One in 4 Telangana youth neither employed nor studying: Survey | Hyderabad News

Hyderabad: More than one in four young people aged 15-29 in Telangana were classified as NEET (Not in Employment, Education or Training), taking the state’s NEET rate to 26.2%, compared with the national average of 25%. The figures are from the latest Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS), released by the ministry of statistics and programme implementation on Friday.The district-level breakdown, published for the first time under the revamped PLFS, shows sharp variation across the state. Among Telangana’s 10 most populous districts, Bhadradri Kothagudem recorded the highest NEET rate at 42.7%, followed by Khammam at 38.2% and Nizamabad at 31.6%. Vikarabad stood at 30.3% and Siddipet at 29.5%. At the other end, Kamareddy recorded 18.4%, while Nalgonda and Jagtial recorded 22% each, and Sangareddy 22.5%. The gender numbers tell a different story. Telangana’s NEET rate was 37.8% among young men and 26.2% among young women, against 42.2% and 25%, respectively, at the national level. Yet the state’s female labour force participation rate among 15-29-year-olds stood at 51.5%, well above the national figure of 43.5%. Experts point to several reasons behind the numbers, ranging from a mismatch between education and industry needs to changes in traditional occupations and young people holding out for govt jobs. Prof Alok Kumar Mishra, School of Economics, University of Hyderabad, said Telangana isn’t short of educated youth so much as job-ready ones.Skills Training“There is a conspicuous shortage of sufficiently job-ready youth. There is a gap between what industries expect and what young people possess. Having a degree is not enough. Young people need conceptual knowledge along with practical skills, communication abilities, digital skills and workplace experience. The gap between what is taught and what industry requires can prevent young people from finding suitable employment even after they have completed their education,” he told TOI.He said the gap extends to skills training too. “Skilling is important, but skills have to be connected to actual employment opportunities. If young people are trained without creating pathways into work, training alone will not solve the problem. There has to be a stronger connection between educational institutions, skill programmes and industry, so that young people are trained for skills that employers actually require,” he said.Prof Karnati Kiran Kumar, also from the School of Economics, UoH, attributed part of the problem to Telangana’s tilt towards services. “Telangana has moved heavily towards the service sector such as IT, banking, finance and other professional services. When such a large part of the economy is dependent on services, any disruption in that sector can have a direct impact on employment. Global uncertainties, changing overseas opportunities and the increasing use of AI and technology can put pressure on some service-sector jobs, particularly for young people trying to enter the workforce,” he said.Traditional occupationsHe said the same mismatch shows up in rural Telangana, where agriculture and traditional trades once absorbed far more workers than they do now. “Agriculture and traditional occupations are no longer providing the employment opportunities they once did, while educated young people are also reluctant to take up many of these occupations. This has created a gap between the jobs available at the grassroots level and the aspirations of an increasingly educated workforce,” he said. He believes trades such as carpentry and metalwork could still offer a way forward, not by pushing everyone towards white-collar jobs, but by bringing in modern technology, sharper skills and organised markets.Prof G Vijay, from the same university, pointed to a different set of young people who fall outside both categories, those biding their time. “It is quite possible that some have withdrawn from educational institutions because they cannot afford the fees, while others are preparing for competitive examinations through informal modes. There are also young people waiting for govt recruitment opportunities, and some may be doing informal or intermittent work such as working as recovery agents or in real estate, rather than regular employment,” he said. Despite repeated attempts, the director of Employment, Education and Training in Telangana did not respond.