Assessing Skill Gaps and Unemployment Patterns In Tamil Nadu: Extension Survey on the Impact of Covid-19 on Labor Market Scenarios for Industrial Training Institute Youth
Researchers studied the employment status and aspirations of youth (including graduates, dropouts, and current students) enrolled in Industrial Training Institutes (ITI) in Tamil Nadu from 2017 to 2019. Surveys focused on the principal activities these youth were engaged in before the onset of Covid-19, changes in their status during the lockdown period, and their work aspirations for the near future.
Project Summary
Location: Tamil Nadu (all districts)
Sample: 1,049 youth
Timeline: March - August 2020
J-PAL Initiatives providing funding: N/A
Target group: Youth in Tamil Nadu who had attended Industrial Training Institute (ITI) training in the last 3 years (2017-19) and had valid phone numbers
Outcome of interest: Employment outcomes of youth such as nature of jobs, industries, location, and income
Covid-19 dimensions: Economic shocks on individuals, households, and small and medium enterprises (SMEs); Migration and condition of migrants
Mode of data collection: Computer-assisted Telephone Interviewing (CATI) / phone surveys
Nature of activities: Data collection (surveys); Use of administrative data
Research paper(s): N/A
Project Details
Researchers studied the employment status and aspirations of youth who had joined Industrial Training Institutes (ITI) in Tamil Nadu over a period of three years (2017 to 2019). The cohort, including graduates, dropouts and current students, were asked questions about their principal activity in the month of March 2020 (before the Covid-19 pandemic), changes in their status during the lockdown period (March - July 2020), and their work aspirations for the near future. In addition, the youth were also asked about their schooling levels, further education plans, access to various digital products and services, and readiness for potential labor market interventions (such as skilling courses and remote job opportunities).
Data collection was carried out remotely by a team of 20 enumerators, who completed 1,049 surveys of ITI youth over a period of two weeks. The overall response rate was 35 percent, with an average survey duration of 25 minutes.
Research Results
Results forthcoming. The project is at the data analysis and reporting stage, with the objective of generating evidence on and actionable insights for the skill development and labor market ecosystems in Tamil Nadu.