New Delhi: Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan today made a pitch for skill development so that those entering the workforce find decent job matches, saying “we should not miss industrial revolution this time”.

The Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Minister said that four key stakeholders – centre, states, NGOs and civil society – needs to work together in the area of skill development.

“We must be prepared and should not miss the industrial revolution this time,” he said here at the Global Skills Summit.

Every year about 1 – 1.5 crore people are coming into employable category and there is need to “create an enabling ecosystem of skill development so that they get decent job opportunities”, he added.

The minister said challenges of industrial revolution 4.0 and automation have to be accepted by the country.

He said over 5 per cent of the people in the workforce are not skilled.

“We need to create an ecosystem in which people think that the work they are doing are helping in improving their skills and creating jobs for others too,” he added.

In developed countries, skilled manpower is about 50 per cent to 90 per cent but in India it is about 10 per cent, he said.

Further, the minister, who also holds petroleum ministry portfolio, said he has worked hard in the last three years and has learnt a lot but now a days facing heat because of fuel prices.

Speaking at the summit, FICCI Skills Development Committee Chairman T V Mohandas Pai said the government should come out with the data of job creation as it is not possible to have economic growth without people earnings.

He said about 1.8 crore jobs have been created in the last three years.

There is also need to rework on education policy and incentivise people who create jobs.

Vikramjit Singh Sahney, Corporate President & CEO, Sun Group, said there is a challenge to see convert the population into demographic dividend.

He asked industry to participate in the National Apprenticeship Training Scheme.