It’s 2022 and it is an age of competition for a skilled workforce and corporates are trying to cope with it. Automation and the introduction of new technologies on one hand are displacing the job of millions of people and on the other, the workforce that should and skilled in new technologies is nowhere to be found.

We defined a Skilled person as someone who has mastery over both the theoretical and practical aspects of a topic. It is also that time of the year when students are preparing to wear their caps and gowns for graduation but are also struggling to find employment due to lacking the right skill set.  When the interviews are scheduled, students find it challenging to get through the interviews, technical assessments, aptitude rounds, etc.

We recently had an opportunity to interview 200 college graduates and even though many of them were deserving and meritorious, just 5 were chosen !!! We are a growing organization and have a need for at least 20 more individuals. This experience of ours is not unique, and that’s what makes this situation sad and concerning.

Why are these students unskilled? 

We have witnessed an increase in the number of college students with gaps in their technical skills and interpersonal abilities in recent years, and this tendency is projected to continue. These disparities and challenges for graduates, according to our research, can be related to several factors:

• Students are graduating from colleges and universities with less practical experience than they have in the past.
• Institutes are struggling to keep up with the rapid adoption of new technologies at corporate
• There is a scarcity of opportunities for college students to gain practical experience while being in the university.
• Academic and professional demands have grown in recent years, leaving students with less time than ever before to dedicate to self-directed learning of the subjects involved.
• A lack of support structures within universities that help bridge the gap between theory-based education and real-world application can leave students feeling lost when they enter the workforce after graduation; this often results in high turnover rates among recent graduates who don’t feel prepared for what they are being asked to do at the workplace.
• Lack of training and skillsets makes it difficult for the freshers to sustain in the employment market and hence they even lose jobs.

What can the universities do to upskill students? 

1. Hands-on learning Introducing hands-on learning will help college students to understand the subjects not just theoretically but also practically. This provides them with a competitive advantage when they graduate.
2. Make space in the curriculum for technology skills that corporates need; -Corporates are the ones that can best define what is needed from their future workforce . Universities and Corporate have to work together to make space in the curriculum for these new topics to be taught. Corporations should make available their experts deliver this content.

Corporate Internships for students – Practicing in a real-world environment is probably 1000 times better than sitting and watching others do it. And the opportunity to do this is best provided in the form of internships by corporates. This method has been a tremendous success for us. During the internship phase, each person is also actively mentored by a skilled senior. The best part is that corporates also pay a stipend. It’s earned while you learn. Have the cake and eat it too 😊.

Job Readiness programs: If all else fails, taking up a Job Readiness course is what they learned to say. If your students are all ready to graduate but are not confident about getting into a job, the best option is to provide these students with an option to take up a 3 to 6-month job readiness program.

Again, the syllabus has to be defined by a corporate that is willing to interview your students at the end of this “Job readiness” or “crash” course. Spending these extra 6 months still is still better than all these graduates not having a job porates can look at k at part-ng this program too as they have the option to get a person who is ready to contribute to a project from day one.

A Microsoft study has said that there is a requirement of more than 149 million skilled workers in digital technologies the next few years.  If universities and corporates work hand-in-hand, we could together improve the livelihoods of millions of students who are ready to enter the workforce, let’s not fail them.

Top international firms are on the lookout for exceptional individuals with a variety of skills. An effective learning environment assists students in acquiring real-world experiences that provide the greatest caliber, credibility, amazing results, and expert knowledge on a wide range of topics. The job readiness program allows students to build and evaluate real-world software while also expanding our personal portfolios. Apart from that, it enables us to focus on specific abilities and stand out in the employment market.

Nuvepro is an immersive learning platform that enables hands-on learning. We assist corporates and universities in increasing their workforce’s productivity, staying up to date, and improving efficiency by making their training more practical and hands-on. This long-term workforce development program provides not only experiential hands-on training and learning labs but also supports employees in achieving various certifications. Get in touch with us to know more.