Are Nearly Half of Indian Graduates Really Unemployable? Let's Discuss the Findings

This is an article that appeared in The New Indian Express on June 24, 2013, which deserves to be debated further by our learned members. Some such discussion would have taken place in the forum. This being the latest one is appropriate to discuss further.

The New Indian Express

24 June 2013

First-ever Employability Audit: Almost half of Indian graduates unemployable

Press Trust of India: New Delhi, Mon Jun 24 2013, 18:04 hrs

The report, which is claimed to be the first-ever national audit of employability of 3-year Bachelor's degree graduates, drew inferences from data of over 60,000 graduates pan-India, based on Aspiring Minds Computer Adaptive Test (AMCAT). Reuters

India churns out tens of thousands of graduates each year, but less than half of them are "employable" or possess the basic skills necessary for any industry role, says a report.

According to a report by Aspiring Minds, an employability solutions company, around 47 percent of graduates in India are unemployable.

Employability Challenges for Indian Graduates

India churns out tens of thousands of graduates each year, but less than half of them are "employable" or possess the basic skills necessary for any industry role, says a report. According to a report by Aspiring Minds, an employability solutions company, around 47 percent of graduates in India are unemployable for any job. The report, which is claimed to be the first-ever national audit of employability of 3-year Bachelor's degree graduates, drew inferences from data of over 60,000 graduates pan-India, based on Aspiring Minds Computer Adaptive Test (AMCAT).

"The alarming statistics of nearly half of the country's graduates not being employable in the knowledge economy need great attention with interventions at both the school and higher education levels," Aspiring Minds co-founder and CTO Varun Aggarwal said.

The employability of graduates varies from 2.59 percent in functional roles such as...

Regards

I have a few questions: Are we making employability subjective? Trainable talent is not unemployable. Internships and apprenticeships are not considered employment but a prelude to it. Are employers looking through lenses that include these facts?

Yes, this is a concern. On many occasions during interviews or interactions, even with fresh candidates, it was felt whether they are clear about the fundamentals. It may be because of their inappropriate study process. Most of the time, the study takes place only with the objective of getting marks, not to learn or understand the subject. Now, in the digital world, by putting the search word, information will appear in capsule form, taken up only as much as wanted for exam purposes. (I'm not denying detailed information is not available in the digital world, but takers are less).

Education as a Business

Education is a business in today’s world, least bothered about the quality of education. So-called education providers (businessmen) as well as education takers (consumers) think of how to get profit out of it. In many cases, students are just aware of concepts or things and not knowledgeable about them. Therefore, such study reports warn us of the deterioration of quality in education.

Regards,
Suresh

I second Mr. Suresh's view. Many a time in a campus interview, we find that students who scored fewer marks than the class toppers fare well in the interview process. Surprisingly, class toppers have shown less perseverance to solve simple problems (based on their course curriculum) when compared to others who had scored less in the academic stream.

Blaming students alone is not right, as Mr. Suresh has pointed out. The mushrooming of educational institutions has led to a high rate of attrition among teaching faculties. As students get used to a particular faculty, he/she leaves the institution. The other teaching faculty of the institution is loaded with the additional burden, and he is unable to do justice many times.

I am still grateful to a teacher who took the pain of taking classes in my house for me when I underwent a major surgery when I was in class VI without any monetary expectation in return. I doubt whether we will ever find such teachers now.

We have also read news items that state that rank holders in educational institutions find it difficult to crack exams in leading engineering institutions. We also read articles that state that leading banks have recruited Engineers and MBAs for positions in the clerical cadre that require only a Higher Secondary qualification.

The reality is parents expect their wards to be at the top of their class. Eventually, there can only be one topper in the class. This leads to students following the practice of rote memory, which does not add value to them.

As Mr. Suresh has pointed out, conceptual learning with an emphasis on fundamental basics is the need of the hour, and if faculties and educational institutions are able to offer this, there will be a change in this trend.

Regards,
M.V. Kannan

The Changing Landscape of Education in India

Education in India is changing, but gradually. For example, in some schools, a child has to compulsorily take up one sport and one music activity each year. I feel a vocational skill needs to be compulsory as well and made part of the curriculum irrespective of the Board or medium of education. Students will pass out with at least one vocational skill that can stand them in good stead and hopefully be a source of employment for them in the future.

Everybody talks about problems. Experts with superficial and shallow knowledge formulate programs without responsibilities for implementation. Whatever recommendations are made, they are kept in cold storage or implemented in a half-hearted manner by people without a role in formulation.

Education and Its Disconnect with Real-Life Issues

In the present system, education is not closely linked with the problems and issues of life. Universities, colleges, and educational institutions run on commercial lines without many adequately trained teachers. Administrators don't bother about the emerging needs of society. Do we educate our young for economic development? The absence of vocational education and inefficiency in education are detrimental to us. Every one of us has a role to play with honesty.

Yes, I agree with the views of the screening institution that the employability of degree holders has deteriorated significantly. There are good reasons for this decline.

Causes of Decline in Employability

The institutions are mushrooming without careful monitoring of educational requirements. Corruption at the political and bureaucratic levels is the root cause of this low level of education. If you are politically or monetarily powerful, you can obtain institution licenses without proper scrutiny of the learning environments available. Education has turned into a high-class business.

Parental Accountability

We, as parents, are also accountable for this decline. We are aware when our child is not suitable for a particular professional course, yet we resort to underhand dealings such as donations to secure admission. This results in poor outcomes, denying deserving students the opportunity. This is a two-pronged issue.

Impact on Educational Institutions

The standard of education has plummeted to such an extent that many engineering and MBA colleges struggle to attract students. This is particularly evident in Haryana.

Education as a Standard, Not a Business

Education should be a standard, not a business. Achieving this requires political will and stringent oversight of politicians, though this is a challenging task.

Regards,
MP Mittal

Education and Employment Challenges

Education nowadays is oriented towards obtaining marks and grades. Students are not exposed to all-round development to face any type of general competition. Furthermore, individuals do not study in fields where employment potential is available. Once educated, they look for smart, white-collar jobs. In that area, job opportunities are congested, limited, or saturated.

There is a need for the study of job potential, guidance from planners, and government intervention to provide appropriate jobs for a significant number of unemployed youth. This requires regular study and updating. For example, there are good opportunities for Chartered Accountants, Stenographers, etc. However, this may not last forever. The requirements need to be identified quite early. Why not so on and so forth.

Employability of Indian Graduates/Postgraduates

A lot of replies are very good and have rightly blamed our education system and the number of institutions churning out such candidates. The main point of the newspaper article was (although not specified) that our students have academic qualifications but do not possess the capabilities to be productive in a work environment. There is no positive interaction between industry and educational institutions. Our students do not gain practical knowledge or experience of what is required of them in the workplace. When they start work, they feel lost and/or the employer feels the need for further training to make them productive.

There can be numerous ways to improve this situation. But who will take the first step? The newspaper article was based on feedback from industry. Can businesses and industries come forward and suggest ways and means to improve this situation?

Take, for example, the IIMs. Are those who pass out of these institutions employable or not employable? Of course, they are. Why? Because of the design of the curriculum and the partnership with industry. The same can be done with other institutions of learning. Where there is a will, there is a way.

There are many educational institutions in this country that produce exceptionally good talent, but those are very few. Today, everyone wants to get an engineering degree. From which institution it does not matter, that is because they are not able to get into the good institutions due to the competition or because their fees are very high.

There is so much to be said, but I will now stop and let others shed some light on this very urgent and critical situation. I am not an educationalist, so I will not be able to add value to this topic but have just mentioned a few of my thoughts.

Best regards

After going through the postings of all of you, I have a basic question to put before you all. Since many of you commented that our colleges, universities, etc., churn out millions of graduates, postgraduates, and diplomats (is it the right usage, ha, ha), who are found wanting in the employment market, I am asking this:

Responsibility for Employability

Is it the duty of these institutions to prepare their wards for their employability? Is the onus on them if the wards fall short of expectations? Or, who should take the responsibility if they are not fit to be employed?

Prima facie, it is very easy to blame the inadequate curriculum, syllabi, extracurricular activities, and so on. Is it not good enough if these institutions are content with completing their syllabi and seeing their wards secure top rankings in their exams? Why should they or the syllabi cover employability as well? And a word of caution to all those who blame the syllabi, etc. - first answer what you mean by employability. I also take the lead: An engineer takes employment in a bank, and his/her engineering college should also provide training in banking in addition to engineering subjects so that he can be fit to seek a job in a bank. Similarly, a doctor secures IAS, IPS, etc., and his MBBS curriculum should include general knowledge, advanced English, world affairs, financial markets, etc. Like this, we can go on extending the subject.

I wish our members to continue this more pragmatically instead of with a touch of emotions.

More views could be added. What are the scenarios in advanced countries with regard to 'employability'? I think proficiency in English speaking, writing, and quoting phrases from Dr. Johnson or some Ugandan writer and such things alone shouldn’t be considered as 'employability.'

Regards.

My Views on the Education System

1. On one hand, we say that in India, the education system should be liberated from government controls and should be free to do whatever they might do. Governments should concentrate only on civil and border defense, macro policy-making, etc. On the other hand, we complain it has become a business because of the advent of mushrooming private institutions. Still, I don't deny that government institutions also provide quality education, but at the same time, the general feeling is that most private institutions provide better education. Am I correct?

2. Compared to many developing and developed countries, our institutions are still not sufficient to cater to the needs of students. Hardly 50% of students passing out of schools get into colleges, and out of them, only 10-15% go on to higher studies. I agree education is becoming costlier not only with private institutions but also with government/aided institutions as well. That apart, we see pupils trekking miles to reach their classes in remote areas. Therefore, at least in quantity too, we are inadequate.

Regards,
[Username]

For many years, I have been advocating that every industry, maybe we can fix some norms, should start at least one Engineering college, which should be made a pre-qualification to commence its operations. Every student should be taken as a student trainee in the industry, and maybe they could be paid some remuneration as well. This is similar to Medical colleges, which are supposed to own at least a 300-bedded hospital. Like this, every business house of reasonable size should undergo such stipulations. This could ensure that the students coming out will have some sort of industry exposure.

Education nowadays is oriented towards obtaining marks and grades, leaving students lacking in all-round development needed to face general competition. Additionally, students often overlook fields with employment potential, instead focusing on white-collar jobs. This has led to congestion and saturation in job opportunities in certain areas. There is a crucial need for studying job potential, receiving guidance from planners and the government, and securing appropriate jobs for a significant number of unemployed youth. This necessitates continuous study and updates. For instance, fields like Chartered Accountancy and Stenography currently offer good opportunities, but these trends may not persist indefinitely. It is essential to identify such opportunities early on.

Alternative Methods to Assess Student Progress

Could you suggest an alternative method to assess a student's progress and knowledge upon completing their curriculum? How do you determine whether a student has passed or failed?

Chartered Accountants and Employment Opportunities

Chartered Accountants (CAs) face a rigorous examination process, with only a small percentage passing after multiple attempts. Vacancies for CAs are consistently available, especially considering the increasing number of financial scandals and frauds unearthed by auditors.

The Decline of Stenography and Rise of IT

It is worth noting that stenographers have become scarce with the rise of IT. Typewriting and stenography institutions are closing down as children are introduced to computers at a young age. An illustrative example is a school student from Chennai who has been appointed as an Editor for an IT magazine based in Kuwait. This showcases the high level of literacy among today's youth.

I hope these insights provide valuable perspectives on the evolving landscape of education and employment opportunities.

Best regards

Friends,

The full text of the Indian Express article is attached. There are different views, one from the candidates' side and the other from the employers' side. Isn't it fair on the part of employers to expect that fresh graduates should immediately satisfy the rigors of employment? When they fall short, why should institutions be blamed? Of course, if the candidates don't exhibit basic knowledge on the subject, they should be blamed, not the curriculum or the institutions. The institutions can only teach common skills to all candidates, and it's up to them to digest and apply them in their employment requirements. Am I correct?

Thank you.

Well, the few words I would say are that graduates need to prepare themselves to be employable, and it is not the government's responsibility to make them employable.

Enhancing Employability of Fresh Graduates

To make fresh graduates employable, they are taken as apprentices and trained in industries, receiving a stipend. This is particularly the case in manufacturing industries, where these graduates are trained under experienced professionals to become employable.

Challenges Faced by Educational Institutions

The actual scenario is that educational institutions are employing students straight from college who have no opportunity for industrial exposure. What subjects can they teach to students without such exposure? Apart from their subject knowledge, the incumbents lack soft skills. Without these skills, they cannot present themselves effectively to the industry.

Perception of Education Among Students

For many students, education is a burden rather than a gateway to knowledge. Employers who invest significant amounts of money into their industries naturally look for experienced individuals to run their businesses and do not wish to allow newcomers to use their industries as a springboard for better opportunities. As long as there is healthy industry-institution interaction, one cannot expect better output from newcomers in the industry. Positive efforts are needed in this direction.

Regards,
Madhusudan