The general definition of skills would be an ability and capacity acquired through deliberate, systematic, and sustained effort to smoothly and adaptively carryout complex activities or job functions. However these abilities and capacities need to be upgraded time and again as the industries transform. Manufacturing is currently going under technological transformation that brings challenges at the workforce level. Speaking on the same, Hussain Shariyarr, Manufacturing Head, Godrej Appliances says "Today, almost every area of the factory floor has transformed with addition of new technology whether it is core production, maintenance or utilities and thus skilled labour is required in every department. Additionally, technology and automation brings about the amalgamation of different skill sets. Most of the current employees are skilled in a specific function and the manufacturing vertical is not immune to the requirement of multi-skilled labour. Unless this skilled workforce is given the additional inputs to upgrade their skill, they would be equivalent to unskilled labour."

Seconding the same, Santosh Dwivedi, Deputy General Manager - Corporate HR, Solar Industries mentions, "The unskilled labour affects areas such as quality, reliability and safety in the manufacturing industry. These areas directly affect productivity, cost, on time delivery, morale and environment." However, the challenges of unskilled labour goes beyond these areas and is far more serious thans it looks. Explaining it in detail, V. Anbu, Director General and CEO, IMTMA notes, "This challenge is not confined to certain areas or departments but to the industry as a whole and primarily for those working on shopfloors. Manufacturing industry across all levels is facing a serious crunch of skilled labour with technical knowhow. The industry specifically is facing a shortage of workforce with requisite design skills which is considered to be the heart and brain of manufacturing. This is so since the industry finds it difficult to retrain a workforce that it has hired for a certain job. The industry also faces challenges due to budget constraints and time factor. There is also a higher attrition rate due to lucrative offers from the market. Many engineers also leave jobs quickly to augment their career graphs. However, with rapid evolvement of
new technologies industry has to retrain its workforce over a short period and make them ready to meet future contingencies."

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