By Prof Supriya Pattanayak, Vice Chancellor, Centurion University of Technology and Management, Odisha
In addition to having the largest population in the world, India is also home to a growing number of young people. Approximately 65% of the population is under 35 years old. As a result, the nation must meet the demands of its expanding population, which is both its present and its future. The majority of these young people are students who are prepared to take risks in their careers and earn a living. However, only 42.6% of Indian university graduates were employable in 2025, a further drop from 44.3% in 2023, according to a survey by India’s Graduate Skill Index.
There was also a decline in non-technical occupations. The employability of graduates who had studied business development, marketing, sales, human resources, etc., decreased by 43.5%. The situation has been very concerning, as this represents a significant decline from 48.3% in 2023. There is considerably more to this than the evolution of artificial intelligence (AI), which is what most people would say. The employment issue among students is also largely caused by other causes, such as the lack of non-technical training provided to students, hiring lags in the IT industry, and gaps in the educational system.
Universities need to step up and provide an education that is in line with the demands of the modern world. They must adopt a skill-first approach to make students ready for the future. The key to producing such skilled students who will be employable in the future will be skill-based learning. Instead of investing another six months or a year training students on the job, this mixed bag of theoretical plus skill-based education will expose students to industry methods and processes, making them an asset to employers.
To do this, universities must establish production centres and action learning labs that complement industrial settings. Students will get the confidence to take on challenges that defy expectations and provide solutions that are unprecedented if they are given the opportunity to engage with real tools, comprehend the procedures, and practise problem-solving techniques. In order to give students a practical understanding of how the industry operates, manufacturing labs can also be established in partnership with businesses. Although this may seem challenging and costly, colleges must step up to meet the urgent need. Additionally, the National Education Policy 2020 emphasises the integration of vocational training, practical-based education, and transdisciplinary learning.
There is a need to create an ecosystem for students who cannot continue regular education due to financial constraints. Courses must be created where students are able to work, earn, and study. It allows students to get a degree that will be useful in the future while also gaining real-world experience. Here, businesses and academic institutions work together to create a curriculum that enables working students to complete their education and obtain job experience. Students have earned several NSQF certificates by the time they graduate from college, increasing their business exposure and job prospects. Without a doubt, these opportunities to study while earning are better than traditional internships, which offer a very narrow view of the realities on the ground.
For such students, diplomas have also proven to be a fantastic alternative. They can assist students in specialising in their chosen sector for one to two years, and they will soon be prepared to join Industry 5.0 thanks to skill-integrated education. After achieving financial stability, students can decide to pursue a traditional bachelor’s degree, in which case the credit acquired will be valued at the appropriate number of years. Students can resume standard degree programs after a sabbatical thanks to credit systems and lateral entry programs.
In this manner, students can continue their education up to the PhD level at their own speed and whenever it is most convenient for them.
Universities must also instil in their pupils a spirit of entrepreneurship. By doing this, they will stop being job searchers and start offering jobs, making many more people employable. We can undoubtedly improve the education system and guarantee a successful career by adopting the proper mindset and approach.
