IGF 2024 WS #186 DWMS - Kerala fostering Inclusive Knowledge Society

    Organizer 1: Mathew Prakash, K-DISC
    Organizer 2: Sumitha TS, K-DISC
    Organizer 3: Riyas PM, K-DISC

    Speaker 1: Unnikrishnan Potheri Vasudevan, Government, Asia-Pacific Group
    Speaker 2: Shaghna Nath RU, Government, Asia-Pacific Group
    Speaker 3: Biju Soman, Government, Asia-Pacific Group
    Speaker 4: Riyas PM, Government, Asia-Pacific Group

    Moderator

    Mathew Prakash, Government, Asia-Pacific Group

    Online Moderator

    Sumitha TS, Government, Asia-Pacific Group

    Rapporteur

    Riyas PM, Government, Asia-Pacific Group

    Format

    Theater
    Duration (minutes): 90
    Format description: We believe that the theater (room layout) can accommodate the maximum number of participants, which hence ensures diversity. In our proposed 90 minutes workshop, we aim to cover the following:

    Overview of Kerala state-led initiative for Knowledge Society through K-DISC, the DWMS using digital technology and AI - 15 minutes
    A demonstration of how to use the DWMS platform - 15 minutes
    Experience sharing by job seekers and employed individuals through DWMS - 10 minutes
    Partners engaged in DWMS and their roles - 10 minutes
    Way forward – Challenges and Strategies - 15 minutes
    Q&A session - 20 minutes
    Summary - 5 minutes

    Policy Question(s)

    1. How does the impact of a state-led digital platform like DWMS on fostering sustainable economic development differ from that of the existing platforms?
    2. What were the policy-level challenges for a state to initiate such an approach? Do the national or international policies facilitate such a state-led initiative?
    3. How is the data of registered participants utilized and protected?
    4. What further advancement in digital technology and AI could facilitate an improvised platform or model, and what is limiting to adopting the same?

    What will participants gain from attending this session? Participants in our workshop will gain insights into a state-led innovation leveraging digital technology and AI to drive economic growth, particularly by engaging population groups traditionally excluded from the workforce. The session offers opportunities for forging partnerships, understanding market trends, identifying prospective employers, and recognizing in-demand skills. Interested attendees can delve deeper into K-DISC's initiatives to construct the Kerala Knowledge Society, fostering an environment conducive to innovation. As we explore various job types—domestic, international, online, and offline—participants can contribute to expanding our networks and capacity to create more opportunities. Discussions on policies, challenges, and strategies employed to implement the DWMS model will prompt participants to identify contextual solutions. Additionally, they will explore how emerging digital technologies can enhance income, promote equity, and ensure justice for all.

    Description:

    As per the India Employment Report 2024, 83% of the country's unemployed are youth (aged 15-29), indicating a significant disparity between their career aspirations and available opportunities. India, aiming to become the world's third-largest economy, must address unemployment by tailoring strategies to each state's unique context. Kerala, with one of the highest rates of educated youth unemployment, sees only 42.63% youth workforce participation, ranking 19th among 22 states, despite its higher human development index (0.794 vs. the national average of 0.724). Among youth, 19.26% of males and 40.80% of females are not engaged in employment, education, or training in the state.
    Hence, Kerala has initiated an inclusive, equitable, and sustainable model to address challenges and foster opportunities. It identifies three key domains: the public sector, which generates more than 20,000 jobs annually, enterprises including startups, and the private sector. Leveraging private sector opportunities, initiatives like the Kerala Knowledge Economy Mission (KKEM) under the Kerala Development and Innovation Strategic Council (K-DISC) aim to transform Kerala into a Knowledge Society.
    KKEM aims to create employment opportunities for two million educated individuals, focusing on women re-entering the workforce, marginalized communities, and people with disabilities. The Digital Workforce Management System (DWMS), a platform of platforms model integrates AI to revolutionize career profiling, providing personalized guidance and tools to align workforce skills with market demands, emphasizing remote work and freelance opportunities.
    The focus is also on social and behavioral change communication to address youth preference for public sector jobs. K-DISC implements employability centers (in districts), job stations (in constituencies), and community-driven help desks to engage the potential workforce. As of March 2024, KKEM and partners secured 103,108 placements and provided skill training to 18,075 individuals. The Vijnjana Pathanamthitta project, employing the Recruit-Train-Deploy model, facilitated over 25,000 job opportunities since February 2024, including 2,555 overseas positions.

    Expected Outcomes

    1. Opportunities for collaboration with prospective employers, skill providers, and demand aggregators
    2. Valuable perspectives on enhancing our approaches to foster inclusive economic development.
    3. Addressing contextual and institutional hurdles raised by participants and exploring innovative solutions collectively using digital technology and AI
    4. Platforms to present our initiative to a broader audience.

    Hybrid Format: The 2.5-hour time difference between India and Saudi Arabia makes any time slot for our workshop feasible for a hybrid session. The introduction to DWMS and partner roles requires only internet connectivity and Zoom. Key speakers will share experiences during the scheduled Zoom session, remaining accessible for participant queries throughout the session. Unanswered queries will be recorded for later response; the rapporteur will follow up post-session to ensure all questions are addressed comprehensively in the session's record or report.