India stands at a critical demographic juncture. Over 40 million young people are currently enrolled in higher education, and more than 10 million enter the labour market every year. This scale of transition makes the education-to-employment pipeline one of the most consequential policy challenges of the decade. While recent initiatives have focused on upgrading skilling institutions, expanding internships, and easing first-job transitions, these measures alone are insufficient. The gap between learning and livelihood is not just institutional or infrastructural—it is deeply human.
The Human Gap in India’s Education-to-Employment Pipeline
For many young Indians, especially first-generation learners, the move from education to work is marked by uncertainty, limited exposure, and low confidence. These challenges are sharper for young women, who often complete degrees and training but struggle to enter or remain in the workforce due to social norms, safety concerns, and lack of professional networks. As artificial intelligence reshapes entry-level roles and raises expectations around adaptability and communication, these invisible barriers are becoming even more pronounced.
Why Skills Alone Are Not Enough
Labour market data increasingly point to a shift in employer demand. According to insights from “”, employers are placing greater value on human-centric skills such as communication, problem-solving, leadership, and adaptability. These capabilities are not easily transmitted through classrooms or short-term skilling programmes. They are developed through exposure, guidance, and lived experience—areas where many young people, particularly from disadvantaged backgrounds, are at a disadvantage.
Mentoring as a Bridge Between Potential and Opportunity
Mentoring offers a way to bridge this gap. Globally, it has proven effective in supporting young people through key life and career transitions. Unlike formal systems, mentoring operates at a personal level—providing a trusted adult who listens, understands context, helps clarify aspirations, and navigates uncertainty alongside the mentee. In India, mentoring has particular relevance because it directly addresses inequalities in access to social capital and professional networks.
Evidence from over 15 years of work by Mentor Together shows that high-quality mentoring improves career decision-making, self-efficacy, social intelligence, and gender attitudes towards work. These outcomes are especially significant for young women, who now enter higher education at rates comparable to men, yet fewer than 40% of those with advanced qualifications participate in the labour force.
Gender, Networks, and Unequal Access
Network gaps play a critical role in this disparity. LinkedIn data indicate that the median network strength of men is 8.3 percentile points higher than that of women, and that job seekers are four times more likely to secure employment through existing connections. Mentoring helps counter this imbalance by expanding networks and offering role models who understand the constraints young women face. For many, this exposure reshapes what they believe is possible—from internships to sustained careers and leadership roles.
Mentoring Enters Public Policy
Recognising its potential, governments are beginning to embed mentoring within mainstream systems. The “” has integrated mentoring into the National Career Service platform. State governments in Karnataka and Telangana are implementing mentoring programmes at scale across collegiate and technical education. This marks an important shift: mentoring is no longer seen as an optional add-on but as a core element of human capability development.
Towards a National Mentoring Architecture
Discussions at India’s second annual Mentoring Summit, which brought together over 400 experts and practitioners, highlighted the need for a national mentoring architecture. Such a framework would prioritise quality and inclusion through clear standards for mentor training and conduct, structured and evidence-aligned curricula, robust monitoring and safeguarding systems, and digital platforms that expand access without diluting human connection.
Shared Responsibility Across Sectors
Building a national mentoring movement requires coordinated action across stakeholders:
- Government can create enabling policy frameworks that integrate mentoring into education, skilling, and employment systems.
- Non-profits can design training, safeguarding, and curriculum models, and support institutions in consistent implementation.
- Corporates can mobilise employees as mentors, opening networks otherwise inaccessible to young people. Programmes like the LinkedIn Coaches initiative show how volunteering can be aligned with CSR and leadership development.
- Philanthropy can fund long-term infrastructure, research, and capacity building.
- Researchers can generate evidence on what works, for whom, and at what cost, strengthening programme design and policy decisions.
What to Note for Prelims?
- Over 40 million students in higher education in India
- 10+ million youth enter the labour market annually
- Less than 40% labour force participation among highly educated women
- National Career Service platform includes mentoring
What to Note for Mains?
- Structural and social barriers in education-to-employment transition
- Role of mentoring in building human and social capital
- Gender gaps in workforce participation and professional networks
- Importance of multi-stakeholder approaches in youth employment policy
At its core, mentoring is about people stepping forward to support the next generation. If even a fraction of India’s working professionals mentored one young person each year, the cumulative effect could reshape opportunity, confidence, and aspiration at a national scale.
