Academic curriculum not in tune with job market needs: IBM study

Much of the nation’s current higher education system fails to meet the needs of students, industry and society, says a study by IBM.

The study, conducted by the IBM Institute for Business Value (IBV) in cooperation with the Economist Intelligence Unit, was undertaken to evaluate India’s growing skills challenge and proposed recommendations to bridge the gap between potential employees and the job market. The study said 70 per cent of India’s venture capitalists said that start-ups are unable to find enough people with the right skills.

“Skill is emerging as the new currency across businesses globally and in India. Today’s rapidly evolving economic environment makes upskilling an imperative across job profiles and sectors. India is caught by both a skill gap and a higher education sector struggling to keep up. That is why it is critical to take proactive measures to transform the higher education system to create a new model that aligns with industry imperatives,” said DP Singh, Vice-President and Head, HR, IBM India. According to the study, “61 per cent of Indian educators who were surveyed said that higher education system is unable to keep up with the dynamics of workforce requirements,” while, only 40 per cent of Indian industry executives said new employees had the requisite job skills.

“New technologies, ever-changing skills requirements and outdated curricula are challenging India’s higher education system in its efforts to equip graduates with job-ready skills,” said the study, suggesting a “more practical and experience-based education curriculum.”

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