Rural talent -:

The untapped opportunities

by Lionel WIJESIRI

The rural inhabitants in Sri Lanka consist of about 78% of the total population. Even though they contribute to a considerable portion of the Gross Domestic Product, most of them live in disadvantaged socio-economic conditions. If we look at the present situation rationally, we see that the manpower crunch in the rural sector in Sri Lanka is more serious than we think. The rural unemployment has become an acute problem. One reason is because formal job growth in the rural areas hasn't kept up with economic growth. And the other is the mismatch in skills between those demanded by employers and those acquired in rural schools.

We have seen how urban Sri Lanka has witnessed growth in jobs in the past few decades. However, surveys also indicate that many of our rural children still drop out from school in the primary session itself and they are forced to take up menial jobs instead of completing their schooling.

Providing jobs for unemployed rural youths has become a Herculean task for the policy makers of the country.

Hidden talent

It is also said that the true judge of a country's economic development is when it makes an impact on people at the grass rootslevel. So it is for the benefit of the whole country that we put a stop to this "demographic disaster" without any further delay.

It is in this context that entrepreneurs should tie up with educational institutes and even working in collaboration with local governments, to identify the hidden talent amongst rural youth.

Any experienced entrepreneur would agree without any reservation that our rural workforce is not second, in any way, to the urban candidates. If anything is missing, it is only the lack of awareness and opportunity to get to the top, and also their inability to make use of the available options. They might need a bit of polishing when it comes to language, communication skills, and etiquettes. In short, while they have a clear understanding of the work and are adept at process knowledge, only the softer aspects need to be made familiar with.

In an attempt to prove themselves to make it big coming from the smaller towns, they have a zeal, passion and determination to prove themselves against all odds. From here stems the fact that they are more dedicated and loyal to the work and the institute they work, because they are have an additional responsibility and a point to prove in the social circle.

With the cost factor in the big cities going up, corporate sector should feel the need to look at different directions and go the rural way, so that it gives them an opening to cut down on costs and comparatively also a long-term employee commitment.

Giving opportunities to the rural talent uplifts individuals from their status level, empowers them and paves the way for socio-economic development. It aids the private sector to bridge the gap between the urban-rural divide, and also to act as a part of their corporate social responsibility program.

Rural talent should have good access to job opportunities. Presently, such access is not as easily available to them.

Therefore, a concerted effort to target the smaller towns with relevant education institutes will help to bridge the resource crunch faced by the industry. For an industry as a whole, initiations by companies into tapping the rural talent pool will help galvanize a movement that will bring to the fore the entire hidden workforce. Organizations will have a larger pool of people to work with, and can leverage from the best of the lot.

For dialogue between the three stakeholders, government, corporate sector and the poor, a facilitating mechanism is required. We can make a small beginning by setting up a pro-active Rural Manpower Development Authority dedicated to this work. It can identify, train and link rural youth to entry level jobs in the organized sector. The success of such an Authority can succeed only if it is incorporated as an institution to create an enabling eco-sphere for public-private partnerships. The institutional framework of having senior government officers and private sector on the Executive Committee allows the best of the private sector linkages to be wedded to a powerful muscle and machinery .With this collaboration the seemingly impossible can become truly possible.

Suggestions

Having a private sector composition in the core team allows for development of grass roots products, tailor made for the rural poor. I would also like to suggest the setting up of two more products - the Rural Business Academy and the Rural English and Computer Academy. So doors will be opened; skills required for different entry level positions can be taught in the village itself in collaboration with companies.

What will be the final result? At least, three benefits would surface.

The rural work- ready get fitted into positions beyond their imagination.The programme will enable the corporate sector to get a ready-made pool of workers from a large rural labour pool who are motivated and eager to excel. For the family of the poor, a shift takes place from erratic incomes, due to a dependence on rain fed agriculture, to a steady money source month after month.

Jobs

Recently I heard an inspiring story. A manager at a national company was amazed to hear an office peon who came from a rural area, tell him it was his last day as he had learnt some computer programs in his spare time and was now switching careers. The company official led the peon to their own computer skill testing centre for placement. He got as a job as a trainee.

This is not an isolate incident. Interestingly, aspiration levels zoom even in the seemingly low entry level jobs in which these rural young people are placed. And one organized sector job in a family, takes away the stigma and smell of poverty in a sustained manner. Rural youth in jobs relate incidents of their well-to-do relatives and those who once ignored them suddenly find reasons to connect up!

The concept of the public-private partnerships in this sector of imparting market linked skills to rural youth is still in its infancy. By not forging these linkages, business may lose opportunity; government may loose credibility; but society loses most of all by not creating millions of skilled youths.