Develop soft skills early on

Classes on public speaking, confidence building, language skills, life skills etc., should be held on a regular basis. DH Photo/ S K Dinesh

As the job crisis looms large, it is essential to take steps to bridge the gap between education and employability. The need to understand the true importance of education is quintessential in this modern age of endless opportunities and technological advancements. People often confuse schooling with education but even after a degree, most end up being confused and directionless.

In the current era, only a mark sheet is not enough and an individual has to equip oneself with the much-needed soft skills as companies hire personalities and not just marks. In school, students are not trained on skills like confidence building, interpersonal skills, public speaking skills, life management etc.

This leads to an underconfident and taciturn personality. It is necessary to give importance to these often-overlooked areas. Students in most of the schools in the country are just sent to stage without being trained on stage presence and confidence. It is a major loophole in the system and is something that is endemic in the system.

Children are natural learners and are easily trainable. Hence, training them in the early should be the top priority of all schools and teachers. Our children fail miserably when it comes to spoken and written English.

It proves that only grammar sessions in a gloomy classroom are not enough to make students fluent and adroit English speakers. The education system needs to involve classes on public speaking, confidence building, language skills, life skills etc., in the curriculum. Training in these areas will turn students into profound professionals with a perfect balance between academic excellence and remarkable speaking skills.

Bridge the gap

Another major problem that increases the gap between education and employability is a poor learning atmosphere in many colleges.

For example, many engineering institutes don’t provide proper technical training to students. The result of this poor planning and curriculum is an engineering graduate whose technical knowledge amounts to zilch.

Individuals graduate from these colleges and join the long line of unemployed engineers in the nation. It is a sad fact that a strict policy of frequent inspection is nowhere in the picture.

On the one hand, we talk about a modern India with a progressive and dynamic mindset and on the other hand, we don’t modify our syllabus and teaching curriculum. The days of the “Chalk and Talk” are now gone and it is high time we accept it. Students deserve a modified syllabus and an activity-based learning atmosphere in schools and colleges. This is an alarming situation that needs immediate attention. Otherwise, we will continue producing unskilled individuals who will ultimately become jobless. A majority of students have lost interest in education and are just completing their school and college time. This gives a perilous image of the future of our country as education is the backbone of any nation. If major changes are not made in the system of education, the interest and passion of students toward learning will further dwindle.

Bridging the gap between education and employability requires diligent efforts and artistry in redesigning the age-old method of education. A system in which school going students are trained on soft skills and life management, college students are provided appropriate learning atmosphere and personality training is the need of the hour.

India deserves to be the next Global Leader but the only thing that can come in its way is the rising unemployment and the major role of poor education behind it.

(The writer is with Twin Win)