Workplace readiness is the need of the hour

The unemployment rate in India is on a rise. The country’s unemployment rate increased to a three-month high at 8 per cent during November, according to data by the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE) released on December 1. The CMIE further said that the unemployment rate in urban India was higher at 8.96 per cent, while in rural areas, it was at 7.55 per cent.

Among other factors, the most significant reason behind this situation is a massive skill gap in India. Thousands of students graduate each year with degrees. But when it comes to bagging a job they fail because they lack skills that are required when transitioning to the workforce. This is because colleges aren’t equipping students with the right skills and knowledge to help them land jobs or make them market-ready.

Hence, there’s a vast need for colleges to restructure their grooming to make students ready for a market-facing pandemic-induced transformation. So how to bridge the gap?

Considering the time and money students invest in earning a degree, it’s the responsibility of the colleges to make them job-ready. Here are eight ways colleges can make students more employable:

1. Develop a robust career centre

Simply having a career centre isn’t enough. It’s the role these centres play in making the students more employable that matters the most.There are many ways a career centre can benefit students. From teaching students how to write cover letters to networking, there are many ways the centre can help the students in vital professional training. Most of the students do not know how to prepare a proper resume that will immediately catch the attention of the recruiter. The department should also teach students how to tailor their resumes focusing on keywords that will help them bypass the initial resume screening rounds.

Another important thing the department needs to work towards is getting reputable companies to come to their campus for recruitment. The centre can take help of institutions that can help them to bring big corporates to the college campus.

2. Job interview preparation

This is another aspect of making students more employable that the career centre needs to cater to. A big part of getting a job is cracking the interviews. It is difficult for most of the students to crack an interview without any prior experience. They become nervous and fail to impress the recruiter. Students might have all the knowledge, but it is pointless if they don’t know how to present it.

Arranging mock interviews prepares students for various questions and scenarios that might come up during an actual job interview round. From negotiating salary to getting a job they are qualified for,  mock interviews can teach students many skills. Being prepared for such questions also makes the students appear more thorough or potent to the recruiters during the interview process. They will get a fair idea how to face the recruiter and they will be in a better position to handle their initial nervousness.

3.Leveraging the existing alumni network

Getting industry professionals to interact with students is always a great way to help them learn about an industry and its inner ethos. And what better way to do this than getting alumni to come to the college as guest speakers. An alumnus is more likely to go to colleges as a guest speaker than some other industry professional, who might even charge a fee.

Colleges can also ask the alumni if they are okay with the potential candidate shadowing him at his workplace.  Work shadowing is observing how a person functions in a role. Shadowing will help the students learn about the responsibilities and duties of a position and the kind of pressure a job entails. The knowledge the students gain through work shadowing will also help them choose the right type of internship. Also, the alumni can be requested to consider the students in their organisations if there is a vacancy and the candidate can meet the job requirement.

4. Arranging meaningful internships

Internships are an excellent way for students to feel a workplace before starting their first jobs. Along with helping students gain some real-world experience, they also help students make connections in their industry. But, unfortunately, some internships can turn out to be nightmares for students.

One can find many reports of companies exploiting college students as unpaid interns. However, there are two kinds of internships that one should stay away from -those that make students do menial work without teaching them anything valuable and those that make students work as much if not more than an employee without compensating them in any way.

Therefore, it is essential to create a system, which protects students from being exploited and helps them to internships that are beneficial for them—for instance, having a system where the students could submit an outline of the responsibilities they will be handling at the training before starting.This will ensure students are learning something and not wasting their time. Secondly, if they get a paid internship then that will further motivate the student to take responsibilities.

5. Curriculum should be reviewed regularly

It is essential to assess the curriculum to ensure it is not outdated. It will help if colleges keep up with the times. An excellent way to do this is by getting the curriculum reviewed by industry leaders.Industry leaders will help colleges tailor curriculum according to the future needs of the market. The correct curriculum should maintain what the market will need when the students graduate 4 to 5 years later.

 6. Introduce Project-Based Learning

Another way of tailoring college curriculum for future needs is by having project-based learning. Project -based learning helps students to develop skills like problem-solving and team management, which recruiters look for while hiring. Having worked on real-life problems and cases also gives students something to showcase when they go in for interviews.Students ideally should not be the ones to blow their own trumpet, but project-based learning can help them build a great portfolio.

7.Prepare them for a remote workspace

The pandemic has shown the future lies in a remote workspace. And with a remote workspace comes the need to be proficient in specific software and tools. Collaboration software like Slack and Trello have taken over the remote workspace. So, it is essential that the students get training  in software that form the crux of remote work culture. Colleges should keep a tab on the latest remote working tools and software and make the students prepare for them.

8. Start Early

Colleges should start providing all these services right from the first year. This will give them ample time to prepare and work on their shortcomings. So, when the time comes for actual interviews, they are ready to showcase their best self. Starting early will also allow students to figure out their shortcomings and improve themselves.