In December 2023, a study done by leading civil society organisations in India, found that only four out of 10 youth in India knew what “life skills” or “21-century skills” meant. In a country where young people are gearing up to join the world of work by the millions – the quality of education available to most remains shaky. And many leading employers have pointed out the acute lack of life skills among India’s youth, making them largely unemployable.
Going beyond technical know-how, 21st-century skills have been identified as critical to youth who face an ever-changing, digital world. Given the gaping gap in youth’s access to learning these skills, can nurturing an entrepreneurial mindset in them lead to a better skill set?
The answer is a resounding “Yes!”
Mind Guru
The entrepreneurial mindset can be the foundation on which youth build successful careers and lives. If young children and adults are trained in this mindset, in the early years, it provides them with the skills needed in everyday workplace scenarios, in leadership roles, in navigating the challenges of fast-paced careers and in balancing their social responsibilities with the demands of their jobs.
Udhyam Foundation having worked extensively with over 3 million students from across 10 States in India, has deciphered the entrepreneurial mindset in India’s youth. The Foundation lists four key characteristics as indicators of the mindset. These include (1). The ability to try new things, (2). Self-awareness, (3). Grit, and (4). Independence. Instilling these in youth through interactive programmes, well-defined daily actions, and inclusive learning can help sow the seeds of an entrepreneurial mindset which, in turn, can be translated into 21st-century skills.
Here, let’s take a look at the specific skills that the youth can develop when they lean towards an entrepreneurial mindset.
Critical Thinking
What Characteristics of the Entrepreneurial Mindset Bring About This Skill?
Self-awareness and independence
How can an Entrepreneurial Mindset promote Critical Thinking?
A well-rounded adult participating in a country’s workforce has to be an able critical thinker. At their jobs, young people, who possess self-awareness and are independent in their thinking, can unpack, analyse and evaluate tasks, situations, and challenges and find logical, well-grounded solutions. This makes them trustworthy employees and able leaders of the future who are fair-minded and free of biases. Critical thinking also nurtures other life skills like problem-solving, communication, creativity, and a logical outlook.
Creativity
What Characteristics of the Entrepreneurial Mindset Bring About This Skill?
Ability to try new things and independence
How can an Entrepreneurial Mindset promote Creativity?
The 21st century is truly an age of innovation and advancement. From science to cinema, every industry has taken astonishing leaps – turning daring ideas into reality through creativity and technology. Even the most logic-driven or routine jobs, now, include a dose of creativity. For example, India’s leading police departments now also have entertaining Twitter accounts that otherwise serious policemen fully participate in to bring key messages to the public.
Often, the Indian education system can be discouraging of this crucial life skill, urging children to simply score high marks. But when young students are encouraged to get creative in history and science lectures, at drawing classes and in the math lab – they emerge as well-rounded, problem-solving adults who don’t shy away from thinking out-of-the-box while solving complex problems.
Communication
What Characteristics of the Entrepreneurial Mindset Bring About This Skill?
Ability to try new things, self-awareness, grit and independence
How can an Entrepreneurial Mindset promote Communication?
You can have the sharpest business acumen, or be an impressive programmer, or a passionate salesperson – but without effective communication, your skill and passion will only lead to dead ends. A street vendor has to be able to coax her customers with words so that her profit margins go up. A salesperson has to use the right pitch to get a client to sign up for his product. A political leader has to be able to use words and actions to reach millions.
Communication is not just about speaking up but getting your message across effectively. An entrepreneurial mindset that has been nurtured in interactive programmes and nudges young adults to try new things, to express themselves fully, to engage with and question authority, and to think independently will, undoubtedly, give birth to generations of strong communicators.
Collaboration
What Characteristics of the Entrepreneurial Mindset Bring About This Skill?
Self-awareness, grit
How can an Entrepreneurial Mindset promote Collaboration?
Sustainable, inclusive futures are built in a climate of collaboration. Young adults with entrepreneurial mindsets are well aware that New Delhi wasn’t built in a day nor was it built by a single person. To achieve a goal, it becomes important to reach out across teams, across board rooms, and across organisations. Additionally, the success of collaboration also depends on grit and resilience since bringing teams together to work in a spirit of harmony and respectful give-and-take, takes resilience and dedicated perseverance. All of this is possible with an entrepreneurial mindset.
Leadership
What Characteristics of the Entrepreneurial Mindset Bring About This Skill?
Self-awareness, grit, independence and ability to try new things
How can an Entrepreneurial Mindset promote Leadership?
With small, well-defined and consistent actions, Udhyam Foundation’s entrepreneurial mindset programme encourages youth to take on the mantle of leadership. A combination of self-awareness, grit, independence and a drive to try new things, pushes them towards leading their cultural teams at school, sharing their inputs in family decision-making, taking charge in community events, helping others to improve their skills, and also respectfully convincing others to embrace their ideas. All of these are positive steps in the right direction, preparing young people to practice healthy leadership qualities that brings teams together to work towards success.
There is no denying that the world of work is a tough place to be. If we want our younger generations to thrive and contribute to building economies that are fruitful to all and build up our nation, then, we cannot let them go into battle without the right tools. An entrepreneurial mindset is just that! A spread of flexible, ever-growing, and strength-giving tools that will see them cruise through any challenge that the 21-century (and beyond) has for them.
