainees understand complex systems and develop critical thinking, problem-solving, and practical skills. Also, the immersive nature of the simulations allows learners to retain the knowledge gained for longer. Singapore and Germany have adopted gamified and simulation-based learning into their education, vocational, and skill training systems.
Adopting such a module in government skilling programmes can potentially improve the quality and outcome of workforce training. The module can be customised by identifying areas where skill sets are lacking. Trainees can be presented with challenges during training that will be adjusted based on their progress. The platform can feature training modules that simulate actual professional circumstances, enabling trainees to apply their knowledge practically. Simulations can assess the trainee’s decision-making abilities and demonstrate the outcomes resulting from their decisions. At a decentralised level, the module can be extended to education institutes of higher learning by providing the students with a platform to work on real-world projects. Students can be given opportunities to intern on live projects and demonstrate their skills, and industry can use this talent pool while hiring.
The SWAYAM and Skill India Digital Hub (SIDH), the two online platforms for skill education and training initiated by the Indian government, can host the gamified and simulation training module. The SWAYAM platform hosts more than 4,000 courses. Since its inception, over 40 million participants have enrolled in the platform and a lion’s share (93.45%) of successful course completions in the platform were under the engineering and physical sciences stream. As of June 2024, 7.63 lakh candidates were enrolled in SIDH’s 752 online courses. The platform offers 7.37 lakh minutes of digital content, making it a potentially rich resource for learners. The response to SWAYAM and SIDH demonstrates the huge demand for technical education and training in India and further strengthens the idea of offering gamified and simulation-based skill training on such platforms.
Sthanu R Nair, Professor of Economics at the Indian Institute of Management Kozhikode; Pratik Sinha, Post Graduate Programme student at IIM Kozhikode; Rabina Roy, Post Graduate Programme student at IIM Kozhikode; Dimpy Dalal, Post Graduate Programme student at IIM Kozhikode
Published – December 09, 2024 01:26 am IST