Abstract
This introduction outlines the themes raised in this special issue that are relevant to analytical and policy debates on the far-reaching skill development initiatives currently being implemented in India. An understanding of the preferences, priorities and perceptions of intended beneficiaries of skill development is highlighted as a key issue. From that perspective, emphasis is placed on human-centric theories of skill development, such as human development, capabilities and social justice approaches, as distinct from economic growth and human capital-based interventions. With reference to social construction of skills, it is argued that valuable policy lessons may be drawn, first, from insights into historical traditions of skill acquisition and prevalent forms of apprenticeship and training; secondly, from an understanding of practices and identities based on social institutions such as caste and gender; and thirdly, from a political economy analysis of the role of the state and the private sector in shaping skill policy to mobilize labour. Attention is drawn to the fact that skill training involves not only the development of technical competencies but also a process of change of attitude, disposition and identity of a new generation of workers, with wide-ranging cultural, social and political implications that merit closer analytical attention.
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