HYDERABAD: At a time when the
Telangana government has announced a massive job bonanza, a new study shows that one in every five youth in the state in the 19-20 age group quit their education to find a job, in 2021. The data comes from a survey conducted by a Young Lives, a team of researchers from the
University of Oxford
in collaboration with the
Centre for Economic and Social Studies
, Hyderabad.
Experts TOI spoke to, attributed this trend to two primary reasons: digital divide in education and financial crises plaguing families amid Covid-19. The two, they say, could have driven many to quit studying and take up employment to make ends meet.
“The digital divide was evident during the pandemic especially in rural areas. Those who did not have access to the internet were left behind. Adding to this was the inability to afford education resulting in more youngsters dropping out of educational institutions. This may have forced many to quit education and look for meagre jobs for their survival,” said
Ajit Rangnekar
, director general at the
Research and Innovation Circle of Hyderabad
.
The report too stresses how the likelihood of leaving education was significantly higher among those without internet access.
“More than 1 in 5 (22%) of the 19–20-year-old students who had no digital access (via a computer, laptop or smartphone) dropped out of education by October–December 2021, compared to only 7% of those with access (on at least one device),” read the report, that surveyed more than 2,700 people in the age group of 19 to 20 years and 26 to 27 years.
It also pointed towards a significant increase in the gender employment gap, compared to before the pandemic — a 20 percentage point increase among 19 to 20- year-olds (largely driven by rising male employment) and a 10 percentage point increase among 26 to 27-year-olds.
“Shutting down of services sector, small and medium enterprises, that employee a large number of women, increased the gender employment gap as many had to walk out of their jobs abruptly. Adding to this, many working on contract basis were not paid. That too forced many to quit. The only sector where women stayed put was agriculture where there was not much impact,” said
Varsha Bhargavi
, a gender policy analyst.
Stay updated with the latest news on Times of India. Don't miss daily games like Crossword, Sudoku, and Mini Crossword.