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Towards Bridging the Employability Skills Gap in India: Assessing Graduate Readiness in Indian Open Universities
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Abstract
Graduate employability is an important measure in which higher education institutions (HEIs) are assessed, yet a gap persists between the employability skills imparted by HEIs and the evolving needs of a global, technology-driven job market. This issue is particularly pressing in India, where a youthful and English-speaking workforce holds significant potential for both national and global industries. Indian HEIs, including State Open Universities (SOUs), face challenges in integrating effective employability practices due to limited tools, inadequate industry collaboration, and insufficient curriculum alignment with 21st-century skills. To this end, the Commonwealth of Learning (COL) embarked on a project facilitating the implementation of graduate employability processes and skills, including at 17 SOUs in India. This exploratory research assessed the employability readiness of selected Indian SOUs using an adapted version of the COL’s Institutional Employability Readiness Scorecard. Employing a mixed-method approach, data were collected through a survey distributed to SOU representatives. The study raised four research questions which provided insight on the status of graduate employability processes, the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats, the emerging commonalities and recommendations for resilience graduate employability. Findings reveal that the 17 SOUs ‘partially meet’ institutional graduate employability programmes. The SWOT analysis revealed strengths for the delivery of 21st-century hard and soft skills, while significant weaknesses were observed in the provisions for career fairs, seminars and collaborations with industries, including mentorship programmes. Commonalities that emerged as best-performing practices for graduate employability in the 17 Indian SOUs were provisions for functional and practical-based skills as well as opportunities to explore different disciplines in the first year of study. However, the poor-performing graduate employability practices include issues bothering on brokerage, business simulation and final-year entrepreneurial presentations/ business pitches. Key recommendations of this study include a 6-C Strategy: fostering Collaboration, enhancing Classroom Technology, updating Curriculum, building Capacity and Awareness, strengthening Connectivity with students, and ensuring compliance with policies. This study proposes a matrix implementation framework to guide SOUs in enhancing employability outcomes, emphasising strategic monitoring and continuous improvement of institutional graduate employability programmes.
PCF11 Sub-Theme: Skills development through lifelong open education
Paper ID: 9342
Subject
Open and Distance Learning (ODL), Open Universities, Employability, Skills Deveopment, Higher Education
Country
India
Region
Asia
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Date
2025-09
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Publisher
Commonwealth of Learning (COL)