Resilience Academy,Contact WhatsApp - 9038864038 / 8902198396 Formal Education vs Skill development The degree versus skill debate is never-ending. The same argument continues coming up not just in India but all throughout the world. Without a question, education is important, but in the majority of cases, it does not ensure employment in the field of choice. Whatever is learnt while pursuing a degree becomes useless if one doesn’t learn the acumen of applying skill to make use of the theory into practical execution. Education for the sake of attaining a degree is not desirable considering the increase in educated unemployment in. the country which calls for a greater reflection at what guides the aims.and objectives of education at individual and national level. Attaining a.degree is surely a sign of formal education but merely attaining a degree no more guarantees individual growth, social stability or financial security. Millions of youngsters get added to the workforce every year but hardly a fraction of them actually manage to secure a job, Sometimes it has been observed that the university curriculum remains outdated and irrelevant as per the current industry standards most of whichis focused on simply finishing the curriculum rather than focusing on learning. While the need for skill inculcation has always found space in various educational policy documents churned out in the country since independence, current discourses in the arena of both school education and higher education has increasingly emphasised on outcome based learning leading to skill development. Higher education should, in theory, teach you the fundamentals of your academic topic of interest as well as how to think critically and solve problems. Not to mention,a degree alone is like holding the best weapons but being unable to use'them. There is no doubt that skill education has acquired a greater importance in the current socio-economic context of the country. As per a report published by Ernst and Young, by 2026 demographically, India would be at'an advantageous position with approximately 64 per cent of our population laying in the age bracket of 15-59 years, with only 13 per cent of population aged about 60. Skilled education therefore is imperative for us to be able to reap the demographic dividend which a young population would offer. If education does not respond to the need of skilled manpower in a growing economy like ours, then it would fail its youth in attaining both basic and higher aspirations of life.