First Ever Employability Audit - Doc Download

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 une

Dear friends,

The full text is as follows (please bear with the attachment problem):

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...

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.
Many an occasion during the interviews / 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 / understand the subject. Now in the digital world by putting the search word, information will appear in capsule form, take up only as much wanted for exam purpose. (I’m not denying detailed information is not available in the digital world, but takers are less).
Education is a business in today's world, least bothered about the quality of education. So called education providers (business men) as well as education takers (consumers) think of how to get profit out of it.
Many cases students are just aware of concepts or things and not knowledgeable about it. Therefore, such study reports warn us of the deterioration of quality in education.
Suresh

Dear All,

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.

M.V. Kannan

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.

Dear sir,

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

In the present system, education is not closely linked with 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 killing us. Every one of us has a role to play with honesty.

Hello,

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.

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.

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.

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

MP Mittal

Dear members,

Many of you presented valid reasons for the deterioration in the education system and the quality of education. My point is that what suits one person may not suit another. Both parents and educational institutions are treating children as money-minting machines. In the good old days, there used to be a Gurukul education system where not only education but also the value and necessity of education were taught. The present-day education system aims at creating unhealthy competition, thereby forcing both parents and students to spend huge amounts of money to obtain academic degrees, mere academic degrees!

For a nation like India, there is no dearth of knowledge. Every member of this forum agrees that we had great universities like Nalanda and Taxila, where the best education was imparted to pupils from all over the world with free food and accommodation, without expecting anything in return from the students. Why are they not taken as role models? Why have people forgotten their glorious past? Instead of being advised to concentrate on understanding the subjects they study, students are encouraged to memorize texts in educational institutions. Students wake up at 4 AM and study until 11 PM. Where is the time for rest? Parents and heads of institutions are absolving themselves of their responsibility to groom students to become good citizens with good personality development. Due to the stress and conditions they face in educational institutions, students are driven to commit suicide. Do parents and educators expect students to go on a suicide mission? Where is the value addition to the educational system?

We have a primary, upper primary, higher secondary, and collegiate educational system. All these stages of education are commercialized. When the seed itself is not sown properly, how can we expect the tree to bear good fruits? Let's go to the grassroots level of our educational system. At home, mothers and grandparents, and in schools, teachers used to narrate stories from our great epics like the Ramayana, the Mahabharata, Panchatantra, and Bhagavatam. By listening to these stories, pupils grew into better human beings, transforming themselves and others, leading a purposeful life. The morals of these stories had a great influence on the minds of students and formed the basis of their lives. Now, where is such an educational system? We are under Western influence, adopting their culture but not their values (the Westerners have a better value system today). We have given up our Swadharma and embraced Paradharma. It is evident from today's Indian society that everybody wants to become a millionaire or billionaire overnight. This greed for money is driving people crazy, leading to a loss of direction and purpose in life.

The Western educational system is different and business-oriented, aimed at adding material value to life, whereas the Indian educational system is aimed at adding spiritual values to life.

Let us start listening to some wise words from elders and live a purposeful life, adding value to every moment. Let us nurture our children into knowledge hubs that help them become employable. Let us not be mere copycats.

There are no better management lessons than those found in the Ramayana, Mahabharata, and Srimad Bhagavatam, and no greater teacher than a self-realized person.

With regards,

Madhusudan

Their are number of dimensions to this problem.

The foundation: School years are the years wherein a student develops. If we define a good student, we paint a picture of someone who gets above-average marks in all the subjects, participates in sports, cultural activities, is well-behaved, etc. But the most important thing is getting good marks in "all" subjects. How can we expect a child to master every subject? He'll be interested in some but not all. If he goes by his interest, a student may get good marks/grades in science and maths (just an example) and may just pass in social sciences or language, etc. But then the exam system will mark him as a below-average student because, in order to top the classroom, you need top marks in "all" subjects. So the easiest way is to mug up the things and write in exams. Use guides, digests, tuitions, coaching classes. This, after 10 odd years of schooling, has become a habit.

The perception: Medical courses have gone beyond the realm of middle and upper mid

Education nowadays is oriented towards obtaining marks and grades. The students are not exposed to all-round development to face any type of general competition. Furthermore, one does not study in a field where employment potential is available. Once educated, they look for smart, white-collar jobs. In that area, job opportunities are congested, less, or saturated. There is a need for the study of job potential, guidance from planners, and the government to provide appropriate jobs for a good 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.

The topic under discussion was the 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 IIM's, 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

Dear friends,

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, diplomats (is it a right usage, ha,ha), who are found wanting in the employment market, I am asking this -

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.'

My views are:

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. And Governments should concentrate only on Civil and Border defense, macro policy-making, etc. On the other, we complain it has become a business because of the advent of mushrooming private institutions. Still, I don't deny 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.

For many years, I have been advocating that every industry, maybe we can fix some norms, side by side start at least one Engineering college which should be made a pre-qualification to commence its operations. And every student should be taken as a student trainee in the industry, maybe they could be paid some remuneration as well. 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. And this could ensure the students coming out will have some sort of industry exposure.

Dear friend,

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.

1) 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?

2) 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.

3) 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,

[Your Name]

Dear Madhu,

I appreciate your narration highlighting Ramayana, Mahabharata, etc. Did you know how many Ramayanas are floating in India? And what do they ultimately teach us? Thousands of wives for King Dasaratha, the abduction of Seetha aboard Pushpaka vimana, the war with Ravana assisted by Hanuman god and his aids, and ultimately Rama testing the chastity of Seetha, his trusted wife. After all that, what next? My humble feeling is that the fiction of Ramayana should be deemed good enough only for those days and hardly has any relevance to current requirements. Imagine if we had to go to a gurukul under some sage and wanted to become an Engineer or Doctor. Similarly, with Mahabharata. These are good enough for stories to be filmed. How do you expect these tales to meet our current needs? Let us not be carried away by an emotional past; we are yet to surpass some small countries like Japan, devastated by World Wars. It's better if we talk less about Taiwan, Korea, Thailand, Malaysia, and China, etc.

Kind regards,

Madhusudan

Dear Kumar,

Thank you for your valuable insights on my posting wherein I quoted Ramayana, Mahabharata, etc. There may be many Ramayanas like Valmiki Ramayanam, Kamba Ramayanam, Molla Ramayanam, Nirvachanottara Ramayanam, etc. The common goal of all the presenters of all these Ramayanas is only one - propagating Good (by thought, word, and deed) and eliminating Evil (by thought, word, and deed) in society and establishing Dharma (righteousness) in society. I need not tell you what dharma is. Dharma is acting with conscience in how you think, what you speak, and what you do. My view is today's society is not following this. I tried to present my views on what good we can achieve by understanding and following the subtler meanings of the positive characters depicted in these epics. They are not fiction. They are called "Itihasas" - meaning "they happened as such." I don't know what made you think that these epics are not relevant for today's society. If you listen to the discourses given by renowned scholars like Sri Chaganti Koteswara Rao, you may understand the whole scheme of the birth of various characters presented in Ramayana by Valmiki Maharshi. He was a contemporary of Sri Rama. He was a close witness to the happenings in the Ayodhya kingdom and Sri Rama's rule. Take each character in Ramayana and try to understand how they behaved and presented themselves to society. There is good and there is bad, and finally, good won over evil.

Suppose somebody does a good thing to you; you thank the person as a token of gratitude, and if someone does harm to you, you retaliate. The logic is simple, whatever you give/do to others returns to you. Whatever was depicted in Ramayana and Mahabharata is reflecting in today's society. Did you ever read Ramayana and Mahabharata fully? My submission is you first read these epics fully and try to understand the inner and subtler meaning of the roles played by the characters in these epics. There are doctors and engineers in Sri Rama's army who could save the lives of Sri Rama and Lakshmana and who could construct a bridge that still lasts in the Indian Ocean between India and Sri Lanka. Is this not the strength of Gurukul education? Dasaradha may have 356 wives and three queens, but Sri Rama had only one wife, Sita Devi. Is it wrong to get back one's wife if someone abducts? Is it not the duty of Law to punish the wicked and crooked when lawlessness prevails in society? Sometimes, to get a good implemented in society we may have to apply some force.

What about the great scientists Kanada who invented Trasarenu, a small particle smaller than an atom? What about Aryabhatta and Varahamihira? What about the war strategies applied in the great war of Mahabharata by the great warriors like Bhishma, Drona, Arjuna, Drushtadyumna, and Pandavas? Were all these not taught education in Gurukuls? What about the great surgeons of India, Charaka, and Susruta? Were they not taught education in Gurukuls? If you visit some of South India temples, you may be astonished to know the architectural feats performed by our ancient civil engineers. All these great personalities were taught education in Gurukuls. You may observe one great thing in all those ancient teachers that they had no selfish motive in imparting value-based education and wisdom. Due to this unselfish attitude of our teachers, that, we still stand apart from others and compete with others. Why European countries and the US are earning so much wealth, I need not tell you. It is because of our knowledge and hardworking nature that they are earning. What I mean to say is this - Roots of the present lie in the Past.

I apologize if there is anything harsh in this that hurts your feelings.

With regards,

Madhusudan

Friends,

The full text of the Indian Express article is attached. There are different views, one from the candidates' side and the other from employers' side. Isn't it fair on the part of employers to expect that fresh graduates should immediately satisfy the rigors of employment, and 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.

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

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

For many student folks, education is a burden, not a gateway to knowledge. Any employer who invests crores of money into his industry naturally looks for experienced hands to run his business and does not wish to allow newcomers to use his industry 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.

With regards,

Madhusudan