It also said that 57% of Indian graduate jobseekers are employable from Tier 3 colleges, while 51% are from Tier 2 colleges and 53% from Tier 1 colleges, India’s Graduate Skill Index 2023 added. 

Additionally, it is pertinent to note that graduates from top colleges have a significantly higher probability of securing employment upon graduation in comparison to average colleges. This disparity in employment rates can be attributed to several factors including the quality of education, the reputation of the institution, and others. 

Professor Supriya Pattanayak, Vice Chancellor at Centurion University of Technology and Management in Odisha said a gap between the knowledge imparted at most institutions and the industry expectations from freshers cannot be dismissed while asserting that the universities need to partner with industry players to ensure that students get hands-on industry-centric training.

“At Centurion University, we enable learning through a parallel model, covering fundamental steps such as product designing, development, patent, publication, production, and commercialization, aspects that are crucial for technical as well as non-technical job roles,” she told LiveMint. 

The founder of AVSAR, Navneet Singh, believes that the lack of employability among graduates occurs due to the traditional education system’s emphasis on theoretical knowledge rather than practical skills, which leaves graduates ill-prepared for the real world.

He suggested that collaboration with industry is essential to ensure the skills required for non-technical roles among graduates. “Internships and collaborations between industry and academic institutes can provide invaluable hands-on experience, thus contributing to India’s capacity and job readiness,” Singh said. 

In addition, Aditya Joshi, CEO of OpalForce also seemed to be of the same opinion about the employment gap among fresh graduates from different colleges, leading to challenges for those seeking non-technical job roles. 

“The problem lies in our educational system that often prioritizes theoretical knowledge over practical application. Graduates find themselves lacking hands-on experience and industry-specific skills, leading to limited employability prospects,” Joshi told us. 

To address this issue, a paradigm shift in curriculum design is necessary by infusing real-world projects, internships, and industry collaborations to empower students with the experiential learning needed to excel in diverse job roles, he added. 

CBP Srivastava, an Educationist and President of the Centre for Applied Research in Governance in Delhi recalled that the new education policy introduced by the Indian government intends to implant learning skills allowing the students to cross the subject barriers and learn how to use their knowledge. 

“It’s a fact that fresh graduates are really good at understanding technical skills in the era of the fourth Industrial Revolution but unfortunately most of them are unable to utilize such skills in the socio-economic milieu,” Srivastava said. 

Updated: 12 Aug 2023, 02:20 PM IST