What modern education ought to offer

It is safe to say that the upcoming quarter is going to be one of the toughest ones when it comes to employment. Fresh graduates will be entering an uncertain job market. With Covid-19 rewriting the rules of the game, it is imperative that our education system will go through a massive overhaul. To be more effective, the education system ought to incorporate the following:

Experiential learning: Students need active internships either offline or online. Industry participation, undergraduate research and fieldwork will help ensure that they have some idea of what the world outside academia functions like. Students need a blend of classroom training and practical experience where they can put their knowledge to test.

International knowledge resources: Students need a better idea about concepts like critical thinking or strategy. International tie-ups introduce a whole new world to students and force them to start thinking. Students are taught to understand concepts instead of simply mugging them up, and case-study-based methods come into play. While case-studies have to be Indian, students have to learn multiple approaches to a challenge.

Mini-projects and empowerment: Most undergraduate colleges treat college students like children. They are less of a guide and more of an enforcer. This ensures that students always expect to be guided on every small task even when they join the workforce. It’s rare to see a fresher come up with initiative. Students are more than capable when they are given projects to handle. It’s okay if they fail at projects in college. It’s better than failing at work. The system should look at the processes and efforts that have gone into the project. Most college presentations today are a copy-paste from the Internet. Let students run and manage projects end-to-end. Empower them with the tools to run projects and they will give it a fair shot.

Create cross functional graduates: One can’t just be a master of one trade today. You have to be a master of one and jack of a couple of verticals. Companies need individuals who can move into multiple roles and good at multiple disciplines. Colleges need to build students who are able to work in a team and have the skillsets necessary to complete a project or a goal. With the exception of tech skills that take time, there are few skills that can’t be taught in a disciplined manner.

Companies don’t have extended training periods these days. If students don’t come equipped with these skillsets, they are going to get a raw deal.

(The author is with SEAL Professional)