Every year students in India score good marks in their examinations and are even shortlisted for placements industry wants employees who can be productive from Day One. Gone are the days when just scores were considered for jobs. Nowadays companies look for employees with better soft skills.
The new normal has pushed educational institutes to strive towards an education that is learning-centric. With the rapid adoption of digital learning, there is a need to address the gaps in the learning process of students.
To address this gap, there needs to be a mutually beneficial partnership between academic institutions and the industry to make the students employable. In the same context recently, Coursera, Anurag and IndiGlobal Media Network collaborated for a symposium at Anurag University in Hyderabad.
Higher Education must adapt to a new digital world in wake of challenges posed by Automation and Covid-19, stressed Mr Pushkar Kelkar, Regional Director, Coursera. He further added, “The pandemic accelerated the pace of technological adoption worldwide with “Coursera for Campus” getting connected with 6000 institutes globally and 10 crore students with 1.5 crore from India alone.”
Higher education institutions should focus on a skills-first approach to design their curricula catering to industry and market needs, he said. Multi-disciplinary skills empower students to pursue multiple-career paths, Mr. Kelkar said, emphasizing that Online learning helps students pursuing higher education with immense opportunities.
Anurag University Managing Trustee Mrs Neelima gave an insight of Anurag’s journey and growth since 2001 to be considered as one of the top educational institutions in the State. “At present 8000 students are on rolls of our varsity and we achieved a record 2100 job placements with some students getting three to four job offers each,” she added. Mrs Neelima felt blended learning is the way forward with offline and online modes of teaching complimenting each other to benefit the students.
Anurag Palla, Trustee, Anurag University who was instrumental in hosting this symposium in collaboration with IndiGlobal Media Network desired participants comprising second year engineering students to keenly listen to industry experts to get an idea about market readiness and skills required and work in that regard.
Ms Deepthi Ravula, CEO, WE Hub, Government of Telangana, urged the students to learn, adapt and execute while being agile developing much needed skills that will stand them in good stead in career after stepping out of college. She gave the emphasis on the digital education & industry ready skills. Ravula highlighted that every job needs every skill and every employer is looking for someone who can learn, adapt & execute & be agile.
Reema Gupta, Director, Blended Learning, Gitam University, spoke about seven hacks for learning in the digital world. She wanted the students to look beyond one course. At Gitam, half of the students have taken four or more online courses and logged one million learning hours, she pointed out. Also she advised the students to be self-directed and learn on your own. She elaborated on the skills like self dedication, active learning, open to new ideas, time management, and collaboration with peers & giving & receiving of feedback.
Sandeep Sharma, MD at Real Page and Joint Secretary HYSEA, touched upon the Triangle concept and exhorted students to have Clarity, Capability and Motivation in what they do. Clarity on what you want to do and capability to achieve it and self motivation to pursue it is the key for success, he told the students. He advised students to work on improving communication skills which is very essential for job recruitments.
Below is a list of a few selected skills that can make you industry ready-
- Time Management
- Listening Skills
- Receiving Feedback
- Critical Thinking
- Communication Skills
- Teamwork
- Positive Thinking
- Motivation
- Conflict Management
- Goal Setting
- Presentation Skills
- Interview Skills
- English Speaking Ability
- Computer Competence
- Adaptability
- Email Writing
- Telephone Etiquette
- Video Conferencing Etiquette
- Analytical Skills
- Design Thinking
- Leadership Skills
To adapt to the changing business requirements, education mechanisms have digitized and virtual classrooms took the centre stage. Similarly, even the skill sets required by the industry have rapidly changed; demanding for a change in the curriculum and teaching methods of the higher education system.