DO SKILL INDIA VOCATIONAL TRAINING PROGRAMS ENHANCE EMPLOYABILITY OUTCOMES? AN EMPIRICAL STUDY OF TRAINED AND NON-TRAINED WORKERS IN INDIA

Rapid technological change and evolving labour market requirements have intensified concerns regarding workforce employability in emerging economies such as India, where formal education alone often fails to equip individuals with job relevant skills. In response, large scale vocational training initiatives have been promoted to bridge skill gaps and enhance employment prospects. Among these, the Skill India Mission represents a major policy intervention aimed at improving employability through structured skill development programs. Despite its extensive outreach,existing literature provides limited and fragmented empirical evidence on whether participation in Skill India vocational training leads to superior employability outcomes compared to non-trained workers, particularly across sectors and regions. Addressing this gap, the present study aims to empirically examine the impact of Skill India vocational training programs on employability outcomes and to compare trained and nontrained workers in India. The study adopts a quantitative, explanatory research design and relies primarily on primary data collected through a structured questionnaire administered to workers. A stratified purposive sampling technique was used to select a sample of 350 respondents, comprising both Skill Indiatrained and nontrained individuals across selected sectors and regions. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics, independent sample t-tests, chi-square tests, analysis of variance, and multiple regression analysis with the support of SPSS and Microsoft Excel.