The beauty and wellness sector has unlimited potential in terms of job creation and overseas placements. Unfortunately, we have not been able to cash in on the global and domestic opportunities for want of focus. It is perhaps one of the reasons that in global skill competitions in the beauty and wellness sector, our boys and girls are not able to leave their mark even though they are talented and rich in perspectives and imagination but lack exposure and proper training.

India’s Beauty and Wellness Sector Skill Council (B&WSSC), a recognized awarding body of the National Council for Vocational Education and Training (NCVET), promoted by CII, with financial support from the National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC), under the aegis of Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE), is doing a yeoman job so far as establishing an effective and efficient ecosystem for developing and imparting skills in the beauty and wellness industry is concerned.

It has done phenomenally great in terms of creating relevant content and curriculum, courses, information database, delivery systems, and standardization of the accreditation and certification process, thus enhancing the employability of the Indian workforce globally. In the last eight years, as per the official data, B&WSSC has been able to make its presence felt across 33 States and Union territories, training and certifying more than 9 lakh youth by helping and making them employable and self-employable, empowered with a certificate from the highest certifying body – Sector Skill Council – in beauty and wellness, recognised by the Central government.

However, what worries me as an industry stakeholder is our approach towards honing in on the skills of our beauty and wellness students so that they leave their indelible mark in global competitions as well. Every two years, WorldSkills hosts global championships of skills, which attracts more than 1,600 competitors from more than 60 countries. Young people from all corners of the globe gather together for the chance to win a prestigious medal in their chosen skill.

There are competitions in 56 skills across a wide range of industries from joinery to floristry; hairdressing to electronics; auto-body repair to the bakery; beauty and wellness and many more. The competitors represent the best of their peers and are selected from skills competitions that are held in World Skills member countries and regions. One of the legacies of World Skills competitions is the increased visibility of skilled professional education, as one of the tools of social and economic transformation.

I want to see our young and talented professionals aspiring to excel in the field of beauty and wellness sector, winning medals in global competitions for which they need to be provided with the best of training and tips in interaction sessions with the winners of medals and their mentors. Unfortunately, India never won any gold, silver, or bronze medal. This time also with a medallion only we are positioned at 7^th in the global beauty and wellness competition recently held in France.

 To excel in beauty and wellness global competitions, an enabling atmosphere has to be created in the training institutes also where there is an uninterrupted exchange of information and best practices regarding industry and professional education. New ideas and processes inspire school-aged youth to dedicate themselves to technical and technological careers and build a better future. If our students are not winning medals in the World Skills competition, also known as the ‘Olympics of Skills,’ we need to revisit our strategy. It reflects the benchmarks of the global industry.

DEDICATED SECTION NEEDED

It will be a befitting exercise if we can introduce a dedicated section to beauty and wellness skills under the India Skills competition, which is organised by the National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC), an apex skill development organisation working under the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE). IndiaSkills, the country’s biggest skill competition, is designed to demonstrate the highest standards of skilling and offers a platform to young people to showcase their talent at national and international levels. India skills-2021 competition, held from 6 to 10 January 2022 – saw participants from 26 States/Union Territories in 54 skills such as beauty therapy, cyber security, floristry, robot system integration, cloud computing, water technology, painting and decorating, health and social care among others.

There are reasons why I insist on a special focus on the beauty and wellness sector. With the rise in awareness about holistic well-being among people in India, the spending on beauty and wellness services and products has increased. According to the Indian Beauty & Hygiene Association (IBHA), the per capita spending on beauty and personal care products was around Rs 450 per annum in 2017, which is expected to increase during 2019-2024 period. The beauty and wellness market in India was valued at Rs 901.07 billion in 2018 and is forecast to reach Rs 2,463.49 billion by 2024, expanding at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of around 18.40 percent during 2019-2024.

We need to note that the rise in the income of the middle class has propelled the demand for beauty and wellness services and products in India, the labour force participation rate of females in 2017 was 22.05 percent, which increased from 21.27 percent in 2022. With more women joining the workforce in Tier I and 2 cities, their purchasing power has increased. The rise in their disposable incomes has resulted in the escalating demand for beauty services and products, salon and spa services. In India, people nowadays have become conscious about their appearance and are constantly spending money to enhance the way they look. This has allowed for the significant growth of the beauty and wellness services segment, with consumers paying frequent visits to salons.

GLOBAL RECOGNITION WILL BE A BOOSTER DOSE 

What are the key deterrents in stealing the limelight at the global level? It is not only the lack of professionally trained and skilled beauty and wellness service providers in the market, leading to increased manpower costs, but our inability in building an ecosystem for the beauty and wellness segment right from primary to tertiary, despite knowing the fact global recognition to our professionals will give a new boost to beauty and wellness sector.

Only recently a strong 58-member Indian contingent was given a grand ‘Vijayi Bhava’ send-off ceremony in the national capital as they gear up to compete against the best in the world at WorldSkills Competition-2022. In the current edition of the competition, Team India will compete in six new-age skills, including Industry 4.0, Robot System Integration, Additive Manufacturing, and Renewable Energy. The 58-member team has 19 percent women representation, indicating the rise in the stature of women including in skills that were earlier the preserve of men. Unfortunately, beauty and wellness are not part of the contingent. It is disappointing but I hope for the best!

(The writer is a training partner with the National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC), Network Member, India International Skills Centres, an initiative of GoI. The views are personal.)