Mentoring India’s Youth: Why Skills, Confidence and Networks Matter as Much as Degrees

India is at a demographic crossroads. With over 40 million students in higher education and more than 10 million young people entering the labour market every year, the country’s growth prospects hinge on how smoothly young Indians move from classrooms to careers. Policy initiatives—from expanded skilling institutions to internships and first-job support—signal intent. Yet, a persistent gap remains between learning and livelihood, rooted not in infrastructure alone but in confidence, exposure, and access. As artificial intelligence reshapes entry-level work, that gap is becoming more visible—and more urgent.

The invisible barriers between education and employment

Despite rising enrolment, many young people struggle with the transition into work. For first-generation learners, the challenge often lies in navigating unfamiliar professional environments—interviews, workplace norms, and career choices—without guidance. For young women, the barriers are layered: social norms, safety concerns, low self-belief, and limited professional networks restrict participation even after acquiring degrees and skills.

These human constraints help explain why official gains in education and skilling have not translated into proportionate labour-force participation, particularly among women. They also explain why slower consumption growth persists despite macroeconomic indicators suggesting stability: uncertainty about jobs directly affects household confidence.

Why skills alone are no longer enough

As automation and AI alter entry-level roles, employers are increasingly prioritising human-centric skills—communication, adaptability, problem-solving and leadership—alongside technical knowledge. Data from LinkedIn show that such skills are now central to hiring decisions.

Yet these capabilities are rarely cultivated through formal curricula alone. They develop through exposure, feedback, and real-world navigation—precisely where many young Indians lack support. The result is a paradox: talent exists, credentials exist, but pathways remain blocked.

Mentoring as the missing bridge

Globally, mentoring has emerged as a powerful way to support young people through critical transitions. Mentoring addresses what systems cannot easily provide at scale: personalised guidance, role models, and safe spaces to articulate aspirations and confront uncertainty. It is especially relevant in unequal societies because it compensates for gaps in social capital.

Evidence from over 15 years of mentoring work in India shows measurable benefits: improved career decision-making, stronger self-efficacy, better social intelligence, and more progressive gender attitudes around work. For young women in particular, mentoring can be transformative. While women now enter higher education at rates comparable to men, fewer than 40% of those with advanced qualifications participate in the workforce. Mentoring helps close this gap by expanding confidence and networks.

Networks, gender, and access to opportunity

Access to networks often determines access to jobs. LinkedIn data show that the median network strength for men is significantly higher than for women, and that job seekers are four times more likely to find employment through existing connections. For young women without professional role models, this disadvantage compounds quickly.

Mentoring directly intervenes here. When young women connect with mentors who understand their realities, it broadens their sense of what is possible. Stories like that of Bindu, a student at a government engineering college who accessed apprenticeship opportunities through mentoring and later secured a full-time role at BT Group, illustrate how guidance and networks can convert qualifications into careers.

Mentoring enters public policy

Recognising these benefits, governments are beginning to embed mentoring within mainstream systems. The Ministry of Labour and Employment has integrated mentoring into the National Career Service platform, while Karnataka and Telangana are implementing mentoring at scale across collegiate and technical education.

This marks an important shift: mentoring is no longer treated as a charitable add-on but as core human-capability infrastructure. Momentum from India’s second annual Mentoring Summit, which brought together over 400 practitioners and experts, has further highlighted the need for a national architecture grounded in quality, inclusion and safeguards.

Building a national mentoring movement

Scaling mentoring requires coordinated action. Governments can provide enabling policy frameworks that make mentoring a structural part of education-to-employment systems. Non-profits can design training, curricula and safeguarding standards, ensuring quality and consistency. Corporates can mobilise employees as mentors, opening doors that many young people would never otherwise access.

Corporate-led initiatives like the LinkedIn Coaches Program demonstrate the potential: since 2015, employee volunteers have supported over one million young adults from tier 2 and tier 3 engineering colleges with coaching, networking guidance and interview preparation. When mentoring is embedded into CSR and leadership development, companies simultaneously expand opportunity and build empathetic leaders.

Philanthropy and research also have critical roles—funding long-term infrastructure, testing what works, and building evidence that informs policy and investment.

Why mentoring matters for India’s future

At its core, mentoring is about people stepping forward to support the next generation. In a country of India’s scale, even modest participation can have outsized impact. If a fraction of working professionals mentor just one young person each year, the cumulative effect on confidence, aspiration and opportunity could be transformative.

As India seeks inclusive growth in an era of technological disruption, mentoring offers a human answer to a structural challenge—one that bridges skills with confidence, education with employment, and policy intent with lived reality.