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A government job offers security, status and a predictable wage in a market that offers little of these,” Sabina Dewan, Founder and Executive Director of JustJobs Network, told Geetha N V for a piece in The Federal.

India’s skills gap is not just about training more young people; it is about making sure training responds to where jobs exist. Speaking with India Today, Sabina Dewan, Founder and Executive Director of JustJobs Network, argues that Industrial Training Institute (ITI) courses need to be shaped around the 𝗵𝘆𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗹𝗼𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗿𝗲𝗾𝘂𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗶𝗻𝗱𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘆, using granular labour-demand data to connect training with local opportunities. She also points to the need to change how young people and families perceive skilled trades, particularly as 𝗺𝗮𝗻𝘂𝗮𝗹 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗯𝗹𝘂𝗲-𝗰𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗮𝗿 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝗯𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘀 increasingly important in an economy shaped by AI.

Global tech layoffs are increasingly tied to AI-led restructuring, raising important questions about what comes next for India’s workforce. Speaking to Times Now, Sabina Dewan, President and Executive Director of JustJobs Network, highlights how routine jobs are increasingly at risk, while India’s skills and social protection systems struggle to keep pace with the scale of change.

A new survey shows that nearly 69% of non-working urban women in India have left their jobs mainly because of childcare and household duties. In comparison, just 3.8% of men say the same. This gap points to how social expectations still put most caregiving on women, making it tough for them to stay in the workforce.

As per National Statistics Office's recent survey, nearly 69 percent of non-working urban women cite childcare and domestic responsibilities as the key reason for staying out of the workforce.

Jobs are changing. Skills are becoming obsolete. And policies are falling behind. This was the stark consensus at a global webinar bringing together economists, labour experts, and development practitioners from across the Global South — all united by one urgent message: the time for incremental reforms is over.

Bangladesh needs urgent policy reforms to prepare its workforce for the technological and structural changes that will reshape jobs over the next decade, experts said at a global webinar organised by the Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD).

Experts warn that weak policy implementation, inadequate skills development and limited social protection could leave millions of workers vulnerable as automation reshapes the labour market.

India's skills gap debate is shifting from blaming youth to fixing the system. With 370 million young people, the focus is now on better education-to-employment pathways, employer involvement, and scalable training models to unlock India's workforce potential.

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