Hyderabad: In today's competitive world, those who acquire technology, high standard education, and adequate skills will be the winners in the job hunt. In fact, experts have been cautioning for years that the vast majority of educated youth across the country lack the basic requirements for jobs.
The Indian Skills Report-2019 revealed that as compared to 2014 the number of job seekers in the country has increased from 33 to 47 per cent in the next five years. Around the same time, Switzerland's study ranked India 53rd out of 63 countries in terms of candidates fit for professional jobs.
Comparatively, however, India, which was ranked 23rd ten years ago in the production of employable graduates, now ranks 15th indicating some improvement. There is no scope for complacency because various countries that are incomparable to India in terms of population and geographical size are ahead of us in producing better skilled, qualified and employable graduates.
America’s top spot has remained intact in the last ten years followed by France, Germany, the UK and China.
The next five ranks are held by Australia, Canada, Switzerland, South Korea and Japan. The journey of South Korea, which has risen from 21st to ninth over the past decade and Germany from 12th to 3rd place, is literally historic.
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It is true that well-trained and dedicated teaching staff play a key role in achieving this miracle.
The Parliamentary Standing Committee report that more than one-third of the teaching staff posts are vacant is pointing to the main reason for the slowdown of Indian universities. If only we can learn lessons from the experiences of the countries that are ahead in achieving high ranks and follow them, the fate of the job seekers here will change.
How do our universities compare with the iconic universities that are synonymous for excelling standards in teaching and research?
Internationally, only IIT Delhi (27) and IIS Bangalore (71) are in the top 100 in the job eligibility rankings. The list within 200 ranks includes IIT Bombay (128), IIM Ahmedabad (184) and IIT Kharagpur (195).
It is not at all a fitting and respectable recognition of Indian higher education, which is home to nearly a thousand universities, about 40,000 colleges, and another 11.5 thousand institutions. Oxford experts strongly recommend that in order for India to be on the list of top universities, it must employ highly qualified and skilled academic and research-oriented staff.
The likes of Assocham also have made similar recommendations. Last week the Telangana Higher Education Council signed a memorandum of understanding with the Government of Wales on the exchange of teaching staff to enhance job skills among those pursuing higher education.
The Centre has recently announced a plan called Strengthening Teaching-Learning and Results for States (STARS), which will enable the education system to create employment opportunities and enhance the training of teachers.
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Since it is being proven in many countries that quality teaching is the best investment for a bright future, there is an urgent need to launch a unique institution at the national level that provides the highest level of teacher education and training.
If we can transform our teachers as mines of knowledge and skill who can shape high-quality students, many generations will be benefitted and the country's prestige will increase in the comity of nations.
