Skill Gaps Analysis in Food Processing Industry with Special Reference to Fruits and Vegetables

Abstract

India has gradually evolved as a knowledge-based economy due to the abundance of capable, flexible and qualified human capital. With the constantly rising influence of globalization, India has immense opportunities to establish its distinctive position in the world. However, there is a need to further developing and empowering the human capital to ensure the nation’s global competiveness. Today’s knowledge-driven economy demands that workers have skill sets that are both advanced and specialized. At the same time, job seekers must also meet a breadth of additional requirements that go beyond their specialized skills, including broader functional capabilities, industry expertise. Despite the emphatic stress laid on education and training in this country, there is still a shortage of skilled manpower to address the mounting needs and demands of the economy. This paper attempts to analyze the skills which are required by the food processing industry with a special reference to fruit and vegetable processing. For this a detailed study of skill requirement is done with the help of generic value chain involved in food processing. This paper also deals with the skill gaps at each step in value chain and provides few amicable solutions to address these gaps which can be beneficial for both the individuals as well as the companies.