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Indian Graduates and Employees are on High Alert! Reskilling is Must to Stay Employed!

• If we go by NASSCOM report, about 40 per cent of India’s total workforce must be reskilled over the next five years to cope with emerging trends such as AI, IoT, machine learning and blockchain
• As per a new World Economic Forum (WEF) report titled ‘The Future of Jobs 2018’, the Fourth Industrial Revolution will make 75 million jobs obsolete by the year 2022 but will also create 133 million new jobs — a net gain of 58 million. 

Ayush Bansal Co-Founder of Foxmula

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The rapid emergence of new technologies like Artificial Intelligence, Robotics and Automation are generating the need for new skills which in turn disrupting the existing job market by creating a huge digital and technical skill gaps in employees. These emerging technologies are dominating and would continue to dominate the future industry, creating a constant need of up-gradation of technical skills of employees to sustain not only in the current job market but for the future market as well. 

The pace at which there are new technologies and innovations happening in the industry outstrips knowledge and skill very quickly, therefore it is important for employees to keep up with the speed of innovation. 

If we go by NASSCOM report, about 40 per cent of India’s total workforce must be reskilled over the next five years to cope with emerging trends such as AI, IoT, machine learning and blockchain. 

With technology changing exponentially over the last decade, the shelf life of skills has shortened. Skills that were relevant at the beginning of the career has now become almost obsolete. 

As per a new World Economic Forum (WEF) report titled ‘The Future of Jobs 2018’, the Fourth Industrial Revolution will make 75 million jobs obsolete by the year 2022 but will also create 133 million new jobs — a net gain of 58 million.  Thus, in order to sustain in the industry, it is crucial for employees to reskill or upskill to stay industry-relevant.

The primary problem is our Indian education system both at school and university level is not in sync with the modern industry requirement. Most of our Indian graduates lack the skills and aptitude required to learn new and advanced technologies that are needed to survive in the future job market. To put it bluntly, the question is: Is India producing the right kind of Employees for the jobs of tomorrow?

The Answer is ‘not yet’ Except a Few Prestigious Institutions

For this, educational institutes should assess learner performance continuously over each semester of their graduation or post-graduation. The examination system should be designed in such a manner that could assess a learner’s progress systematically. We should remember the world of work we are preparing students for is constantly changing, and many jobs are becoming obsolete. Therefore, colleges or universities need to prepare their students not just to earn a degree, but also to make them job-ready. This is a high time for Universities to adopt technology in the learning process to be able to provide on-demand learning. Internships, while learning on the job, should also be encouraged along with on-site/online learning, leading them towards certifications. Work-based learning always ensures a higher productive employee, thereby reducing attrition and the cost of hiring for employers. 

The reskilling market in India is driven by the needs of a large working population looking for industry-relevant skills. Therefore, it is important for both the industry and the government to provide upskilling on existing skillsets and provide reskilling for newer job roles. 

Many corporates have proactively incorporated skill upgrading modules into their working schedules. Employees are being given an opportunity to upskill or reskill to meet the job requirements at the cost of the company. This employee up-gradation module helps both employee and employers to work with each other for the long term while meeting the pace of technology and future demands.

The need for upskilling and reskilling to minimize the skill gap of employees has given rise to many EdTech companies to cater to the huge requirements for continuous learning and upgrading skills of emerging technologies that have spawned a booming job market. 

In order to reduce the unemployment rate of India, we need to find an effective way to skill, upskill and reskill our youth before they enter the industry, and provide them with a lifelong learning path. This is not only beneficial for the employees but will also be rewarding for the industry. Instead of making the academic process aimed at just examinations and maintaining the current format of ‘one size fits all’, a combined effort will lead to the affluence of job opportunities, finding upskilled talent to come on-board, and in driving economic growth of the nation. 

Machine Learning

New-age technologies like Machine Learning, Data Science, Deep Learning, Robotics, AI, etc. are game-changer within the corporate and education sector. Just for AI solutions, many industries are aggressively investing with global investments forecasted to achieve a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 50.1 per cent to reach USD 57.6 billion in 2021. 

Considering the emerging job trends globally, the government has taken its first step by announcing the initiative to  skill and re-skill Indian youth to cater to new-age technologies and job roles on Budget 2019 where Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said government will now focus on new-age skills like artificial intelligence and internet of things to help our youth get jobs overseas for which a dedicated curriculum will be developed across identified sectors. The idea behind it is to ensure that employees have access to global economic opportunities by remaining relevant in the new competitive world of work and that businesses have access to the upskilled talent for the jobs of the future. Now with Government’s support and initiatives, India being one of the fastest developing nations, can be one in Technology advancements too. 

‘Skill India’ can be made even efficient if EdTech is involved. E-learning, Online Networking, assessments, exams, exposure and fun can attract students not only from different countries but the in-house talents as well.

Source: https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/336941

Wind of Change With Edtech

• According to a report by Google and KPMG, the online education market has the potential to touch $1.96 billion by 2021, as everyone-from school-going students to MBA aspirants to CXOs of multinational corporations-is a potential learner.

Aditya Malik

From a very young age, students are conditioned to attend brick-and-mortar establishments that still have a highly theoretical exam-driven system, where the emphasis is on scoring marks, not on gaining knowledge or understanding its application in the real world. This diminishes their potential. However, for the past decade, Edtech has been changing things for the better. It has had a revolutionary impact on the education landscape, helping education spread to the farthest corners of the globe. Edtech start-ups are fulfilling the needs of the new generation of learners, who are seeking experiential and interactive courses that facilitate authentic, practical skill development.

The Rise of Edtech

Edtech start-ups, especially pro­minent players such as BYJU’s, Toppr and Eruditus, have attracted a significant amount of investor attention. Other players are growing inorganically, investing in strategic Indian Edtech to add newer markets and course dom­ains. According to a report by Google and KPMG, the online education market has the potential to touch $1.96 billion by 2021, as everyone-from school-going students to MBA aspirants to CXOs of multinational corporations-is a potential learner.

The Growth Graph

The evolution of communication, cheaper internet, gamification, artificial intelligence and machine learning-powered plat­forms are the drivers of the changing face of global education and the democratisation of education. The mobility revolution has also given wings to the Edtech industry. Educators are now using smartphones as tools for imparting knowledge. Real-time updates, interactive curriculums, online tutoring and edutainment are some of the methods Edtech companies use to broaden their reach. Technological innovations are also enabling these firms to reach Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities-it has become possible to provide HD-quality educational videos even at internet speeds of 512kbps, ensuring that students in places with lower internet bandwidth also have access to the best educators in the world.

The future is exciting for Edtech companies. With their immense scope for technological innovation, they are creating modern learning experiences for the new generation of students-who require skill development over all else.

– The writer is CEO and co-founder, Talentedge

Source: https://www.indiatoday.in/magazine/education/story/20190722-wind-of-change-edtech-1567251-2019-07-12

Rediscovering Better Educated India by Uplifting Rural Education

• The rural education framework is crucial for absorbing technological innovations, with the help of education technology.
• Children will develop sound reasoning of what is good and what is bad and which also makes them self-reliant.

Ritesh Rawal Contributor

As we know the huge demographic of India still belongs to rural villages, therefore, education in India is of utmost importance. A survey called the Annual Status of Education Report (ASER), Indicates that although the number of rural students attending schools is rising, but on average. Among 14-18-year-olds surveyed by the ASER teams, only 43per cent could solve a class IV mathematics problem. This amount was unevenly the same among 14 to 18-year-olds, displaying that the problem of low learning outcomes was not resolved by remaining in schools. More than 40 per cent could not find their state on a map of India. Twenty-seven per cent of 14-year-olds and 21pe cent of 18-year-olds could not read a Class II textbook in the regional language, and more than 40per cent in each age group could not read a simple sentence in English.

However, World Data Lab estimates that the number of Indian living on less than $ 1.90 has fallen from 306 million in 2011 to some 70 million until today; on the contrary, more than 27 per cent of the country’s youth are still excluded from education and hardly have access to it. There are so many mindsets that pose a hindrance to the Indian Education System. Hence, pursuing a professional degree will only be fruitful if the basic necessity of primary education is fulfilled.

All of these cumulatively hint at the fact that there is indeed something that is wrong with the Indian education system. This article throws light at some of the ways in which we can bring about a change by improving the education system.

Infrastructure

As in every other sector, the Indian education sector is one that suffers from the acute death of infrastructure. Most of the government schools in rural India do not even have proper chairs, tables, restrooms, let alone a playground, libraries, and laboratories. Thus, the first step in revamping the education scene in the country should begin with improving the infrastructure so that the students are given an environment where they can learn to the best of their abilities.

Educating the Parents

First mostly the people in rural India are not educated enough that is why they don’t encourage their children to get an education. In the India scenario most of the time it is parents are the ones who force their children toward the career they won’t like. Thus, to prevent such a thing from happening, the first step that must be taken is to educate the parents about the different career options that are available to the students and the possible scope of future in them.

Training Teachers

India has a very good quality of dedicated teachers. However, the sad fact is that in rural India they receive little no training after they joined the service, giving them periodic training will not only ensure that they are updated with the changing trends, but will also help to rediscover the entire education ecosystem of the country by leaps and bound. 

Technological Advancement 

The rural education framework is crucial for absorbing technological innovations, with the help of education technology. Children will develop sound reasoning of what is good and what is bad and which also makes them self-reliant. Low-cost computers need to be manufactured for students to afford in rural areas. Free internet services and smart classes, eBooks should be offered in government schools, teaching can be made more interactive with the use of digital methods such as PPTs, video presentations, e-learning methods, practical demos, online training, and other digital methods or platforms. 

Transformation through Elementary Skills

Since the rural students are taught English in a theory style, their grasp of the language has remained abysmal this is one of the key reasons why some rural children lag in education. There is a disparity among urban and rural children when it comes to elementary skill development. Integration of technology into education to encourage rural students to develop elementary skills would empower them to deal with daily life challenges in a better way.

Skill-based Learning

Indian education system lacks the skill-based learning approach, as of now, the Indian education system is designed in such a way that students are imparted what schools want to feed, not what they want to learn. If this system can be revamped to identify the strengths of a student, then they can be given appropriate training in the chosen field. This will ensure that the child shines in that particular field.

“Blaming each other won’t help in providing quality education, but addressing the issues would surely hit the bull’s eye”

Source: https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/336315