DailyPost 2678
SKILLING FOR LIFE?
Are we? The world today talks of the language of skills, expertise, hands on, competencies and experience, and presuming that all this is available as required, will it add up to what the world is looking for? Besides growth, development and money, will it usher in well-being, purpose, fulfilment and inner worth in our lives. In India it is adding to growth and development at the superficial level, what about the quality? If brick and mortar could transform human lives, it could have been done long time back. Unfortunately, education and skills mean getting a job and make a living.
With this narrow definition, it is next to impossible to make a life out of our lives. Geniuses getting derelicts is not unheard of, it is becoming more and more common. It is likely to have an exponential growth in the days to come, if we keep moving in the same direction. The infra creaking up in India at large number of places is not because of lack of resources of any kind. If we have been so skilled in our professions, where does stress and strain come from? That too at level which can be killing? How do you make professional relationships a success with interpersonal relationship completely missing? Man cannot be transformed into a robot, he has failed to become one, even with the best efforts of the western world.
Skills for jobs and skills for life are two different things and at its convergence is our life, if it is to be lived meaningfully, gainfully, with conviction and holding on to your ground, in whatever you do. It becomes a part of your personality and keeps you in good stead in whatever role you play in life; in family, community, as a professional or as a leader. Skilling for life is a must and there are formatted ways to either teach or learn. Efforts are always made to make it structured, but so far it has remained elusive. Parents, students, teachers and school managements find it to be superfluous and for name’s sake it becomes a part of the curriculum.
Generally, it does not carry any grades. Can you be graded for your competency of dealing with life? We have not even able to fathom out as to what it would be like. Skilling for life has two components; one is the tangible one and other the intangible one. The second is more difficult. The first one can be divided into hardship, experiential, community work and behavioral intervention training; classroom, scenario based or on the field. The second and even more difficult is related to human personality and effective way of changing it or transforming it to deal with the emergent situations without burning out, making collateral damage, maintaining calm and poise and yet deliver. A man with personal power, commanding respect as a complete and effective personality, is what we aspire of.
LIFE IS AT THE CROSSROAD OF SKILLS FOR JOBS AND SKILLS FOR LIFE.
Sanjay Sahay
Have a nice evening.