Four Collar Workforce

India has inherited a system of education, which generates an aspiration for a white-collar occupation. However, to tap the industrial boom & make best possible use of the economic opportunity a Multi-Collar Workforce is required in India.

	White-collar workforce:	This includes salaried professionals such as doctors, pilots, IT Professionals, Lawyers or employees in administrative or clerical positions. Although more preferred in the Indian milieu, there is no shortage in this category in the country.
	Grey collar workforce:	The knowledge worker for the ever growing demand of a knowledge economy which includes not only Information and Communication Technology skills, but also such soft skills as problem solving, analytical, and effective communication skills are one example.
	Blue Collar Workforce:	A blue-collar worker is a member of the working class who performs manual labor and earns an hourly wage. Blue collar work may involve factory work, building and construction trades, law enforcement, mechanical work, maintenance or technical installations. These workers are required for shop floor work in manufacturing and the service sector,
	Rust collar workforce:	Skilled workers at the grass root level, currently in the unorganized and unbenchmarked sectors like, construction, agriculture and related trades. This segment is mainly comprised of school dropouts with no employable skills. The majority of Indian population is covered under this category; hence the Skills Development Initiatives special focus.

Benchmarking the Skills at both national and where possible international standards are much required. The system should provide for mobility between collars and re-skilling opportunities as individuals gain in experience and expertise, and seek value addition for improvement in their prospects.