Paper short abstract:

This paper provides empirical evidence to show that skill development training facilitates opportunities for people to fulfil their aspirations and enhance their capabilities. It examines the case of two skill development programmes in India that provide training to women in the solar energy sector.

Paper long abstract:

Drawing upon the case of Barefoot College and Prime Minister's skill development programmes in India, this paper asks the question – does skill development training facilitate opportunities for people to fulfil their aspirations and enhance their capabilities? For this assessment an expanded view of skill development as a means of human development was adopted and situated within the Capability Approach. Building upon the stylised conceptualisation of the CA by Robeyns, an integrated skills to capabilities (S2C) framework was conceptualised by the author. The S2C framework covers the entire arc of the skill development intervention, which is the means to achieve, to the actual degrees of achievement that are determined by, and dependent on people’s opportunities and subsequent choice to achieve their valued ways of being and doing, i.e., capabilities. The capabilities are in turn derived from people’s aspirations, i.e., their hopes and dreams related to work and life. Factors in the external environment including aspects related to the individual, family and community, socio-cultural gender norms, and institutional and policy level factors, also impact outcomes. They do so by either enabling or restricting the conversion of the intervention into opportunities to achieve valued ways of being and doing.

The results showed that people’s aspirations and capabilities are not limited to valuing only material dimensions like work and money. They are means to reach other equally significant dreams including living a good life, ensuring well-being of their family, and development of the community. Data showed that the prevalence of restrictive socio-cultural norms reduce women’s freedom, mobility and bodily integrity, thereby restricting their agency and limiting their achievements. Data also showed that institutional and policy gaps severely restrict achievements. These include lack of safety and provision of services such as– information centres, counselling and mentoring services, employment services, childcare facilities and financial access. In addition, the impact of market conditions, particularly the lack of local jobs, low wages and poor working conditions, impact work outcomes.

These findings have significant implications for the theorisation of skill development and building local research. Selecting the CA to situate this analysis, this research expands the application frontiers of the CA by conceptualising an integrated S2C framework for assessment of skill development as a means of human development. Finally on policy implications, it is recommended that an integrated view of training, employment and development could be adopted that enables opportunities for trainees to fulfil their aspirations and capabilities.