Skills Gap Among our Graduates !!

I have done some research on the issue of the skills gap and here are my thoughts for further discussion. I have read unwelcome but true situation that a significant number of graduates in India are “unemployable” because of the Skills gap. When I started researching the issue of Skills gap, I found that it is not just an issue among India’s youth but it is a global phenomenon. However, I was surprised that India uniquely had “integrity and values” as one of the skills being measured in surveys unlike in US, Canada and Europe. As I started digging a little deeper into the issues related to integrity I was dismayed that about 78% of hiring managers found a lie on the job seeker’s CV. Does it happen elsewhere? Yes, in my leadership role I have seen blatant examples of faculty members padding their CV.

In any event, institutions must make every effort to recognize the skills gap among the future generation of students and include best practices in the curriculum to make students employable both in knowledge and soft skills. The employers are looking for well-rounded students with the right mix of skills such as how they handle pressure and get along with others. These skills don’t necessarily show up in a transcript or a sit-down interview. The following is the compilation of skills under various classifications that employers are seeking globally. It will be good to know what I missed.

Attitude: Continuous learning /Lifelong learning
Enthusiasm/Motivation
Learning mindset/Intellectual curiosity
Cognitive: Creative thinking
Analytical abilities
Attention to details
Numeracy/Quantitative skills/ Numerical and logical ability
Cultural: Cultural elements
Expertise: Functional knowledge
Industry specific knowledge and experience/ Domain expertise
Executive: Problem solving skills/Critical thinking/ Decision making
Project management skills
Professionalism
Integrity: Integrity and values
Leadership: People skills/Relationship building / Interpersonal relations
Working with others/Collaboration/Team work
Literary: Communication skills
Literary skills (e.g. reading, writing, document use)
Research: Ability to find data/information; appropriate citation (attribution); insuring authenticity; synthesizing data, draw conclusion
Resilience: Adaptability
Ability to deal with ambiguity/complexity
Flexibility/Adaptability/Agility
Ability to handle pressure/meet deadlines
Technology: Technological literacy/ Computer use (e.g. using information and communication technologies)
Computer use (e.g. using information and communication technologies)