Why young people in Maharashtra still struggle to find work
Rural youth unemployment for ages 15 to 29 was 8.3% in 2025, according to the Periodic Labour Force Survey. Maharashtra sits close to that figure.
The bigger problem is the kind of work on offer. A 2026 NITI Aayog paper by Dr Arvind Virmani found that only 23% of Indian workers hold regular salaried jobs. Another 58% are self-employed and 19% do casual work. Most young people won’t walk into a corporate office after college.
The “missing middle” in India’s skilling system
The same paper says companies and placement firms do a fair job of matching highly skilled graduates with well-paid jobs. Further down, that link weakens. At the bottom it barely exists.
| Qualification | Employability (2025) |
|---|---|
| Professional courses (BE/BTech, MBA, MCA) | 70-78% |
| University degrees (BA, BCom, BSc) | 55-58% |
| ITIs | just over 40% |
| Polytechnics | just under 30% |
The paper’s answer is blunt: state and local governments and NGOs need to do much more at the middle and lower levels, backed by industry and CSR money.
What a skill development NGO in Maharashtra actually does
Most Indian employers don’t train people themselves. Only 7.7% of Indian firms run formal training for their own staff, compared with 38% in Mexico, per NITI. In practice, NGOs:
- train students from small towns and farming families who aren’t on any recruiter’s list
- teach skills for self-employment
- work with local employers so courses match real openings
- use CSR partnerships to pay for equipment, trainers and seats
How Terna Trust is working on the employment gap
Terna Public Charitable Trust has worked in Marathwada and Navi Mumbai for 45 years. Much of its rural training runs through DDU-GKY, a central government scheme for rural youth aged 15 to 35, and through three of its institutions.
Drone training in Dharashiv
Terna Institute of Drone Technology trains young people to fly and operate drones, and the trust’s Dharashiv campus is on DGCA’s list of authorised remote pilot training organisations. DGCA had issued over 21,000 remote pilot certificates by December 2024, and industry estimates put the need at more than 1 lakh pilots by 2027. For farm families, crop spraying and field mapping are jobs close to home.
B.Voc at Terna Engineering College
The Bachelor of Vocation pairs a recognised degree with hands-on industry training. Students graduate with a skill they can use from their first week on the job.
Nursing and allied health
Terna Nursing College and Terna Physiotherapy College in Navi Mumbai train students for healthcare, a sector that keeps hiring in India and abroad.
Read more about our rural youth skill development work and the Janseva programmes behind it.
How to choose a skill development NGO in Maharashtra
Check that the NGO:
- is a registered trust, society or Section 8 company, with CSR-1 registration if it takes CSR funds
- holds income tax approval for donations, if you want a deduction
- offers certificates employers recognise, such as DGCA-authorised training for drone pilots
- can tell you how many past trainees found work, and how quickly
For a wider view, see our list of top NGOs and charitable trusts in Maharashtra.
What the Maharashtra Skill Policy 2026-2030 means for NGOs
Maharashtra has released a draft Skill Policy 2026-2030 for public comment. Its first objective is deeper youth access to skill training and vocational education. If the state follows through, NGOs already training on the ground are the obvious partners.
The state’s Global Workforce Mobility Policy 2026, announced in September, also aims to help 1 lakh workers find overseas jobs over five years. That matters for nursing and allied health students.
How you can support skill development in Maharashtra
A donation can pay for a training seat, simulator time for a drone trainee or a placement drive in a district town. Companies can fund the same work through CSR. Donate to Terna Trust, or contact us to talk about a CSR partnership.
Frequently Asked Questions
It teaches practical, job-linked skills to people that colleges and employers don't reach, often through short certified courses and local employer links.
Skills tied to local demand. In Marathwada that includes agricultural drone operation. In cities, healthcare and technical trades hire steadily.
Yes. Schedule VII of the Companies Act, 2013 lists employment-enhancing vocational skills as an eligible CSR activity.
