Skill Mapping for MMS Students: Seeking Guidance from Fellow Educators

Dear all,

I am HOD at SSCMR, a leading management institute in Thane district. We want to conduct a skill mapping exercise for our MMS students. I kindly request your guidance on this matter.

Prof. Mahesh Soni

Dear Prof. Soni,

The word "skill" is defined by Homepage | Dictionary.com as "the ability, coming from one's knowledge, practice, aptitude, etc." Wordweb defines skills as "An ability that has been acquired by training."

In simple terms, the application of knowledge is referred to as skill. A skilled individual utilizes their body parts while applying their knowledge. Skill is evaluated based on the consistency of output over a specific period. Can anyone achieve consistency without practice?

MBA students are in the learning phase. They need to implement what they have learned to develop skills. How can one assess their skills at this novice stage? Doing so would be unjust.

Is it reasonable to expect an MBA (HR) student to be adept at salary processing or an MBA (Marketing) student to excel in making sales calls?

At this point, one can evaluate their knowledge but not their skill. Enhancing their knowledge can be achieved by learning from others' mistakes. However, mapping their skills prematurely would be like counting your chickens before they hatch.

Thanks,

Dinesh V Divekar

Dear Mahesh,

You have not provided enough information for us to assist you. What exactly do you mean by "Skill Mapping"? For instance, as an academic in a university, I was involved in creating a Skills Matrix to outline the skills required by undergraduate and MBA students upon completing their courses. Each module tutor then identified the skills covered in their respective modules to ensure comprehensive coverage of all necessary skills.

Dinesh V. Divekar is correct regarding skills acquired in the workplace. However, certain fundamental and transferable skills can be developed during a course. For example, refer to http://psu.edu for information on using concept maps, http://jmd.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/20/2/103 for differences in perceptions among employers, staff, and students (abstract only), and http://jmd.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/14/2/2 for advancing the practice of leadership through a curriculum available at http://scholar.google.co.uk/scholar?...mp;btnG=Search.

Have a great day.

Simhan

Dear Soni Sir,

I appreciate your concern. Mapping skills at this stage (studying) is very important and would be a wise decision, instead somebody else in the real world (may be an employer) will map it.

Broadly we can differentiate SKILLS in these categories:

First: Foundational skills or basic skills, those skills learned through education; like reading, writing, maths, speaking and listening (even eating and drinking too)...further up to job-specific technical skills. In your case, foundational skills would be up to the syllabus taught to MMS students. (These skills need not be mapped separately, you must be having university exams)

Second: "The skills" required to apply these foundational and basic skills. It includes self-management, self-learning, communication skills, problem-solving, planning and organizing, enterprising mindset, teamwork, and skills to use technology effectively. (These skills need to be mapped in detail)

Third: "The skills" to maintain and grow with the skills mentioned above. The question is HOW and WHAT? Probably I can help you out. If you need any further information, you can contact me at mpnahar@employabilityindex.com or 9823263403.