Chennai: India may have to forgo nearly $1.97 trillion in gross domestic product (GDP) growth promised by investment in intelligent technologies over the next decade, if the country fails to bridge the skills gap, a report has said.
The report titled ‘Fueling India’s Skill Revolution’ from Accenture said stakeholders in India – including government departments, industry bodies, academia, non-profit organizations and corporates – need to create, among other things, a comprehensive skills-based learning path in schools and colleges and adapt curriculum in institutions of higher learning to cater to the broader needs of the digital economy.
Advanced technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), augmented/virtual reality (AR/VR) and Blockchain can enable rapid reskilling and upskilling at scale, said the report. These technologies can help people learn new skills quickly, efficiently and cost effectively, it added.
The report notes that skills such as complex reasoning, creativity, and socio-emotional and sensory perception cannot be taught through traditional teaching and learning.
The report includes a framework that combines a suite of innovative learning methods grounded in neuroscience research to make skills development more effective. The framework suggests that an individual’s learning journey can be augmented by a combination of digital technologies.
For example, AI can help with content curation and dissemination to ensure that students are aware of the skills they need. AI-based adaptive programmme can build specific pathways to tailor learning to individual needs, said the report.
“We must offer more experiential on-the-job training and help people adopt life-long learning as their jobs are transformed. Digital tools and applications – like Artificial Intelligence, analytics and Blockchain – will be essential in delivering these new learning approaches,” said chairman and senior managing director, Accenture, Rekha M Menon.
“Intelligent technologies increasingly require people to hone more exclusively human skills such as creativity, empathy and ethical judgment. These skills cannot be acquired in the classroom,” Menon said.