Education remains one of the key parameters for not only finding a job, but also to climb the professional ladder once you are in an organization. Often it has been proven that educational background of a professional is considered while the discussions for higher job profiles.
According to Mr. Vikas Gupta, MD, Wiley India, “Education is essentially a two-play act; it demands both concept and context to complement its body. Still, conceptual learning has long dominated the landscape of Indian education, and perhaps, this is the reason we find ourselves at a standstill.”
Despite seeing a large influx of professional degrees and increasing number of students enrolling for these degrees every year, the companies often find it difficult to get the best suited candidates for their job profiles. While recruiting, the companies often expect the candidates to be equipped with a certain set of skills, which are often not found in candidates, who are fresh out of a college. One of the major reasons behind this gap is the fact that Indian education system is still not oriented to providing the practical knowledge and skill set to the students enrolled in professional courses such as engineering and management programs. “There is a visible urgency to introduce a problem-solving mindset within the curriculum and to promote a broader vision” said Vikas Gupta. Various reports and surveys conducted in last few years have shown an alarming data, according to which, over 80% of engineers passed out from Indian colleges are unemployable, simply because they have not been exposed to practical knowledge during their college.
The gap between expectations of industries and reality of candidates has been growing at an alarming phase and despite having a young population that the country boasts of, India is still not able to make the most of its human resource.
Solutions to bridge the gap between industry expectations and candidates’ skillset in India:
- Along with being conceptual, the education system needs to be revamped in a way which includes more of contextual learning, so that the candidates can be aware of what will be expected out of them once they are out in the market, hunting for a professional opportunity. The approach will help them be job-ready as soon as they get out of the college.
- The education system needs to be revamped with keeping the industry approach in mind and not considering the learning aspect. Industry first and excellence first approach can help us move faster in the direction of making India a hub of innovations and at the same time, get the unemployment rate lower. Vikas Gupta believes that the modern-day industry demands a workforce that is aware and in sync with the incoming age of innovation.
- Also, equipping students with a problem-solving mindset can help them take an entrepreneurial route once they are out of the college. This will not only create new mindset but will also turn the students in job creators from job seekers. This can include organizing more events and competitions where students get exposure to the innovative outer world.
- Another approach that can be a catalyst in bridging this gap is making an internship mandatory for the professionals before they complete the degree. This is one of the mandatory requirements in the colleges today, however, the same is not taken as a priority. Having a good internship can help the students get first-hand experience of a workplace while still being in the college. The students will be more aware of what the industry expects out of them and will be ready to face the challenges.
Though the educational approach has started to get more practical and contextual, the approach has been very slow. The change needs to be rapid, in the words of Vikas Gupta. The country sees over half a million professionals get ready for the market every year. If the approach of contextual studying is implemented early, millions of students can have better career opportunities.