Skill Development Programs: Implications for Disabled Youth

This paper shows an awareness of key challenges and opportunities regarding skills development for youth with disabilities. Persons with disability in India face many challenges when looking to develop employable skills and in gaining meaningful employment. While India has ratified the United Nations Convention on the Rights of People with disability (UNCRPD), persons with disability continue to face many difficulties in the labour market. The purpose of this study is to explore the skills gained by adolescents with disabilities who have completed their graduation and post graduation in addition to their vocational courses. According to census 2011, there are 2.68 crore Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) in India (1.50 crore male and 1.18 crore female PWDs). Even though, disabled people constitute a significant percentage of the population of India, their need for meaningful employment largely remains unmet, in spite of implementation of “The Persons with Disability Act, 1995”. In the overall population, the number of disabled is proportionately higher in rural areas, accentuated by general poverty considerations and poor access to health services. The rural disabled are significantly disconnected from skills and markets. Improving vocational training and employment opportunities for people with disability and is a critical element for enhancing the quality of life for individual with disability, their families, but there are also substantial gains for the broader economy. There are substantial costs to individuals and to society associated with these poor employment outcomes for people with disability. It was decided in the discussions held during the presentation made by the Department of Persons with Disabilities to Hon'ble Prime Minister on 24.10.2014 that the Department will collaborate with Skill Development Mission to work out new skill development initiatives for people with disability. An awareness all the programmes of skill development programmes especially for disabled youth will enlighten and highlight how adolescents with disabilities developed several practical, social and communication skills, and self-confidence over the course of an employment-training program. Despite personal gains, youth reported challenges in their post-program search for employment. This study revealed that disabled youth valued involvement in the workforce and perceived that through their participation they developed important life skills.