Experts believe the coming Indian government will face enormous pressure to create an effective vocational training system. In just over 10 years, one-quarter of the world's working-age population will live in India. According to the specialists present at the conference, the degree to which India's up-and-coming workforce receives adequate career training will be the decisive factor determining whether the country experiences a demographic dividend or a demographic time bomb.
Participants at the conference discussed ways of providing 500 young people in India with vocational education in the next 10 years. A key question during the discussion was to what extent the German system can be adapted for use in India.
Germany's "dual system," which consists of theoretical instruction in the classroom and practical training on site in businesses, is becoming increasingly attractive to other countries, most recently countries in Southern Europe, which have high unemployment rates among their young people. "Germany's system cannot be transferred one-to-one. However, the conference supplied critical input for improving the quality of vocational training in India and, as a result, providing young people there with a brighter future," said Liz Mohn, vice-chair of the Bertelsmann Stiftung Executive Board.
Important input is also provided by two studies published by the Bertelsmann Stiftung in conjunction with the conference. The first examines the transferability of the German system in general, showing how critical components of educational systems in other countries can be adapted or replaced. Key issues include business-labor relations, the standardization of vocational qualifications and the business community's willingness to contribute funding. In the second study, an Indian labor market researcher applies findings from the first study to India and gives recommendations for policymakers and business leaders in a number of areas, including funding, curriculum development and the resources needed by educational institutions.
Representatives of Indian and German companies that do business in India, including Bosch, BMW and Volkswagen, said during the conference they would be willing to encourage their peers to do more in the area of vocational training. Infosys, the Indian IT provider that organized the Bangalore conference with the Bertelsmann Stiftung, serves as a role model in this regard. With some 160,000 employees, Infosys trains 14,000 technical and IT specialists each year, making it an exception in India, where many companies do not view training as an investment in the future.
In her remarks at the conference, Liz Mohn emphasized the responsibility the business community bears. "We are not living in a European, American or Asian century, but in a global century," she said. "That's why we at the Bertelsmann Stiftung would like to build a bridge that can help India better address the huge challenge its faces. I am very pleased that German companies are among those businesses willing to play a proactive role."
The conference organizers:
The Bertelsmann Stiftung is one of the largest foundations in Germany. In the area of vocational education, it contributes to the policymaking debate on reforming Germany's work-study vocational training system and advances pragmatic approaches to implementing the German system in other countries. Through its Germany and Asia program, the Bertelsmann Stiftung promotes understanding, exchange and cooperation in order to address common challenges.
Infosys is a global market leader in the areas of business consulting, technology solutions and outsourcing services. The company employs more than 158,000 people and is a pioneer in the successful training and certification in the Indian service industry. In recent decades Infosys has trained more than 320,000 employees and established one of the most successful and innovative training models in the area of Software and Services.