Education and Skills

The report draws on field research conducted among stakeholders of PRADAN’s Youth Employment Program (EEMPOWER), including workers, families, community leaders, and officials.

What does it truly take for a rural young woman in India to access and sustain formal work? This report by JustJobs Network and PRADAN traces women's journeys from aspiration to employment, uncovering the social norms, family negotiations, and institutional gaps that shape their path beyond just skills training — and what governments, training partners, and employers must do differently.

JustJobs Network’s new research, supported by JPMorganChase, outlines pathways for sustainable youth employment in India.

This report identifies gaps in the education-to-employment pipeline for youth. Drawing on stakeholder insights across sectors and practical experience from the ground on what works, it highlights key misalignments and offers actionable recommendations to strengthen these transitions.

The DDU-GKY scheDespite schemes like DDU-GKY, formal skilling remains limited for rural youth, with only about 3.9 % accessing structured training compared with 7.1 % in urban areas. Persistent barriers such as low awareness, uneven outreach, mobility constraints, and social norms, particularly affect women’s participation. JJN’s research highlights that addressing these structural and social challenges is crucial to making skill training inclusive and effective for rural youth.me was designed to bridge skilling and formal jobs for rural youth. However, low awareness, distant placements, social factors, and curriculum gaps hinder uptake.

Exploring the critical role of structured career guidance in bridging India’s systemic gap between education and employment, while aligning aspirations with market realities to ensure successful employment transitions.

JustJobs Network's Aditya Prem Kumar examines why technical skills alone are no longer enough to ensure meaningful employment for India's youth — and what it will take to close the employability gap.

JJN's Isha Gupta provides crucial insights into why participation among young jobseekers remains low, highlighting the structural barriers that continue to hold India's youth back from accessing meaningful internship opportunities.

Despite high education levels, Kerala faces alarmingly high rates of youth who are Not in Education, Employment, or Training (NEET). This disconnect between education and labour force participation signals a deep socioeconomic challenge. Based on qualitative interviews with a range of stakeholders in the state, JustJobs Network's Isha Gupta unpacks this paradox, pointing to a mismatch between youth aspirations and available opportunities.

JJN's Sabina Dewan writes on how technological advancement, trade shocks, climate change, and the energy transition are transforming how we live and work, faster than the ability of our education and skill systems to keep pace. She says urgent, comprehensive reforms — from effective implementation of the National Education Policy (NEP) to stronger industry partnerships — are necessary to improve our education and skills systems.