The transition to a knowledge-based eco system requires a new generation of educated and skilled people. In a knowledge based eco system people should have the ability to create, share, and use knowledge effectively. A knowledge eco system requires new innovations and technology to develop a skilled workforce, a workforce which can be the driving force for innovation and growth. To achieve this, candidates and professionals need a comprehensive skill development platform: basic education to provide the foundation for learning; secondary education to develop core technical skills; and capabilities for further means of achieving lifelong learning. The education system must be attuned to the new global environment by promoting creativity and improving the quality of education, skill development and training programs at all levels. Developing skilled workforce enhances the efficiency and flexibility of the corporates; reduces skills bottlenecks, enables absorption of skilled candidates more easily into the economy, and improves their job mobility. It is crucial to invest in quality secondary and tertiary education and in skill development and training if the economy is to develop and remain competitive in the world.

Challenges in skill development

Lack of proper infrastructure

The infrastructure of both the corporates and educational institutes needs to be made adequate keeping in mind the number of aspiring candidates to be skilled.

Mobilization

The enrolment of the candidates for various reskilling, upskilling programs and training has become an extremely challenging task.

No proper integrated platform for reskilling & upskilling

Its difficult to find a single integrated platform that offers both reskilling and upskilling programs for candidates.

Skills Mismatch

There is a lot of issue related to the skills needed by the industry and the skills imparted through the educational and training institutes. There is a lack of industry-faculty interaction because of which the skill set doesn’t suit the employer. It becomes extremely important that the industry professionals are also included during the design of the curriculum.

Lack of focus on Non-Technical Skills

Most institutes focus on only developing technical skills whereas the employers feel the need of having Behavioral Skills too. The employers also focus on Skills like Domain Expertise, Communication, values on Honesty and Integrity, Adaptability, focused on Result, Interpersonal skill and Learning attitude. These skills are not covered as an integral part of the skill development. This is a major challenge as it results to a lot of unemployed skilled workforce.

High Cost

The cost of the training or programs are high which is not affordable by many of the candidates aspiring for jobs.

Lack of proper career guidance

There is a lack of proper career guidance to the candidates due to the inadequate placement statistics and weak industry linkages of the institutes.

Quick facts about the Global Skill Gap

1. As of 2019, Most companies have reported talent shortages at a Record High of 54% which is almost double to what it was a decade ago which was 30% in 2009.
2. Almost half of employers around the globe are using assessment data versus gut instinct to predict performance and potential of candidates.

Need to Bridge Skill Gap

Based on current estimates, a shortage of skilled knowledge workers may arise if remedial action isn’t taken. There is a clear and present need for intervention to start bridging these gaps and augment the supply of “Employable Talent” through reskilling and upskilling programs to make the candidates job ready and for professionals to enhance their careers.

Reskilling and Upskilling Programs

Reskilling programs

These are provided under specific domains like basic IT skills training, basic executive skills training etc. The programs are offered for all streams of study including arts, science, commerce, management, and engineering. These programs are aimed at making students “Job Ready” and have better employment opportunities.

Upskilling programs

These are the high-end premium programs which are offered to make candidates experts in specialized domains. Some examples include IT security, cyber law, organizational excellence etc.

GradFIRST – A Comprehensive Skill Development Platform

The most desired skills for employability today consist of soft skills, life-skills, and collaboration skills. Along with soft skills training GradFIRST provides training in Reskilling and Upskilling programs. GradFIRST provides employability training to passing out graduates and professionals to make them Industry-Ready. The comprehensive skill development platform bridges the skill-gap among candidates and professionals with the aid of versatile, easily scalable, and highly robust technology platform VEDAS (Virtual Education Delivery and Assessment System). The candidates have the comfort of studying the chosen subjects from anywhere and anytime while having the facility to interact with the faculty and peers in “real time” mode, thus combining both the collaborative and online mode of learning. In addition to this, the exclusive job portal provides authentic database access of ‘Job Ready’ candidates to the corporates. Through this system the prospective employer can verify the credentials of the candidate from the global database. The employer will be able to get complete profile of the candidate including his marks, performance metrics and validation of the data as optional service. By this the issue of handling fake resume can also be effectively managed. The platform also provides the users, an opportunity to contact the employers of their choice and land into their Dream Job!!

Value proposition of GradFIRST

• Candidates and professionals get anywhere-anytime learning opportunities to make themselves employable and self-employable.
• Universities get an end-to-end framework to make candidates “Industry Ready” and connect them with prospective employers through “Virtual Placement Cell” integrated with GradFIRST through an exclusive job portal.
• Employers gain access to 100% authentic database of “ready-to-use” manpower and can save costs involved in training, recruitment, and interviews.

It’s time to skill up

While “the skills gap” continues to challenge the global workforce, the required skills can often be learned and developed through a comprehensive skill development platform to bridge the gap between which skills the employer expects you to have and which skills you actually have. Knowing what hiring managers or the employer is looking for gives you an edge over the competition and increases your chances of getting hired or promoted.