Senior citizens, who have crossed the age of 50 or 60, are equipping themselves with digital skills and learning futuristic courses to stay relevant, courtesy of the Skill India Digital Hub (SIDH) platform. The platform is helping senior citizens by preparing them for Industry 4.0 by offering courses in ML, AI, and big data.

Web design, cybersecurity, and Kisan drone operation are some of the courses that are becoming hugely popular among senior learners, who are taking efforts to learn the digital technology and contribute to their and society’s growth. Defying stereotypes associated with age, a total of 4,799 senior learners have enrolled themselves in SIDH in 32 states and UTs in 505 districts by actively taking up courses in various sectors.
SIDH, which has been contributing to making skilling a mass movement, is an inclusive platform that allows individuals, youth, and elders to take up courses from any part of the country. An initiative by the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, the platform is being implemented by the National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC).

Ved Mani Tiwari, CEO, National Skill Development Corporation and Managing Director NSDC International, said: "SIDH is transforming lives, helping individuals remain relevant in Industry 4.0, contribute to societal progress, and discover new opportunities. Lifelong learning is essential for creating a skilled, resilient, and future-ready India.”

Fifty-one-year-old Partha Baruah has been a farm owner and also operates a travel agency in Jorhat, Assam. He enrolled in the Kisan Drone Operator course through SIDH in order to improve and modernize his farming, saying, “Traditional methods like manual spraying are proving inefficient during current times. I came to know about SIDH through a friend and thought to do this course. With the help of a drone, I am able to save time and increase my output. New possibilities have emerged from my business after I learned how to operate drones.” Partha, who also runs a travel agency, is now exploring capturing the scenic beauty of Assam to enrich the offerings of his travel agency with the help of drone technology.

“Drones can also help in tourism promotion. Unique features of Assam’s scenic beauty can be captured with quality aerial shots and can contribute to the growth of my business,” he says and appreciates the online learning mode of SIDH as very beneficial. “The courses can be taken up from anywhere and also provide flexibility to the learner. I can find time between managing my business and my work at my farms.”
Partha is keen to take up more courses through the platform to further upskill himself, as he says, “Learning never stops. It should be a lifelong process, and those who hesitate in learning are left behind.”

For senior learners like Partha, the platform has been fostering resilience and innovation. In the new age, the technology has been emerging as key to professional and personal development; the platform is emerging as a tool for senior learners to challenge preconceived notions about age and education. Elders learning technology after 50 and using it to improve the prospects of their careers and businesses is something that needs to be appreciated by society and the nation.

Prafulla Rawat, 55, has been a field technician and also an instructor at ITI Jhunjhunu, Rajasthan, and teaches students about computing and peripherals. He not only uses SIDH for his own skilling but also to upskill his students. “My students are more equipped about software than hardware. When I found hardware-related courses on the platform, I suggested 13 of my students enroll in the course. It's helping them in building foundational skills, which would prove critical for their growth in their careers.”
The senior elder also enrolled himself in SIDH’s employability skills and entrepreneurship skills courses to improve his skill sets and help his students in a better way. “Everyone should do courses on employability and entrepreneurship to improve prospects of growth in their professional life.”

Prafulla expects the platform to host more courses in multiple Indian languages, particularly Hindi, so that more and more students from underserved areas can get enrolled. “Courses offered in Hindi would help more and more learners to engage with the platform, as students in my area are more comfortable in Hindi.” He urges for more courses like interview promotions and promotion techniques to motivate the local youths towards skilling and practical guidance.

SIDH has always been on a mission with an inclusive approach to make skilling a mass movement by reaching all segments of society.

Senior teacher, like fifty-four-year-old Sanjiv Nigam from Ashok Vihar, New Delhi, has been reshaping his approach to education. Backed by 28 years of teaching experience, he has been inspiring students to take up futuristic courses like Google Cloud Generative AI on SIDH. Sanjiv has trained and taught hundreds of school students between the ages of nine and twelve. “The general curriculum has not been updated for a long time. Students should realize that without knowledge of AI, it would be challenging to survive in a futuristic world.”

Sanjiv found the Google Cloud Generative AI course incredibly valuable. “I help my students in understanding AI. Students should be exposed to AI early in their careers so that they can adapt to futuristic work environments. SIDH helped him learn the fundamentals that he passed on to his students and suggests a similar platform for teachers also.

"SIDH has been a wonderful resource, but I think there should be a platform specifically for teachers, where we can find courses tailored to teaching specific subjects," he says. "Teachers need to learn how to teach the next generation, and having resources that are specifically designed for us would be incredibly helpful."
SIDH, launched on September 13, 2023, has become a vital resource for citizens, providing access to industry-relevant skill courses, job opportunities, and entrepreneurship support. The platform offers a comprehensive information gateway for government initiatives related to skilling and entrepreneurship, making it the go-to destination for those seeking career advancement and continuous learning. SIDH is designed to build a skilled, empowered, and future-ready India.