siliconindia | | October 20169FREE ONLINE LEARNING A SCALABLE SOLUTION TO INDIA'S SKILLS SHORTAGEvery little at a basic level, hence, can be almost entirely digitised, and once digitised, the marginal costs of sharing it are minimal. Any Indian business or expert will be able to develop their own courses at very little cost in the future.The Role of the Indian GovernmentFor India to become the global competitive powerhouse its population suggests it should be, it must unleash the full productive capabilities of its people through free online learning ecologies. The Indian Government must play a direct role in bridging the skills gap with online learning through three clear policies.Firstly, it could mandate that free online informal learning becomes an integral part of any hiring and promotional decisions across public and semi-state recruitment. Evidence of successful free online learning achievement substantiates a candidate's assertion that they are self-motivated, keen to keep their skills up-to-date, and are interested in being competitive and productive in the workplace. Were Government to ask for such evidence, it would comprehensively deliver the message that free online lifelong learning is important, relevant and valued.Secondly, the Indian Government could specify that new hires and current employees to complete and successfully graduate from a series of free online courses related to their new or current positions. This program can start with a minimal number of courses country wide, but it will begin to inculcate a tradition and expectation of online learning. This not only means new employees have higher skills levels and knowledge when they join state employment; it also cements informal and lifelong online learning into the fabric of new employment hiring practices.Thirdly, the Indian Government should through economic or tax incentives, encourage private industry, from large corporations to small businesses, to follow suit and integrate free online learning into their hiring and employment practices across their organisations. Encouraging business to create basic-level online courses for training purposes will both make industry less reliant on others, including government for its workforce training needs, and allow individuals to become more competitive, enabling them to make better choices in what they work at and where they work.Adopting new technologies and methodologies require new thinking and bold departures from the old. That's where leadership comes in. The inspiring words and actions of PM Modi in this regard are encouragement enough for us to believe India is serious in its mass up-skilling intent. Besides, the clear economic imperative of up-skilling for India, PM Modi's acknowledgement of the personal empowerment potential of free learning, especially among the poor resonates. Research tells us time and time again that nearly every free online learning graduate gains confidence and a greater appetite for further learning when they successfully complete a course. As PM Modi stated, "The Skill India mission is not merely to fill pockets but to bring a sense of self-confidence among the poor".Visiting Ireland last September, PM Modi stated that "India and Ireland are ideally placed to form productive partnerships to take advantage of the opportunities in the digital age". As a leading global social enterprise, we look forward to exploring these opportunities next month in India. Basic educational and skills training content offers the advantage that it changes very little at a basic level, and can be almost entirely digitised
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