Global Talent India: Challenges and Opportunities for Skills Development in Higher Education - 2019 by Global Ed

GLOBAL TALENT

INDI A

Challenges and Opportunities for Skills Development in Higher Education - 2nd Edition, 2019

Professor Sonal Minocha | Dr Dean Hristov

GLOBAL TALENT IN INDIA: CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR SKILLS DEVELOPMENT IN HIGHER EDUCATION â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 2nd EDITION 2nd edition, 2019, presented by Global Talent Lab International House, 24 Holborn Viaduct London, EC1A 2BN United Kingdom info@globaltalentlab.com Enquiries info@globaltalentlab.com Copyright Text CC-BY 4.0 Sonal Minocha and Dean Hristov 2019. Photographs and graphics are the copyright of their respective owners and used in this report with permission BIC classification JNM/JNMN/JNF/JNT/JNK/JFFS/1FKA ISBN 978-1-9163130-0-2

Design by Shameer Babu P. Creative Head S.Designs shameerkappu@gmail.com

Contents Preface to report �� 01 Foreword �� 02 Introduction to India �� 04 Scope, research approach and key findings �� 07 Key Cross-Stakeholder Findings �� 10 Stakeholder perspectives on challenges and opportunities �� 12 Summary and overview �� 13 HIGHER EDUCATION PERSPECTIVES: ACADEMIC STAFF AND LEADERS ��19 Experience of Indian HE �� 19 Skills development and Indian HE �� 21 The future of Indian HE and the World of Work �� 22 Case Study: Academic staff and leaders �� 24 HIGHER EDUCATION PERSPECTIVES: STUDENTS �� 26 Experience of Indian HE �� 26 Skills development and Indian HE �� 28 The future of Indian HE and the World of Work �� 30 Case study: students �� 32 INDUSTRY PERSPECTIVES: EMPLOYERS �� 34 Skills development and Indian HE �� 34 Requirements of skills and competencies �� 36 Capacity building through training and HE partnerships �� 38 The future of Indian HE and the World of Work �� 39 Case study: employers �� 40 GOVERNMENT PERSPECTIVES: POLICYMAKERS �� 43 Skills development and Indian HE �� 43 Requirements of skills and competencies �� 45 The state of brain drain in India �� 46 Key policy priorities �� 47 The future of Indian HE and the World of Work �� 48 Case study: policymakers �� 50 THIRD SECTOR PERSPECTIVE: SOCIAL ENTERPRISES �� 53 Skills development and Indian HE �� 53 Requirements of skills and competencies �� 55 The state of brain drain in India �� 56 Key policy priorities �� 58 The future of Indian HE and the World of Work �� 59 Case study: social enterprise �� 60 INTERNATIONALISATION IN THE SPOTLIGHT �� 63 Towards comprehensive internationalisation �� 63 Development of bilateral mobility programmes �� 63 Internationalisation of teaching and learning �� 63 Setting international standards in skills development in Indian HE �� 64 Funding internationalisation developments �� 64 INSIGHTS FOR POLICY AND PRACTICE �� 66 CONCLUSION �� 69 APPENDIX 1 – Data sources �� 70 APPENDIX 2 – Detailed methodology and sample characteristics �� 73

PREFACE TO REPORT This report is the second in a longitudinal study on

introduction of a draft National Education Policy

the higher-level skills development challenges facing

in 2019. However, a greater focus on higher and

Higher Education (HE) in India. This report draws on

graduate-level skills is necessary to understand and

a range of perspectives from key stakeholders and

close the productivity gap.

explores current perceptions of the challenges and opportunities for skills development in India.

It is here that our report aims to contribute by:

Higher-level, or graduate-level skills, are a key

1. Providing multi-stakeholder insights into

differentiator for economies globally. It is estimated that a skilled workforce can contribute over $150 billion to the global economy and over $9 billion in India alone. HE institutions are hubs for global talent development and indeed central to reaping the economic returns from the human resource development of a country. Research into the concept of global talent and global talent development is at the very core of the Global Talent Lab. The Global Talent Lab is a young, new platform for the research and development

the current state of the graduate-level skills development agenda in India and the role of HE within this.

2. Identifying current challenges and opportunities for improving workforce productivity and capacity building through skills development via HE.

3. Offering data-driven findings for consideration by educators, employers and policymakers in tackling India’s graduate-level skills development challenge.

of future global talent. The Lab’s core mission is to

Although the skills landscape is multi-faceted and

expand the repertoire of research practice for global

complex, we do nevertheless firmly believe that

talent development. To deliver against this purpose,

the role of Higher Education is fundamental in

we conduct and curate collaborative research into

addressing this skills mismatch and its ultimate

global talent development which can inform and

impact on the economy.

impact both policy and practice.

This report provides first-hand insights into the

This report, in its 2019 edition is a flagship product

issues surrounding higher-level skills development

of the Lab and presents a deep dive into the current

in India. The next steps are to refine and repeat

state of higher-level skills and talent development

this study over the next five years and to potentially

in India and how this is impacting upon the future

undertake a comparative study with other countries.

workforce and workplace.

It is our intent that through the Global Talent Lab,

Selecting India to commence our global research on talent development was an easy choice. India is now the world’s fastest-growing large economy,

this research holds potential to inform and influence higher skills development policy and practice in India.

and the country ranks 43rd among the world’s most

The Indian context is vast and complex, and the

competitive economies in the world (IMD World

skills development challenge messy and constantly

Competitiveness Rankings 2019). However, while

evolving. We hope, however, that this research

the economy is growing, there is a higher-level skills

navigates this complexity and presents clear

gap and a gap which is estimated to cost the Indian

implications and insights for our audiences while

economy as much as $8.61bn (INR 556 billion) in lost

preserving the authenticity of the challenge

productivity (PwC 2014).

ahead!

There has been a major skills focus in India through

We hope you find this report and its findings useful.

initiatives such as Skill India and the inception of the

We look forward to working with you in the future to

Ministry of Skills Development and Entrepreneurship

deepen and widen this study and its impact.

(MSDE). HE reforms are underway through the

Professor Sonal Minocha Global University Systems

Dr Dean Hristov Global Talent Lab

Global Talent in India | Challenges and Opportunities for Skills Development in Higher Education - 2nd Edition

FOREWORD “Education in India is at a crossroads. Big changes

technical and transferable skills, a more deep-rooted

are coming from the government to help modernise

enthusiasm for the industry and international

the sector. But the job market is changing.

collaborations, and more informed “buyers” – the

Notwithstanding the buzz around Indias start-up

parent and student themselves. Educators play a

ecosystem, 206 of the world’s unicorns are in China,

crucial role too, with greater industry collaborations

203 in the USA and 21 in India (still the world’s third-

helping course development be more responsive

largest ecosystem). The nature of jobs is changing

to the needs of the changing job market. Liberal

and the skills the workforce needs are transforming

arts, creativity, communication, critical reasoning

at a rate not seen in India before. While this brings

and multi-stakeholder management skills will

with it immense opportunities for the agile layer of

be at a premium in facilitating innovation and

India’s workforce to become a world leader in tech

new growth in the jobs market in the future, with

and deep tech skills, it also poses the very real risk of

coding, rote learning and technical skills being

turning a demographic dividend to a demographic

rewarded increasingly marginally in job descriptions.

timebomb for the vast majority of the workforce.

Employers will prioritise “why” and “how” students

This second edition report goes beyond the inaugural

know, not “what” they know.

edition to building a larger dataset and identifying

The ‘India Story’ abroad is often presented through

the nuance of the changes required in higher-level

a narrow lens, be it focusing only on business and

skills development in India. To achieve the depth

the economy, society or policy landscape. Given

and breadth this report does is to be commended.

its diversity, everything about India, and it’s polar

It offers a high-level overview of the changing

opposite is true in unison. This report highlights

landscape in India for policymakers; but also a

celebrates and critically appraises this nuance,

bottom-up analysis of the push and pull factors

to help those inside and outside the country

contributing to these changes, and what might need

understand the rapidly changing skills development

to happen to realise the dividend.

landscape better.”

Such changes will inevitably need to be a combination of pedagogical, regulatory, technologyand driven initiatives, a greater focus on non-

Pratik Dattani, Managing Director, EPG Economic and Strategy Consulting

Global Talent in India | Challenges and Opportunities for Skills Development in Higher Education - 2nd Edition

INTRODUCTION TO INDIA

INTRODUCTION TO INDIA Socio-economic profile of India In 2019 India is the world’s fastest-growing large

country (World Bank 2019). As India embraces

economy for a second consecutive year, having

globalisation and international links in shaping a

outpaced China over the past two years. The World

more competitive and open economy and society,

Bank (2016, 2019) predicts a robust growth rate

the country needs a well-rounded, future-ready

of 7.3% over the 2018-19 financial year and in

graduate workforce, which is capable of contributing

2020, India’s GDP is projected to grow to 7.5%.

to productivity and capacity building across key

India now ranks 43rd among the world’s most

sectors of the economy. Key challenges in scaling up

competitive economies according to the latest IMD

workforce productivity and economic development

World Competitiveness Rankings 2019. In times

initiatives are often related to the quality of the

when global growth in 2019 is expected to slow

graduate workforce. Unemployable graduates would

to 2.6%, the Government of India has ambitious

negatively affect workforce productivity levels, which

plans to transform the country into a competitive,

in turn poses challenges to capitalising on the rapid

high-growth, high productivity middle-income

economic growth of the country over the past years.

Reaping the demographic dividend India is a young country. With a population of

Great opportunities lie ahead for Young India.

1.35bn people (IMF 2019), India is the second-most

With as many as 711 million people in the active

populous country in the world only behind China,

working-age group of 15-59, India is already the

and more than half of the country’s population is

largest workforce in the world. While economic

under the age of 25. India is projected to remain

and demographic changes are leading to a

a nation of the young with a median age of 31 to

growing demand for education in the country, skill

2030; unlike many ageing nations in the rest of the

development and capacity building of Indian talent

world, including China (WEF 2019).

have also been at the forefront of Modi’s agenda.

India’s demographic dividend is predicted to have

Amidst India’s demographic dividend and

huge implications for the future workforce, not just

large workforce, the challenge of scalability and

in India but also on a global scale. The country adds

sustainability of the provision of education and skills

12 million people to its workforce every year, and

development opportunities remains, as the country’s

it is estimated that by 2030, a third of the world’s

HE gross enrolment ratio (GER) at 27.5% is currently

working population will be from India alone. India

well below the global average of 38% (UNESCO

will add more working-age population to the world

2019). This difference is even starker when India’s

than any other country in the world (WEF, 2019).

GER is positioned against China and Brazil with a GER of 51% and 50% respectively (UNESCO 2019).

Progress on skills development in India The Government of India has made significant

Following the establishment of MSDE, the Skill

changes to the governance of skills development

India initiative launched in 2015 with the aim to

in the country, in what is already a complex skills

skill and up-skill over 400 million people in different

landscape. The creation of the Ministry of Skill

areas (British Council 2016). Initiatives under Skill

Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) in 2014

India include the National Skill Development

was a significant statement of intent to address

Mission, National Policy for Skill Development and

this challenging landscape and an opportunity to

Entrepreneurship 2015 and the Skill Loan scheme.

develop the next generation of globally-aware and

The new certification and assessments systems

workforce-ready talent for India.

are implemented alongside efforts to improve the

Global Talent in India | Challenges and Opportunities for Skills Development in Higher Education - 2nd Edition

quality, capacity and standardisation of training

opportunities that the country is facing. Recent

(British Council 2016).

initiatives by MSDE suggest that higher-level and

More recently, the Government has launched 50 India International Skill Centres (IISC) set up through the National Skills Development Corporation (NSDC) with courses in foreign languages to prepare the young Indian workforce for global careers. The

graduate-level skills should be given equal if not greater attention as they can play a significant role in developing the capacity of the Indian workforce to address the country’s priorities and challenges across the social, economic and environmental agendas.

MSDE’s aspirations for IISCs include reaping the

Evidence from research and practice points to

demographic dividend by bridging the global

India’s graduate unemployment challenge and poor

shortage of a skilled workforce (Economic Times

graduate-level skills record. The 2019 India Skills

2016).

Report by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII)

The dominant emphasis in research, policy and practice in India has been on the development and delivery of vocational training and mainstream skills which, while important, are not enough in addressing the multitude of challenges and

and other partners highlights that as many as 52% of graduates from Indian HE institutions are considered unemployable with subject-level graduate unemployment reaching as high as 70% in the case of commerce graduates and 64% for MBA graduates (Confederation of Indian Industry 2019).

Higher education and skills development in India With its 36.6 million students across tens of

top-tier HE institutions in the country, such as Indian

thousands of colleges and universities, India has

Institutes of Technology (IITs) and India Institutes of

the second-largest higher education (HE) system

Management (IIMs). Outside of that elite group, both

in the world, only second to China (All India Survey

average salaries and the proportion of students and

on Higher Education 2018). The skills development

graduates on placements and internships fall sharply

agenda is well placed to play a positive role in

(ICEF Monitor 2015).

improving the workforce productivity and capacity building of India through addressing the prevalent talent mismatch (Hays 2017). Indian HE institutions have a key role to play in the process of developing skills, attributes and competencies that are relevant for the industry, not just in India but also

In addition to the expansion and focus on graduate employability, the quality of HE provision will also be imperative in moving forward, particularly with India’s opportunity to become a key source of global graduate talent. India’s aspirations to develop highly

internationally.

employable talent to join the global workforce,

Amidst current challenges related to graduate

an acute shortage of talent towards 2030 were

unemployment and the scaling up of HE provision,

highlighted by the Federation of Indian Chambers of

universities are central to the response to India’s

Commerce & Industry (FICCI) (FICCI & EY 2016).

growing knowledge economy needs to develop industry-ready talent with a combination of technical, entrepreneurial and soft skills. In 2019 the country aims to revamp its education system and the launch of a draft National Education Policy in June 2019 is an attempt to make Indian education fit for the future. Strengthening professional and vocational education, emphasis on skills development for the 21st century and the introduction of a more broadbased and inter-disciplinary education and skills development opportunities are on the Government’s agenda. These reforms are expected to accelerate progress toward India’s graduate unemployment

particularly in economies that are likely to face

Fast forward - India’s working-age population is forecast to grow to over a billion by 2050 (UNDP 2016), yet this demographic dividend can quickly turn into a demographic disaster (Financial Express 2019). This puts more emphasis on scaling up the country’s efforts, including channelling HE as a means to develop work-ready graduates to join India’s workforce. Challenges lie ahead, due to the lack of skills development opportunities and targeted employability interventions across the majority of HE institutions across India. As FICCI advocated in their Envisioning India 2030 Report,

challenge.

mainstreaming skills development opportunities and

The graduate unemployment challenge is

the key to preparing India’s future workforce (FICCI

particularly acute outside of a very small number of

2018).

blending them with education at different levels is

Global Talent in India | Challenges and Opportunities for Skills Development in Higher Education - 2nd Edition

The role of skills development in workforce productivity and economic competitiveness Building on the challenges for the Indian HE sector

Poor talent alignment costs the Indian economy

in the provision of education and skills development

and businesses as much as $8.61bn (INR 556bn) in

opportunities, independent reports and global

lost productivity (PwC 2014). The lack of a skilled

employer surveys highlight the skill shortages

workforce, which is a key driver for productivity

(and talent mismatch) in India as an issue (e.g.

on a local, state and national level, also affects

Manpower’s 2018 Talent Shortage Survey, Manpower

the competitiveness of the Indian workforce and

Group 2018). India’s reported skills shortages

economy on a global stage.

(standing at 56% in 2018) have worsened after following the path to improvement when compared to previous years. The country is still experiencing shortages above the global average, which in 2018 stood at 45% according to ManpowerGroup’s authoritative 2018 Talent Shortage Survey

This is evident in India’s position on global indices, such as the 2019 Global Talent Competitiveness Index (GTCI). Despite being among the 50 most competitive economies in the world, India is 80th out of 125 countries when the competitiveness of its

(ManpowerGroup 2018).

talent is measured against other global economies

According to the 2018 FICCI Envisioning India 2030

fundamental challenges for the Indian HE system

Report, the country should strive to develop an

and its skills development initiatives to improving

education system that produces ‘new-age’ skilled

the quality of the graduate workforce. This report

workforce to address underlying skills shortages

explores the current state of the HE and skills

(FICCI 2018). These perceived and real skills shortages

development agenda in India and the role of Indian

and India’s talent mismatch, affect workforce

HE in skills development from a cross-stakeholder

productivity and capacity building and have a

perspective.

in GTCI (GTCI 2019). This points to some key

negative effect on the economy and society at large.

Global Talent in India | Challenges and Opportunities for Skills Development in Higher Education - 2nd Edition

SCOPE, RESEARCH APPROACH AND KEY FINDINGS

SCOPE OF REPORT Current evidence on the role of HE to address Indian

2. Identify current challenges and opportunities

workforce productivity and capacity building through

for improving workforce productivity and capacity

higher and graduate-level skills, particularly in light of

building through graduate-level skill development

the Government’s aspirations, is limited. This stance

by HE from the perspectives of HE leaders and

has been reflected in an authoritative joint study

students, employers, policymakers, and third

commissioned by FICCI and EY – Higher Education in

sector and community organisations.

India: Vision 2030 (FICCI & EY 2016). This second edition of the 2018 report builds on the

3. Offer initial insights and actions for consideration by Indian HE and other key

current, albeit fragmented evidence into the role of

stakeholders involved in tackling India’s higher

HE and higher-level skills development in improving

and graduate-level skills development challenge.

Indian workforce productivity and capacity building. Its purpose is four-fold:

1. Provide insights into the current state of the higher and graduate-level skills development agenda in India and the role of HE through the perspective of HE leaders, educators, students, employers, and NGOs:

• The conceptualisation and application of skills development and the state of institutional employability practice from a HE angle.

4. Offer preliminary ideas for the future of internationalisation and skills development of Indian HE – provide ideas on how Indian HE can improve to become:

• more industry-relevant and meet the demands of the rapidly evolving world of work more international and globally-competitive

• These insights are supplemented by five

individual case studies, providing deeper insights

• The state of workforce readiness of Indian

into the challenges and opportunities around

• The policy and planning of skill development

of key stakeholders from across organisations

graduates from an employer perspective.

and the Indian workforce from the perspective of policymakers.

• The societal and community aspects of

skills development in India from the perspective such as the British Council, the Confederation of Indian Industries, alongside global employers, academics and students.

workforce productivity and capacity building from a third-sector perspective.

Global Talent in India | Challenges and Opportunities for Skills Development in Higher Education - 2nd Edition

RESEARCH APPROACH Profile of participating organisations

• Higher Education leaders and academic staff included representatives from the University of Mumbai, University of Delhi, Tata Institute for Social Sciences, IITs and IIMs, as well as staff from independent technical, liberal arts and engineering colleges affiliated to over 15 universities across India.

• Students in HE institutions included

undergraduate and postgraduate level students at the University of Pune, University of Mumbai, University of Delhi, Symbiosis International University, IITs, IIMs, in addition to independent technical, engineering, social sciences and liberal arts colleges.

• Employers included senior representatives from

businesses established in India across key sectors of the economy.

• Policymakers included representatives from the Department of Education in Delhi and Madras, the National Skills Development Corporation (NSDC), Ministry of Skills Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE), Sector Skills Councils, the Ministry of Human Resources Development (MHRD) and other government organisations.

• Third sector organisations included

representatives of NGOs involved in education and skills development, social entrepreneurship, gender and minority empowerment, arts and culture, where prominent organisations included the International Labour Organisation,

large international organisations, such as Alibaba

British Council India, Teach for India, U and I

India, Deloitte, Google India, Tata Motors, Michael

Foundation, E and H Foundation.

Page and a range of small and medium-sized

Study sample and profile A total of 55 semi-structured interviews with the

Building on the semi-structured interviews, 1010

following stakeholders have been conducted

survey questionnaires were collected through online

(featuring at least ten interviews for each group):

participation by representatives from each of the

• Higher Education (e.g. senior leadership and student representatives).

• Policymakers (e.g. representatives of various governmental bodies).

• Employers (e.g. employers from key sectors of

five stakeholder groups. Data were collected in early 2019 and builds on focus group discussions with students held during June 2018.

Note: Detailed methodology and sample details are provided in Appendix 2 of this report.

the Indian economy).

• Third sector organisations (e.g. NGOs and community organisations).

Global Talent in India | Challenges and Opportunities for Skills Development in Higher Education - 2nd Edition

KEY CROSS-STAKEHOLDER FINDINGS Amidst India’s booming economic development

skills and attributes. Only 34% of students agreed

and current progress in HE, the state of higher skills

that their course is offering such opportunities for

development in the country points to several key

employability development. This figure reflects a

challenges that require a proactive and collaborative

drop of 7% on the 2018 data.

approach to addressing them and this is evident in the key findings from the five stakeholder groups. Such an approach will enable HE and skills development to play a positive role in improving the workforce productivity and capacity building of the Indian workforce and ensure that future graduates are employable and can confidently navigate through the world of work, either in India or

3. Employers and industry representatives highlighted the lack of preparedness of Indian graduates for the world of work, with just over half or 57% of them agreeing that graduates can demonstrate the necessary higher-level skills and knowledge that they are looking for in their industry. This figure, representing an

internationally.

improvement of 24% on last year’s data supports

1. Academic staff and HE leaders pointed to the

the high levels of unemployment among Indian

the findings of a recent report that highlights

current gap between the university curriculum

graduates due to the lack of skills development

and current developments in the world of work.

opportunities that address current and future

74% of them argued that students in Indian HE

skills required by industry (FICCI 2018). Industry

are unable to demonstrate that they have had

representatives made a strong case for introducing

the opportunity to apply graduate-level skills and

a range of courses and programmes influenced

competencies and gain industry exposure. This

by recent technological developments in Big

figure represents an increase of nine percentage

Data, Blockchain, AI and Robotics. Employers also

points from the first edition of the Global Talent in

felt that the Indian HE sector’s relationship with

India report. Academic staff highlighted the value

industry is closed and isolated from the world of

of internationalisation in Indian HE, with 90%

work. Nevertheless, 86% of the surveyed employers

of them agreeing that there is significant value

indicated that they are willing to partner with

in establishing international collaborations and

academic institutions to help train students

partnerships. Only 48% of academic staff felt that

through mentoring, voluntary placements or

Indian HE is international and globally-relevant.

internships – though this figure represents a mild

Challenges remain ahead as a British Council

downward trend (of 4%) when compared with the

report highlighted that with only 631 partnerships

equivalent data from the first edition of the report.

with international HE institutions, Indian HE institutions have been slow to progress meaningful collaborations to date (British Council 2015).

2. Students in Indian HE reflected on the nature

4. Policymakers suggested that a move in Indian HE towards firmly embedding entrepreneurship and innovation, together with the provision of future skills development opportunities related

of teaching at Indian universities and colleges,

to Big Data, AI, Robotics and Blockchain has

which they argue remains primarily theory-based.

the potential to scale up and support the

A 2016 joint study by FICCI and EY on the future

Government’s efforts in up-skilling India and

of jobs and its implications for Indian HE also

developing a future-ready workforce. Only 48%

points to the outdated curriculum as among the

of policymakers agreed that Indian universities

key educational framework challenges in India

have the necessary academic and professional

(FICCI and EY 2016). Students lamented the lack

staff to provide students with new and industry-

of exposure to practice-based HE curriculum and

relevant knowledge and other higher-level skills

pedagogies, with just over half or 54% of students

development opportunities. This figure highlights

agreeing that the curriculum and pedagogy

an improvement of 18% when compared with

at Indian universities offered relevant training

data from the inaugural report yet it is evident that

development opportunities. Students felt that

over half of policymakers agree that universities

universities have a key role to play in preparing

do not have access to a sufficient pool of faculty

them to navigate through an ever-changing

talent. Policymakers also reflected on the ‘brain

world and equip them with key graduate-level

drain’ from India, with 86% of them highlighting

Global Talent in India | Challenges and Opportunities for Skills Development in Higher Education - 2nd Edition

that there is currently a challenge in making sure

this challenges albeit with a mildly positive (3%)

India’s skilled graduates stay in the country – an

improvement on last year’s data. NGOs also

increase of 27% when compared with the 2018

emphasised the importance of driving a widening

data.

participation agenda that will enable India’s

5. NGOs, whose main focus is providing training and skills development opportunities, have a key role to play in improving the employability and capacity building of the Indian workforce, particularly amongst rural and other marginalised communities, which may otherwise have only limited access to such opportunities. 46% of the sampled NGOs agreed that HE fails to prepare students for the rapidly-changing workforce and workplace, indicating a 2% improvement on the 2018 data. Retention of graduate talent was also seen as a challenge by NGO representatives with 87% of them agreeing on the intensity of

tertiary age population, expected to reach 119 million by 2025, to access HE and higher-level skills development opportunities. The next section highlights key challenges and opportunities for skills development within the HE context. Drawing on the detailed findings of this report, key ideas for the future of Indian HE and its role in skills development are provided at the end of each stakeholder section. The report concludes with some preliminary insights for academic staff and HE leaders, students, employers, policymakers and NGOs interested in tackling the skills development challenge in India.

Global Talent in India | Challenges and Opportunities for Skills Development in Higher Education - 2nd Edition

STAKEHOLDER PERSPECTIVES ON CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES

SUMMARY AND OVERVIEW This section of the report highlights key challenges and opportunities for higher-level skills development

• With Indian HE courses being still largely theorybased, the development of practice-based

and how HE can help overcome these. The findings

HE curriculum and pedagogies stood as an

represent the collective voice of the five stakeholder

important consideration for the future of Indian

groups who participated in this study.

universities from the perspective of students.

Suggestions for how Indian HE can scale up its efforts in skills development and capitalise on opportunities to improve its workforce productivity and capacity building were underpinned by five dominant themes:

1. Improving the relevance of Indian HE curriculum and pedagogy to fit the world of work and international developments.

2. Embedding entrepreneurship, innovation and world-leading research culture to improve the Indian HE system.

3. Embedding internationalisation at the core of Indian HE.

4. Providing an employer engagement framework for collaboration and input into the design, development and delivery of Indian HE.

5. Enabling widening participation and equality to educate and skill India’s youth talent. 1. Improving the Relevance of Indian HE Curriculum

and Pedagogy to the World of Work and International Developments

Some students felt that the introduction of extra-curricular activities, compulsory industrial experience and entrepreneurship development programmes may contribute to improving the relevance of Indian HE curriculum and pedagogy.

• Considering the relevance of Indian HE

curriculum and pedagogy to the future world of work and international developments, employers felt that the setting of international standards in Indian universities and the standardisation of skills developed at university can contribute to a better fit of the Indian HE system to current international developments. Employers advocated the inclusion of ‘new age’ skills and courses in the disciplines of AI, Automation, Robotics, Big Data and Blockchain to prepare a graduate workforce that is fit for the future world of work.

• Equally, policymakers suggested that the Indian

HE curriculum and pedagogy alongside the skills development framework are lagging behind other countries’ education frameworks and skills systems. Building on employer perspectives, policymakers also highlighted that aligning India’s education and skills development

Overall, respondents highlighted that improving the

standards with international standards is an

relevance of Indian HE curriculum and pedagogy

important consideration in moving forward.

across universities and colleges will enable them

This will enable the Indian HE sector to become

to address the rapidly-changing world of work and

more competitive and develop graduates who

incorporate key international developments. Views

are fit for both the Indian and international

from individual stakeholder groups revealed the

labour markets.

following:

• With the future of work in mind, academic staff felt that the Indian government should rethink how curriculum development at universities is approached. Staff highlighted that policy level interventions are needed to take account of developments in technology, environment, economy and society on local, regional, national and global levels so that HE curriculum and pedagogy can be adapted to respond to these

• NGOs felt that there are some fundamental

challenges that the sector needs to focus on in line with taking actions to ensure that Indian HE is fit for the rapidly evolving world of work. Alongside taking steps to improve the relevance of curriculum and pedagogy associated with the future workplace and international developments, NGO respondents suggested that ensuring equality in the improved curricular and pedagogic provision is of key importance.

developments.

Global Talent in India | Challenges and Opportunities for Skills Development in Higher Education - 2nd Edition

2. Embedding Entrepreneurship, Innovation and

India and improving the productivity of the

World-leading Research Culture to Improve the

country’s workforce. Alongside higher-level skills

Indian HE system

development, policymakers felt that research

All respondents highlighted that initiatives aimed at embedding entrepreneurship, innovation and the promotion of a world-leading research culture will contribute to a more competitive Indian HE system with more employability and skills development opportunities for students. These recommendations are in line with the 2019 draft National Education Policy proposed by the Indian Government, which emphasised the importance of creating a research culture at the institutional level. Individual views were as follows:

• Academic staff and senior leadership in HE highlighted that government spending on

education and research is important for the future of Indian universities, particularly in light of opportunities for HE to address India’s ‘grand challenges’. Staff felt that HE should serve as a platform for students to transform India through innovation in education and research. Staff highlighted the importance of coordinated and enabling institutional leadership to oversee such interventions aimed at improving the HE system.

• In addition to highlighting the importance

and innovation hold a prominent place in the HE sector and that more resources should be channelled at these two initiatives to enable improvements in the Indian HE system.

• NGO representatives suggested that innovation, which is currently falling behind, should be

deeply rooted in the HE sector in India moving forward. This innovation in the Indian HE system, according to NGOs, should be enabled through the provision of a better learning environment, challenging and internationally relevant curriculum and graduate employment opportunities that are open to a larger pool of students beyond a small group of elite HE institutions. 3. Positioning Internationalisation at the Core of

Indian HE Amidst current challenges and the lack of innovation and good practice in the curriculum, skills development and employability across the Indian HE sector, respondents highlighted the importance of embedding elements of comprehensive internationalisation and best practice from abroad

of developing relevant and industry-

at the core of the institutional mission, vision and

shaped professional and vocational courses

practice. The importance of internationalisation

in universities, students emphasised the

of Indian HE and the importance of developing

importance of a provision of opportunities for

globally-engaged institutions, faculty, staff and

them to develop their entrepreneurship and

students is discussed in detail in a separate section

innovation potential and acquire hands-on

of this report – Internationalisation in the spotlight.

experience through real-life projects. Students

Key internationalisation and global engagement

highlighted these opportunities, which they

perspectives included:

felt should be embedded in Indian HE which, according to them, is still largely theory-driven.

• Building on the perspectives provided by staff and students, employers also suggested that

entrepreneurship modules should be embedded into HE degrees to narrow the gap between the provision in Indian HE and the rapidly evolving world of work and improve the Indian HE system in general. Employers concluded that increased entrepreneurial activity at universities will play a positive role in creating more employment opportunities through start-ups created by graduates.

• Entrepreneurship, innovation and quality

research are important areas of work that

policymakers felt have the potential to scale up and support the Government’s efforts in skilling

• Despite the progress which has been made in

introducing internationalisation and developing international and professional standards in Indian HE, academic staff and senior leaders in

HE felt that progress on such initiatives is limited. Consequently, staff called for the scaling up of initiatives aimed at internationalisation on an institutional and sectoral level including the development of an inward and outward student and staff mobility framework to support at home internationalisation building on similar policies in other nations such as Germany and Australia.

• Students emphasised the importance of

embedding internationalisation in their courses and the introduction of more internationallyinformed programmes, courses and teaching. They highlighted that the top three higher-

Global Talent in India | Challenges and Opportunities for Skills Development in Higher Education - 2nd Edition

level skills that they feel they do not have

students workforce-ready requires fundamental

the opportunity to develop at university are

changes to the curriculum that include not only

increasingly under the ‘global’ banner and are a

the development of outcome measures but

global mindset, creativity, and critical thinking.

also the provision of opportunities for students

Internationalisation of Indian HE will have

to be exposed to practice through employer

an important role to play in developing such

engagement and interaction. The development

internationally-focused skills and competencies.

of a holistic partnership framework to facilitate

• Employers also highlighted the importance of

embedding internationalisation by suggesting that international exposure of faculties and students would contribute to the introduction

engagement and input from industry is seen as a necessary step in this direction.

• Employers themselves advocated the

importance of closer collaboration with job

of international standards and the adoption of

creators, regardless of whether employers

good practice by Indian HE institutions. Industry

reflect the private sector, government or not-

representatives also felt that students in Indian

for-profit organisations. They felt that proactive

universities should be given more opportunities

university-industry collaboration is critical so

to take part in outward mobility programmes

that universities can understand what higher-

and acquire global skills, knowledge and practice

level skills, current and future, are required and

from international immersion.

be able to adapt their curriculum provision to

• Policymakers felt that global awareness

and exposure to international affairs and developments are important determinants

respond to these requirements.

• Policymakers felt that one opportunity to

promote university-industry collaboration

that will help students understand how to

could be the introduction of employer-led

navigate an international work environment.

modules focused on relevant skills development

However, at present, the majority of students in

opportunities created in partnership with

India do not have access to such opportunities.

HE institutions. They suggested that these

Similar to academic staff, policymakers

specialised modules may well focus on

echoed the development of a holistic inward

developing skills in demand across key sectors of

and outward mobility framework to support

the Indian economy, which can supplement the

internationalisation at institutions.

mainstream curriculum.

• The NGO group of institutional representatives argued that internationalisation should be

encouraged not only at HE institutions but also at the community and state level. NGO representatives highlighted that there is a growing recognition of the importance of a greater openness of Indian universities to international HE providers and partnerships, who can support further internationalisation of the HE sector and facilitate good practice in higher education and skills development. 4. Providing an Employer Engagement Framework

for Collaboration and Input into the Design, Development and Delivery of Indian HE Amidst perceived challenges to enable deeper university-industry collaboration, respondents emphasised the importance of providing opportunities for employers to actively participate in the design, development and delivery of education and employability-driven initiatives at institutions:

• Academic staff highlighted that making

5. Enabling Widening Participation and Equality to

Educate and Skill India’s Youth Talent Enabling access to HE and higher-level skills development opportunities for students from different socio-economic backgrounds is something that students and NGO representatives felt should be addressed as it represents a fundamental challenge for India due to the relatively large size of its youth (tertiary age) population. Representatives from all stakeholder groups agreed that widening participation and inclusion play a key role in improving the productivity of the Indian workforce, as more young people will be employable and able to join the workforce.

• Students highlighted that India is a diverse

country in itself and inclusivity of students from different backgrounds should be high on the agenda going forward. This move would enable more young people to be educated and trained with a view to joining India’s ever-growing workforce. Students argued that widening participation should extend to both private

Global Talent in India | Challenges and Opportunities for Skills Development in Higher Education - 2nd Edition

and state-supported elite institutions which traditionally have a low representation of learners from lower socio-economic backgrounds.

â&#x20AC;˘ In light of this, NGOs suggested that

universities should provide a level playing field for students who have come from rural areas and those from cities by creating opportunities that enable inter-learning between these two cohorts. NGO representatives felt that the inclusion of rural communities in education provision and skills development, coupled with more diversity in the recruitment of students and academic staff, has the potential to improve

â&#x20AC;˘ Employers, HE leadership and government

representatives acknowledged the importance of promoting this agenda but did not provide ideas on how stakeholders interested in HE and skills development can scale up their efforts to enable more students from under-represented communities to participate in HE and skills development initiatives.

The following five sections provide in-depth discussions of the findings summarised above, by each stakeholder group. Individual case studies are also presented.

the employability prospects of many rather than a few.

Global Talent in India | Challenges and Opportunities for Skills Development in Higher Education - 2nd Edition

DETAILED FINDINGS

HIGHER EDUCATION PERSPECTIVES: ACADEMIC STAFF AND LEADERS

HIGHER EDUCATION PERSPECTIVES: ACADEMIC STAFF AND LEADERS Experience of Indian HE Understanding international developments Indian HE aspires to prepare students for the global workplace in terms of understanding international developments, but there is more to be done, particularly in blending technical education with opportunities to develop cross-disciplinary knowledge and soft skills, which is an evolving global trend.

with fewer courses that are comparable to their equivalents internationally. Internationalisation is a growing trend in global HE, and Indian universities have already taken steps towards elevating internationalisation into a strategic institutional agenda. Setting international standards, establishing student and staff exchange programmes with international universities and creating an international environment on campus are initiatives staff felt can help prepare students for the global workplace in terms of understanding international developments. Respondents highlighted a number of additional resources that they felt would be valuable in further

57%

developing international and professional standards in Indian universities:

• Facilitation of international research collaborations.

• Development of student exchange programmes with partner institutions.

• Resources to enable capacity building and career development of staff.

of academic staff and leadership feel that Indian HE is unable to prepare students for the global workforce in terms of understanding international developments.

• Online resources, including the introduction of MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses).

Respondents felt that progress has been made in bringing in cross-disciplinarity, introducing internationalisation and developing international and professional standards in Indian HE but such

India, through its IITs (Indian Institutes of Technology), have introduced humanities modules to science and technology degrees to bridge this gap. This move by IITs indicates the recognition of interpersonal and other soft skills as important. However, the majority or 57% of them concluded that Indian HE does not prepare students for the global workforce and workplace and enhance their understanding of global themes and developments. This figure is an increase of 15% on the 2018 data. The reasons for this include limited talent development opportunities and a lack of vision from policymakers. Furthermore, only 48% of academic staff agreed that Indian HE is international and globally-relevant

initiatives have been done in pockets, across fewer courses and institutions.

Staff, resources and facilities on campus Equally, Indian universities need to be equipped with the necessary staff, resources and facilities students require to progress into the Indian workforce or pursue a career abroad. These factors facilitate the provision of employability support and skills development opportunities. Amidst India’s diversity in HE provision, including state universities, private universities, IITs and IIMs staff felt that none of these providers are equipped enough to help students with skills development and prepare them for the future.

Global Talent in India | Challenges and Opportunities for Skills Development in Higher Education - 2nd Edition

Resources (including learning materials) and

opportunities is central to ensuring that students at

facilities (including labs, pods, technology), alongside

universities are able to develop the necessary skills to

classroom infrastructure to accommodate the often

progress into the workforce.

large classes of students, have been highlighted as a challenge with only 47% of respondents indicating

Development of course content and the upgrade of syllabus takes considerable time and requires approval on various levels. Consequently, innovation in the provision of knowledge is seen as a lengthy process, particularly in state institutions. Just over half or 51% of surveyed staff felt that curriculum and pedagogy offer relevant and current knowledge.

Only

46%

This is not, however, the case with offering skills and competencies and training development opportunities. One important aspect of ensuring the relevance of curriculum and pedagogy to industry requirements is the provision of training development opportunities and providing the opportunity for students to acquire certain skills and competencies during their time at university. Yet, only 38% of the surveyed academic

of academic staff feel that Indian universities are equipped with the necessary staff (academic and professional) that students require to progress into the Indian workforce or pursue a career abroad.

that universities are equipped with the necessary facilities required by students â&#x20AC;&#x201C; a drop of four percentage points when compared to data from the first edition of this report.

Only

38%

In so far as resources (e.g. learning materials, online and digital learning environments) are concerned, academic staff concluded that only 45% of institutions in India have access to adequate learning resources and environments. The level of preparedness of academic staff and the fairly limited training opportunities have been identified as another pertinent challenge for Indian

of academic staff and leadership agreed that Indian HE curriculum and pedagogy offer relevant and current training development opportunities.

HE in ensuring that students are more employable. Academic staff were seen as key to improving the quality of teaching and the level of embeddedness of pedagogic innovations into university courses.

staff and HE leadership felt that the Indian HE

Academic staff and senior leaders felt that

curriculum and pedagogy offer relevant and current

government interventions are required on both

training development opportunities. This is a drop of

educator level as well as student level to address

10% when compared to 2018.

the need to develop staff, resources and facilities on campus.

Relevance of Indian HE curriculum and pedagogy The provision of HE curriculum and pedagogy that offers relevant and current knowledge, skills and competencies, and training development

Students manage to complete a degree without acquiring the course skills required by employers. They struggle with transferrable skills. Employability in Indian HE is real a problem. (Academic Staff, Chennai)

Global Talent in India | Challenges and Opportunities for Skills Development in Higher Education - 2nd Edition

Skills development and Indian HE Indian universities, alongside employers and industry representatives have a key role to play in skills development and preparing students for the world of work. This section of the report describes the academic staff and senior leadership perspectives on the role of universities in preparing students for the rapidly changing workforce and workplace and the skills and attributes students find difficult to develop through Indian HE.

through Indian HE The development of learning outcomes, such as certain skills, subject knowledge and competencies is important, but Indian students may find it difficult to acquire these through HE in its current state. Academic staff and HE leadership participating in the survey were asked to provide their perspective on the top three learning outcomes that students find

Indian HE and the rapidly changing World of Work

difficult to acquire through Indian HE. The inability

The rapidly changing world of work requires Indian

competencies and the lack of industry experience

universities to adapt their curriculum and innovate in

were rated as the top two learning outcomes that

pedagogy to enable students to develop a range of

students find difficult to acquire during their time at

skills and attributes. Only 55% of academic staff and

college or university.

HE leadership felt that Indian HE prepares students effectively â&#x20AC;&#x201C; a drop of six percentage points from last year.

to demonstrate the application of relevant skills and

74% of academic staff felt that students in Indian HE are unable to demonstrate the application of relevant skills and competencies and industry exposure â&#x20AC;&#x201C; an increase of nine percentage points on last year. Industry exposure t could be demonstrated by just over half or 52% of students in Indian HE.

38% 74% of academic staff and leadership agreed that Indian HE fails to prepare students for the rapidly changing world of work.

Major global forces are reshaping the workforce and workplace, and Indian HE needs to stay abreast

of academic staff and leadership felt that students in Indian HE are unable to demonstrate the application of relevant skills and competencies and industry exposure.

of such trends. The introduction of more industryrelevant HE proves to be challenging at present with the majority or 55% of academic staff suggesting

Furthermore, 35% of them felt that the effective use

that education does not bear relevance with the

of relevant technology was a key skill, albeit difficult

world of work. This irrelevance is due to a number

to develop in the classroom.

of factors such as the lack of academic training, out-dated curriculum and the slow adoption of

Interview respondents felt that students were

international standards and good practice.

unable to develop both specialist knowledge in the

Learning outcomes that are difficult to acquire

such as work ethic and integrity. Students lack soft

studentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; own domain as well as transferable skills,

Global Talent in India | Challenges and Opportunities for Skills Development in Higher Education - 2nd Edition

skills that are specific to South-East Asian conditions that will enable them to flourish in the workforce. Alongside specialist knowledge and soft skills, findings suggested that some students failed to demonstrate some basic skills and attributes, particularly in government-led universities, such as the art of formal and academic writing, presentation and articulation skills.

Critical thinking is one. Organisational thinking is another skill that students in India are lacking. Learning to work within systems and getting methods to work for you are also important skills that students find difficult to develop. (Academic Staff, Delhi)

The future of Indian HE and the World of Work Academic staff and HE leadership provided their ideas on the key challenges of Indian HE that require action as well as their top three suggestions for the future of Indian universities and their role in skills

develop their employability potential. 90% of staff highlighted the perceived significant value in establishing international

development.

collaborations between Indian universities and

Key challenges that need to be addressed in

staff, this can be achieved through partnerships

Indian HE

with international institutions and industries for

India offers a range of opportunities for HE,

development through international placements.

its economy and society due to its favourable demographics; however there remain a number of challenges related to quality, widening participation and ensuring employability outcomes of HE for the majority (if not all) students. However, the challenges facing Indian HE included the lack of a student-centred classroom environment. Staff felt that universities should focus on students becoming more critical, more innovative, and more creative and student-centred facilities are central to that goal. Another key challenge pointed out by academics is one that of braver leadership that can challenge the deep rooted traditions and change aversion characterising the corridors of Indian HE. The availability of skilled academic faculty and key infrastructure was seen as yet another key challenge that requires further attention from policymakers. This, alongside the lack of industry exposure and opportunities for application of knowledge, contributed to the inability to create an enabling environment for students to

their counterparts internationally. According to

curriculum development and students’ professional Staff, nevertheless, suggested that Indian universities have a long way to go in terms of demonstrating openness to international developments in HE and the adoption of good practice, despite seeing significant value in the establishment of international collaborations and partnerships with institutions abroad.

Academics’ ‘Big Ideas’ for how Indian HE can improve to become more industry-relevant and meet the demands of the rapidly evolving World of Work Staff provided over a hundred ideas on how they feel Indian HE can improve to meet the demands of current international developments and the rapidly evolving world of work. Dominant themes included the need to address the perceived gap between academia and industry, adoption of predictive models to better align courses to industry requirements, and the importance of large-scale investment in education and research. The top three ideas are described below:

Global Talent in India | Challenges and Opportunities for Skills Development in Higher Education - 2nd Edition

BIG IDEA

With the future of work in

The gap between university

Government spending on

mind, staff felt that the Indian

curriculum and current

education and research is

government should rethink

developments in the world

important for the future of Indian

how curriculum development

of work is something that

universities, particularly because

at universities is approached.

academics and leaders in Indian

of the potential for HE to address

Investment in research centres

HE felt needs to be addressed.

India’s grand challenges. Staff

tasked with predicting what is

Making students workforce-

felt that HE should serve as a

happening in society, technology

ready requires one fundamental

platform for students to transform

and economy was seen as

change in curriculum – to build

India through innovation in

imperative. Policy changes

outcome measures in the Indian

education and research, which

though are needed to take

HE system. Exposure to practice

will enable them to develop an

account of such developments

through employer engagement

innovative mindset. Academic

so that HE curriculum and

and collaboration, alongside

staff also suggested that the state

pedagogy can be adapted to

nurturing entrepreneurship

should increase its spending

respond to these developments.

were also high on the future HE

on HE but intervene less to

agenda for academics and should

create space for innovation in

be integrated:

curriculum.

Freedom and flexibility in designing new courses is something that needs to happen more often in universities. Educators who design the courses should be given the opportunity to assess students, not someone else. (Academic Staff Member, Pune)

We need to create space for entrepreneurship in Indian Higher Education. If you spread out entrepreneurship, because the Government’s focus is to create jobs, that’s important. So one needs to inculcate an entrepreneurial spirit in students as jobs for life is no longer the norm. Entrepreneurship will play a big role in creating the jobs of the future. (Academic Staff Member, Chennai)

Global Talent in India | Challenges and Opportunities for Skills Development in Higher Education - 2nd Edition

CASE STUDY: ACADEMIC STAFF AND LEADERS Senior Leader at Tata Institute for Social Sciences, Mumbai

Your experience of Indian Higher Education Do you think that the Indian Higher Education prepares students for the global workplace in terms of understanding international developments? Academic staff: Students’ current skillset and

Many of the big corporate organisations here in

capacity is low because they come from a HE

India that employ our graduates are international

system which is in itself is not up to scratch in terms

in nature, but we need to establish closer ties

of quality and relevance. I think there is still a big

with them and essentially involve them in the

disconnect between what we are teaching at our

development of internationally relevant programmes.

universities and the requirements of businesses and

I don’t think the Indian HE system achieves that at

employers who hire graduates.

present.

The role of Indian Higher Education in skills development What would be the top three skills which will be important for the future? Academic staff: We need to focus on the

desperately need innovation in India on so many

development of entrepreneurship skills and abilities

levels – not only in education but also in different

in Indian students so that they can help with the

industries which face a lot of challenges.

creation of more employment and jobs for graduates in India. We have a lot of unemployed graduates across a whole range of disciplines and inculcating

The Indian HE sector also needs to focus on the development of softer, interpersonal skills that

entrepreneurship is one way to solve this challenge.

make students unique and help them realise their

The development of research abilities and

important in the future as many repetitive roles and

creativity are also important skills for the future. We

jobs become automated.

strengths and abilities. This will become more

Ideas for the future of Indian Higher Education Please provide your top three big ideas on how you feel higher education can improve to fit current international developments and the rapidly evolving world of work? Academic staff: I think what the Indian government

knowledge, but if we look at the funding provided for

and HE institutions need to do is to first invest

research, it is pathetic. Research and development

in academic staff and improving the capacity of

which contributes to knowledge, is where universities

the faculty. This also includes a revamp of how

can really excel and can make a name globally for

academic staff are treated in Indian HE – how they

themselves in the international scene.

are employed, how they are paid and treated are all important considerations. Otherwise, the quality of teaching suffers. Academic staff are the key stakeholders in Indian HE and yet they seem to be

Indian HE also needs to become more practicebased and employability-oriented. In the 21st Century, our system is still dominated by theory and

the group which receives the least importance.

instructional teaching. As I said before, we don’t

Second, institutional frameworks and infrastructure

organisations and employers to understand their

more generally do not accommodate research and

requirements and develop new teaching models

development. It is through research that our staff

and help our students upgrade their skills to become

and students have the opportunity to contribute to

more employable.

do enough as a sector to engage with corporate

Global Talent in India | Challenges and Opportunities for Skills Development in Higher Education - 2nd Edition

HIGHER EDUCATION PERSPECTIVES: STUDENTS

HIGHER EDUCATION PERSPECTIVES: STUDENTS Students are the primary recipients of education

explores Indian students’ perspectives on their

and skills development interventions. The voice

experience of Indian HE, the role of universities in

of students on the role of HE in higher-level skills

skills development and graduate employability, as

development is often unheard, and this report

well as the skills and competencies developed at

provides a platform for students to orate their

university. Students also provide some key ideas for

perspective on the matter. This section of the report

the future of Indian HE.

Experience of Indian HE Indian students provided insights on a number of themes related to their experience of Indian HE, including the relevance of curriculum and pedagogic models adopted by Indian universities, the strengths of Indian HE in developing employability in students, the preparedness of staff and the state of resources and facilities on campus, and learning outcomes that are difficult to acquire at university.

Relevance of Indian HE curriculum and pedagogy

Only

54%

Universities that offer relevant and current knowledge, skills and competencies and training development opportunities are central to developing employable graduates. When asked whether their course offers relevant and current knowledge, skills and competencies, and training development opportunities, Indian students felt that this depends, to a large extent, on the nature of the discipline and

of Indian students agreed that the curriculum and pedagogy at Indian universities offer relevant and current training development opportunities.

course chosen by the student. Disciplines like engineering and medicine were thought to provide a strong employability-driven curriculum and pedagogies, such as the inclusion of placement opportunities, while disciplines such as humanities and liberal arts needed to do more to ensure that adopted curricular and pedagogic models are aligned with current developments in the world of work. 69% of the surveyed students indicated that their course offers relevant knowledge – a drop of 18% when compared to the first edition of this report. Meanwhile, just over half or 54% of them agreed that the curriculum and pedagogy at Indian universities offer relevant and current training development opportunities. This figure was down to 34% for students who agreed that their course is offering

the opportunity to develop relevant skills and competencies. Some students felt Indian HE has already taken steps to embed practical elements in courses, but the curriculum was still very much subject-driven and, as such, it may not allow for acquiring a wider perspective of the subject, knowledge and relevant practical experience.

Indian HE doesn’t focus on the applicability of knowledge – we are taught well, and we understand concepts, but when we try to apply them in the practical world, then we face challenges. (Business Student, Pune)

Global Talent in India | Challenges and Opportunities for Skills Development in Higher Education - 2nd Edition

Strengths of Indian HE in developing employability

Staff, resources and facilities required by Indian

in students

students

Key strengths of Indian HE, such as skills, subject

The provision of skilled staff is central to the

knowledge and competencies, support Indian

development of current knowledge and skills,

graduates to be successful in securing employment

while up-to-date resources and facilities act as an

either in India or internationally. Some students

enabler for students to develop their employability

felt that Indian HE is very good at providing a good

potential. Despite recent improvements in Indian

theoretical knowledge, equipping students to work

institutions, such as the provision of a good level of

under pressure and complete tasks within a short

infrastructure and Internet connectivity, students

timeframe, while others believed that developing

felt that there is more to be done to ensure that

research skills and questioning what you are being

they are receiving a good quality education, which

taught are among the key strengths of Indian

was down to academic staff, resources and facilities.

universities.

Nearly a third of all surveyed students felt that they

Students had the opportunity to provide the top three strengths of Indian Higher Education in helping

do not have access to good learning and teaching equipment, such as labs and online resources.

graduates be successful in securing employment.

In total 32% of them indicated that their campus

Enabling students to acquire the necessary subject

is not equipped with the necessary resources (e.g.

knowledge was seen as a top strength of Indian

learning materials) and facilities (e.g. labs, pods,

HE, with 82% of students agreeing that universities

technology) that they require in their learning â&#x20AC;&#x201C; an

demonstrate good performance in the provision of a

increase of two percentage points on 2018. Despite

sound theoretical basis to teaching and learning.

60% of Indian students suggesting that their campus hosts good academic and professional staff, this figure represents a drop of three percentage points when compared with data from the first edition of this report. Teaching was also seen as an important factor whereby students suggested that Indian universities may not have access to enough

82% of Indian students agreed that universities enable them to acquire the necessary subject knowledge.

academic staff and that often the available academic staff lacked relevant teaching skills.

60%

On the other side of the spectrum, only 20% of students felt that Indian universities offer a relevant and up-to-date curriculum, while only 9% agreed that HE promotes relevant pedagogic practice.

A lot of the courses are very academic intensive, and I feel once you go through it, and once you go through the testing system, it gets easier to get employed. We have group assignments and projects, which help us develop a range of skills.

of Indian students felt that their campus is equipped with the necessary staff, both academic and professional, that they require to progress into the workforce.

(Liberal Arts Student, Pune)

Global Talent in India | Challenges and Opportunities for Skills Development in Higher Education - 2nd Edition

I feel like the teaching quality is what we should emphasise on. Universities don’t have enough professors and the professors they have don’t have sufficient skills to teach.

Thinking outside the box and the development of communication and collaboration skills were also highlighted by students as important learning outcomes that they fail to develop at university.

(Engineering Student, Chennai)

Learning outcomes that are difficult to acquire through Indian HE The lack of standardisation of HE quality and provision in India, mainly due to its rapidly growing and diverse HE sector, can have an impact on

65%

the learning outcomes that students have the opportunity to acquire through courses. Immersion in learning through technology and using technology to develop certain skills is something that students felt is difficult to acquire during their time at university. 65% of students who were surveyed felt that the most ‘difficult to acquire’ learning outcome at Indian universities is industry exposure that provides skills development opportunities. Application of relevant skills and competencies

of Indian students felt that industry exposure is the single most important learning outcome that they find difficult to acquire during their time at university.

and industry exposure were the second most ‘difficult to acquire’ learning outcome, with 59% of students suggesting that Indian HE fails to provide opportunities for learning through practice and hands-on experience – this figure accounts for an increase of four percentage points when compared to the 2018 data. The lack of practical knowledge was echoed by students suggesting that Indian HE is still largely theory-driven with 54% of students suggesting that they have limited opportunities to develop relevant skills and competencies.

Science courses offer a very individualistic approach, and there is hardly any collaboration among students that will help them develop their collaboration and communication skills. So, communication skills is something I feel needs to be inculcated in Indian Higher Education. (Computer Science Student, Pune)

Skills development and Indian HE By 2025, India will have the largest tertiary-age (18-22s) population in the world – 119 million – suggesting that students and graduates will form a considerable part of the Indian workforce going forward. Developing a skilled workforce is imperative, and skills development is at the heart of recent reforms reflected across several government

46%

ministries and organisations such as MSDE, NSDC and SSCs. This section of the report explores student perspectives into the role and ability of Indian universities to prepare them for global careers and the rapidly-shifting world of work. It looks at the top three skills students think are important but difficult

of Indian students felt that their studies fail to prepare them for the global workforce and workplace.

Global Talent in India | Challenges and Opportunities for Skills Development in Higher Education - 2nd Edition

to develop, alongside the opportunities for Indian

allow for embedding international perspectives and

students to engage with employers and access

cross-disciplinarity, which students believe will be

careers and employability services at university.

important in terms of developing broader skills and

Preparing students for global careers and the world of work Preparing Indian students for the rapidly changing

knowledge.

Important skills difficult to acquire through Indian HE

world of work and indeed for global careers is vital,

The top three skills that students felt are important

particularly in light of the Government’s aspirations

in going forward, but they still find difficult to

to make India a hub for talent on a global level

acquire through Indian Higher Education are, to a

(FICCI & EY 2016). Shifting demographics on a global

large extent, influenced by the shifting world of

level point to an emerging trend whereby millions

work together with the rapid globalisation

of Indians are expected to join the workforce in

and the opportunities it brings with it.

countries experiencing talent shortage due to an ageing population. Only 54% of Indian students felt that their university prepares them with the necessary skills and attributes to succeed in the global workforce and workplace. They suggested that extra-curricular activities, which are primarily available in private universities, can help students develop a global mindset enabling them to adapt quickly to new environments and excel. Nearly two-thirds or 63% of students agreed that Indian HE is international and globally-relevant but pointed out that this is evident at only a handful of high-profile universities and colleges and highlighted that only some of their courses can demonstrate international relevance.

They are:

• Creativity • Critical thinking • Global Mindset Students should be able to understand the culture differences because what might be acceptable in India might not be in other parts of the world. Indians are very crisp and straight to the point, and others might think that this is rude. (Informatics Student, Pune)

The nature of work is changing on a global level,

Internationalisation of Indian HE will have an

and students need to be able to acquire skills

important role to play in developing these top three

and knowledge that will enable them to adapt

skills. The rapidly evolving workforce and workplace

quickly to the fast-paced environment – both in

require students to develop new skills. Students felt

India and internationally. Yet, only 46% of students

that ‘global’ skills, such as international relations

felt that their studies prepare them for the rapidly

and diplomacy, alongside the fourth, fifth and

changing world of work characterised by the highly

sixth most important skills, namely cross-cultural

competitive job market, globalisation of professions

communication, cross-industry understanding

as well as technological disruptions such as

and cross-disciplinary understanding, should be

automation and robots. A further 40% concluded

embedded in Indian HE.

that Indian HE is not industry-relevant.

Universities and colleges need to include more international elements if we want to be prepared for employment in India and abroad. The curriculum needs to become more international so that students are given a chance to develop international understanding and mindset. (Business Student, Pune)

With this in mind, findings suggest that students would like to see technical education, such as engineering and science disciplines opening up to

Access to careers and employability services and employer engagement Access to careers and employability services is essential to connect students with graduate-level opportunities as well as giving them industry exposure. 83% of students indicated that they have access to employability and careers services at their university or college – an improvement of 24% on last year. Students at private institutions had more opportunities to enhance their employability through initiatives overseen by careers and employability services, such as real-life community projects, industry visits and employer guest speakers.

Global Talent in India | Challenges and Opportunities for Skills Development in Higher Education - 2nd Edition

Despite the majority of students suggesting that they have some form of access to employability and careers services at their institutions, their access and engagement with these remains low as follows:

83%

• Career fairs – available to 43% of students. • Employer workshops – available to 36% of students.

• Industry visits – available to 34% of students. • Mentoring and coaching – 32%. • Industry events – available to 30% of students. • Interview preparation – 25% of students. • Test centres – available to 18% of students. Employer engagement is another important aspect of developing the employability of Indian students and graduates. Students had only limited opportunities to engage with employers on their course, predominantly through career fairs (in 43% of the cases) and industry visits (in 34% of the cases). However, students did not mention any employability development opportunities available to

of Indian students indicated that they have access to some form of employability and careers services at their institution.

them and involving hands-on, practical experiences, such as internships, real-life company briefs and industry projects.

The future of Indian HE and the World of Work Intentions to study further and seek employment in

have considered studying overseas as part of their

India and internationally

plans. Throughout the interviews, the majority of

The number of Indian students on HE courses

abroad, predominantly on a postgraduate level, if

outside India is soaring, with 350,000 students in universities across the world in 2015 - the secondlargest international student cohort after China

students highlighted that they would like to study they have the opportunity to do so. Considering their intentions to look for employment after graduation, 74% of students indicated that they intend to look for employment overseas – this figure represents a sharp increase of 40% when compared with data from the first edition of this report, Only 26% highlighted that they would like to pursue employment opportunities in India.

74%

Students’ ‘big ideas’ for how Indian HE can improve to become more industry-relevant and meet the demands of the rapidly evolving World of Work Students provided over 80 ideas on how they feel Indian HE can be improved to respond to India’s capacity, quality, and equality challenges, in addition to current international developments and the

of Indian students indicated that they intend to look for employment overseas after graduation.

rapidly evolving world of work. Dominant themes included the importance of promoting practicebased education, ensuring consistency of the quality of education and standardisation of skills

(Mathai 2016). Drawing on their intentions to study further, 76% of Indian students indicated that they

development, and matters of equality, inclusivity and the wider role of universities in society.

Global Talent in India | Challenges and Opportunities for Skills Development in Higher Education - 2nd Edition

BIG IDEA

With Indian HE courses being

The introduction of

Students also felt that universities

still largely theory-based, the

institutional rankings and

should nurture equality,

development of practice-based

some standardisation efforts

inclusivity and play a bigger role

HE curriculum and pedagogies

in the Indian HE sector has

in contributing to society. Within

stood as an important

led to considerable progress,

the context of equality, students

consideration for the future

but challenges remain ahead.

also proposed the abolition of

of Indian universities from the

Students felt that more could be

current practice to use marks as

perspective of students.

done to promote a consistency

a criterion to judge their capacity

of the quality of education

when enrolling on a HE course.

and standardisation in skills

India is a diverse country in itself

development with the view to

and inclusivity of students from

ensure equal skills development

different backgrounds should

opportunities for students

be high on the agenda going

regardless of their institution.

forward.

Other students highlighted the

Students suggested that the

importance of developing more

quality of teaching needs to

vocational courses in universities,

improve sharply in Indian

alongside opportunities for

universities going forward as

students to acquire hands-on

should the opportunities for

experience and real-life projects.

everyone to acquire a set of key

Universities should be able to give equal opportunities to all students who want to join a university, despite cast and education status. I feel that will be important for Indian universities going forward.

Some students felt that the introduction of extra-curricular activities, compulsory industrial experience, entrepreneurship and innovation development programmes may bridge this gap.

In general, there are no vocational courses and this is something that we lack in India completely. People taking up vocational courses should be recognised for it, certified for it. Vocational education is something that we can really lead on in India because we have a huge population, which is less formally educated. (Psychology Student, Pune)

skills and attributes that will enable them to progress into the workforce.

Skills can be standardised in the future, and everyone should have the opportunity to acquire a set of skills. I think what would be important is the implementation of a framework for skills with a minimum set of skills for everyone.

(Media and Communications Student, Madras)

Universities in India have traditionally been involved in politics. Students suggested that Indian HE should focus more on social issues, the bigger societal picture, the positive role of universities and the change that they can bring about in societies.

(Liberal Arts Student, Pune)

Global Talent in India | Challenges and Opportunities for Skills Development in Higher Education - 2nd Edition

CASE STUDY: STUDENTS Undergraduate Student, Symbiosis International University, Pune

Your experience of Indian Higher Education Would you agree that your course offers relevant and current knowledge, skills, competencies, and training development opportunities? Student: We need to work heavily on the

Sometimes this is because we haven’t introduced

overall development of students, first of all. Also,

higher standards for faculty. Over here we have a

international exposure is not included in Indian HE.

very good faculty, but that is not the case with a lot

There are a lot of international companies setting a

of colleges in India, and there are a lot of tenured

base in India, and we are not ready for employment

professors who are not very good at their jobs. The

at these companies, we don’t have the skills and

syllabus needs updating, and academics have to be

understanding of international business.

better prepared so that we can get the most of our time at university.

The role of Indian Higher Education in skills development What are, from your perspective, the top three skills that you think are important, but you find difficult to acquire through Indian Higher Education? Student: Communication and cross-cultural skills are

Then I think something related to communication as

not sufficiently developed at university. I was lucky

learning to work in a team efficiently is something

enough to secure an internship in a global firm,

that all of us lack, I think. Indian students tend to do

and the experience there taught me how to write

well on their own, and we are good independently,

an email for example or how to talk to my senior

but we see how important it is nowadays to be able

managers and how to communicate when working

to work in a team – most companies require their

on projects with my team. But the majority of

staff to work in teams, and universities need to find

colleges and universities in India don’t give students

ways to help students develop teamworking skills.

this exposure.

Ideas for the future of Indian Higher Education Please provide your top three big ideas on how you feel higher education can improve to fit current international developments and the rapidly evolving world of work. Student: If I were an education minister for a day

understanding and mindset. Students should also be

I would first upgrade all subjects we teach at

made aware of the opportunities available to them

universities in India. We need to restructure the

with large multinational companies – I was only

syllabus because the kind of things that are taught

introduced to this in my second year.

to us in India are very different in terms of practical applicability. Indian HE doesn’t focus on the applicability of knowledge – we are taught well, and we understand concepts, but when we try to apply

Also, better organisation in terms of the administration of Indian HE needs to be considered. I think we are lagging behind other nations and

them in the practical world then we face challenges.

everyone knows the size of the education sector in

Universities and colleges need to include more

– we have thousands of universities and colleges.

international elements if we want to be prepared for

Better management and leadership of these

employment in India and abroad. The curriculum

universities and colleges is important if we want to

needs to become more international so that

improve teaching and skills development.

India, so there are always organisational challenges

students are given a chance to develop international

Global Talent in India | Challenges and Opportunities for Skills Development in Higher Education - 2nd Edition

INDUSTRY PERSPECTIVES: EMPLOYERS

INDUSTRY PERSPECTIVES: EMPLOYERS Indian industry and employers are the main

perspective. Key higher-level skills and competencies,

recipients of graduate talent. There are 1.3 million

current and future, which are sought after by

businesses in India and their success, to a large

employers, alongside the opportunities for capacity

extent, depends on the quality of graduate talent

building through training and partnerships with

entering the workforce. This section of the report

universities, are also explored. Employers also provide

provides industry insights into the state of workforce

their key ideas for the future of Indian HE.

readiness of Indian graduates from an employer

Skills development and Indian HE Preparing students for global careers In light of the increasing globalisation and opening up of the Indian economy, preparing graduates who are ready to take on work assignments on a global level or at global businesses in India is imperative.

Only

Yet, only 54% of employers feel that Indian HE

54%

prepares students for the global workplace in terms of understanding international developments, good practice and exposure to international business models and approaches. This figure represents an improvement of 15% on last years data; nevertheless, it still indicates that nearly half or 46% of employers feel students enrolled in Indian HE institutions are not adequately prepared for global careers. Surveyed employers felt that students lack awareness in terms of the latest developments in their respective field and global perspectives in general

of employers feel that Indian Higher Education prepares students for the global workforce and workplace.

terms, in addition to being able to demonstrate only limited knowledge on future directions. A lack of exposure in international practice, norms and approaches, including the lack of training to adapt to the ever-changing requirements in the job market, was also highlighted as a pertinent issue that indicates that Indian students may not be adequately prepared for global careers.

with 41% of them highlighting that institutionsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; education models are not international enough nor globally relevant. They also voiced that the majority of students lack exposure to global business practice and workplace shifts.

Very few higher education institutes prepare students for global management - while the top 15 - 20 Management and Technical Institutes would have adequate to basic coverage in the courses on global issues, others will not even have a targeted preparation of the students in this area.

Preparing students for the rapidly shifting world of

(Manufacturing Employer, New Delhi)

preparing Indian students and graduates for the

work Alongside globalisation, technology acts as a major disruptor within the world of work. The 2018 World Economic Forum report, the Future of Jobs, predicted that by 2022 the skills required to perform most jobs would have shifted significantly with an expected change in 42% of the skills required in the future workforce and workplace (WEF, 2018). Hence rapidly changing world of work, the mega shift in the

Employers also suggested that Indian HE has a way to go to become more international in nature,

in-demand skills and readiness for jobs that do not exist yet is of utmost importance.

Global Talent in India | Challenges and Opportunities for Skills Development in Higher Education - 2nd Edition

Driven by the latest technological developments reshaping the world of work as we know it, employers highlighted that a range of new courses should be introduced by Indian HE institutions including Artificial Intelligence (AI), Blockchain

50% of employers feel that Indian Higher Education prepares students for the global workforce and workplace.

Only half or 50% of the surveyed employers felt that Indian HE prepares students for the rapidly changing

and Machine Learning to keep future graduates abreast. Employers concluded that institutions are nevertheless too slow to respond to such developments. As one Chief Innovation Officer in a large multi-national company remarked:

The adoption of robotics and automation, and increased usage of technology for any decision making are changing the workplace rapidly. The changes are so rapid that the age of any technology is not more than 3-4 years. So any academic changes and their implementation are dated when students graduate and join the world of work. (Digital and Creative Employer, Delhi)

world of work, which includes developments such as the highly competitive job market, automation, entrepreneurship, project-based work and the gig economy. Just over half of them (54%) agreed that Indian HE is industry-relevant. Employers felt that emphasis in Indian HE had been primarily on getting students ready for an exam, as opposed to getting them ready for the increasingly international and dynamic workforce and workplace. Other employers suggested that except for a few HE institutions, there is a general lapse in making students adapt to these changing requirements due to the limited opportunities for students to apply their knowledge

Staff, resources and facilities required by Indian students Similar to academic staff and students, employer respondents also had the opportunity to reflect on the state of the provision of key resources and facilities to aid students with developing their employability. In contrast to students and academic staff, fewer employers felt that Indian universities are equipped with the necessary staff, resources and facilities required by students, with the biggest gap

outside the classroom. When the focus has been on teaching theory as opposed to developing practical skills, students are not equipped for the workforce when they graduate.

Students have good theoretical knowledge, but they donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have enough hands-on experience or they havenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t done internships. The real hands-on experience of having done something makes you challenge things and have a deeper understanding of your subject. Applied knowledge of concepts is lacking, and a lot of the Indian graduates require a lot of training on the job as they are not fully ready.

Only

43% of employers feel that Indian universities are equipped with the necessary facilities, such as labs, pods, and technology required by students.

(E-commerce Employer, Mumbai)

Global Talent in India | Challenges and Opportunities for Skills Development in Higher Education - 2nd Edition

being in the lack of provision of facilities, such as labs, pods and technology that expose students to practice-based learning, giving them the opportunity to undertake applied research. Employers suggested that good quality teaching and good resources are limited to fewer institutions like IITs and IIMs.

42%

A total of 52% of employers agreed that Indian HE hosts skilled academic and professional staff – this figure reflects an increase of 13% when compared with data from the first edition of this report; yet only 43% of them felt that universities provide the necessary facilities, such as labs, pods and technology, required by students on their course. Employers reflected on the challenge of attracting and retaining academic talent in Indian

of employers feel that the Indian HE sector’s relationship with industry is closed and isolated from the world of work.

universities and colleges by suggesting that current remuneration poses challenges to attracting the best academic talent.

The theoretical basis of Indian teachers is very strong, but they have to be trained a bit to be in line with new developments. There is also scope for technology to be improved. (Hospitality Employer, Pune)

students such as internships and work placements but also for developing employability skills and attributes through working in partnership with employers on real-life briefs and projects. Over half or 58% of the surveyed employers felt that the Indian HE sector’s relationship with industry is open to collaboration and can meet industry needs. Despite

Employers further highlighted that only a small

the expressed openness of institutions to collaborate

fraction of government-funded institutions and

with industry, 42% of employers concluded that

autonomous private colleges perform better when

their current relationship with Indian HE is rather

it comes to staff, resources and facilities. They

closed and isolated – a depressing increase of 17%

argued that further public and private investment

when compared with data from the inaugural Global

should be channelled at improving academic staff

Talent in India report.

performance, resources and facilities as well as to launch new institutions to meet India’s demand for education and skilling. Since then, the government contends that up to 2000 new Type 2 institutions will be established over the next two decades each having the opportunity to uplift its stature as a Type 1 institution through research and innovation.

Employers felt that IITs and IIMs have good industry links but other institutions, which form the majority of all Indian universities, somehow fail to provide evidence of close relationships with employers. There are opportunities on the horizon to improve these relationships and, according to employers, universities and industry would benefit from working

Indian HE relationship with industry

towards creating an ecosystem that is innovative,

University-industry partnerships are essential not only

industry talent and employment opportunities.

for the provision of employability opportunities to

entrepreneurial and connects universities with

Requirements of skills and competencies Indian HE graduates’ skills and knowledge level The ability of Indian graduates to demonstrate adequate levels of knowledge and skills developed is essential for them to be both employable and

progress into employment through meeting employer needs. Findings from this second Global Talent in India report highlight an improvement of 24% in employers’ opinion of graduate preparedness, including the access to necessary skills and

Global Talent in India | Challenges and Opportunities for Skills Development in Higher Education - 2nd Edition

knowledge that they are looking for in their sector. 43% of employers feel that graduates from Indian HE institutions are not able to demonstrate that they have the necessary skills and knowledge that they are looking for. Employers felt that the application of concepts is less demonstrable, and a lot of Indian

Skills and competencies required by your industry The top five skills and competencies that are urgently required by employers in their sector were dominated by soft and transferable skills as opposed to more technical and specialist ones:

graduates require significant training on the job as they are not fully ready to contribute to their respective industry.

Students have good theoretical knowledge, but they don’t have enough hands-on experience or they haven’t done internships. The real hands-on experience of having done something, makes you challenge things and have a deeper understanding of your subject.

76%

(Technology Employer, Mumbai)

Given how the Internet and technology is evolving,

of employers named teamwork as the top skill and indeed a competency that is urgently required in their sector.

Only

57%

• Teamwork – required by 76% of employers. • Problem-solving – required by 71% of employers. • Creativity – required by 65% of employers. • Leadership – required by 61% of employers. • Critical thinking – required by 57% of employers. In light of these findings, coupled with recent trends in the world of work, such as automation

of employers feel that graduates have the necessary skills and knowledge that they are looking for in their industry.

and artificial intelligence, some employers identified that soft skills are indeed a key requirement in their industry. This trend is more evident across sectors of the economy that require human interaction, teamwork and people skills, such as the tourism

employers felt that graduates should have a more work-ready attitude, have a stronger understanding of what it takes to secure employment, particularly in cases where universities may not be adequately preparing them for their future careers. While the Indian HE system produces a lot of engineers and computer scientists, employers felt that graduate STEM talent are not fully ready to join the workforce. Not only do graduates lack specialist knowledge and experience, but they also fail to demonstrate soft skills, which are becoming imperative regardless of the industry (World Bank 2016).

and hospitality industry:

Soft skills are very important. Coping with stress and different people and teams is also important. We want to create experiences for our clients and experiences [that] are created by humans, not technology. (Hospitality Employer, Pune)

Some global employers in the survey sample suggested that students should be exposed to

Global Talent in India | Challenges and Opportunities for Skills Development in Higher Education - 2nd Edition

contexts that develop skills to work in a global

Indian economy is becoming more open to inward

context such as international trade and business,

investment and trade, which can create new

compliance and taxation. Such specialist skills

business and entrepreneurship opportunities.

are becoming increasingly important since the

Capacity building through training and HE partnerships Skilled professionals to train people required by

Key future skills, attributes and competencies that

industry

will be sought-after by employers

Some global employers in the survey sample

Building on key skills, attributes and competencies

suggested that students should be exposed to

required by employers, they were also allowed to

contexts that develop skills to work in a global

define the most important skills for the future that

context such as international trade and business,

will be sought after by employers. The top 10 key

compliance and taxation. Such specialist skills

future skills, competencies and attributes were

are becoming increasingly important since the

again dominated by soft skills and personal traits

Indian economy is becoming more open to inward

and abilities, as opposed to more technical and

investment and trade, which can create new

specialist skills. In total, 68% of employers felt that

business and entrepreneurship opportunities.

creativity and teamwork are the two most important

Employers had the opportunity to reflect on the

skills for the future:

availability of skilled professionals that are capable of building capacity through training and skilling people, including students and graduates, who are required for professions and projects in their respective sector. It was suggested that this capacity building is vital but perhaps not fully utilised by employers. Despite 74% of employers feeling that

68%

they have access to skilled professionals to train and skill people, they also felt that trainers are more often involved in basic training and consequently unable to provide more specialist training. Other employers indicated that there is a considerable shortage of professionals who can train people that can join a truly global workforce.

Partnering with Indian HEIs to help train students Another key aspect of capacity building through the development of employable graduates is the

of employers named creativity and teamwork as key future skills that will be sought after by employers in India.

establishment of sustainable partnerships between Indian universities and employers focused on training. 86% of employers indicated that they are willing to partner with academic institutions to help train students through mentoring, voluntary placements or internships – a drop of four percentage points on last year. Some employers highlighted that they already partner with HEIs to help skill and re-skill students, particularly in the provision of mentoring opportunities and personal development. However, challenges remain, particularly after employers voiced their concerns that the universities in India are disconnected from the world of work.

• Teamwork – key for 68% of employers. • Creativity – key for 68% of employers. • Digital literacy – key for 64% of employers. • Adaptability– key for 63% of employers. • Problem-solving – key for 62% of employers. • Critical thinking – key for 61% of employers. • Leadership – key for 60% of employers. • Global mindset – key for 57% of employers. • Cross-industry understanding – key for 50% of employers.

Global Talent in India | Challenges and Opportunities for Skills Development in Higher Education - 2nd Edition

• Cross-cultural communication – key for 48% of

digital skills to success in New India. Cross-cultural

employers.

communication and cross-industry understanding also feature among the ten most sought-after

With 64% digital literacy comes third on employers’

skills, attributes and competencies for the future

list of key future skills, competencies and attributes

suggesting a greater emphasis on cross-disciplinarity

of Indian graduates that will be sought after by

and internationalisation – themes that are firmly

employers. Digital India, a key initiative under

embedded in the 2019 draft National Education

the Modi Government echoes the importance of

Policy for India.

The future of Indian HE and the World of Work Employers’ ‘big ideas’ for how Indian HE can improve to become more industry-relevant and meet the demands of the rapidly evolving world of work

BIG IDEA

Employers advocated the

Closer collaboration with

Measuring employability

development and introduction

employers and the embedding

outcomes for HE courses

of a comprehensive framework

of entrepreneurship modules

and the introduction of

of skills, competencies and

into HE degrees can narrow

employability rankings was

attributes that are influenced

the gap between the provision

also seen as an important

by recent technological

in Indian HE and the rapidly

future direction for the Indian

developments impacting the

evolving world of work. Both

HE sector in its efforts to align

world of work. Subjects related

reflect opportunities that

its curriculum with industry

to AI, Big Data, Automation

employers strongly believe

requirements. University

and Blockchain, according

should inform the future of the

employability rankings were

to employers, should be

sector. Employers advocated

launched on a global stage in

firmly embedded in a new

closer collaboration with job

2016 through the introduction

skills framework to future-

creators, regardless of whether

of the Times Higher Education’s

proof Indian graduates.

employers reflect the private

Global University Employability

Industry representatives also

sector, government or non-

Rankings and QS Graduate

highlighted the importance

profit organisations. They

Employability Rankings.

of developing campaigns to

felt that proactive university-

Indian HE representation in

raise awareness of the rapidly

industry collaboration is

global employability rankings

evolving world of work and

critical so that universities can

is generally low. Only seven

provide support to students for

understand what skills are

Indian HE institutions feature

non-traditional career routes,

required and be able to adapt

in these rankings to date,

including freelancing and

their curriculum provision to

and they are predominantly

entrepreneurship.

respond to these requirements.

IITs and IIMs, alongside the University of Delhi. In light of

Indian HE should focus on actual current and future requirements of the industry. Professors and coordinators should visit industry more often to realise the huge gap between training imparted and what is required by industry. (Financial and Professional Services Employer, Mumbai)

these developments, employers felt that the Indian HE sector has the opportunity to develop a set of metrics and rankings to measure the effectiveness of individual, institutional programmes in developing the employability of their students.

Global Talent in India | Challenges and Opportunities for Skills Development in Higher Education - 2nd Edition

CASE STUDY: EMPLOYERS Senior Manager, Deloitte, New Delhi

The role ofIndian Higher Education in skills development Do you think that Indian Higher Education prepares students for the global workplace in terms of understanding international developments? Employer: We are one of the major recruiters in

One area I feel can improve to develop such talent in

India, particularly from top tier institutions, and we

universities is industry exposure. Universities should

regularly take part in on-campus recruitment and

partner with corporates and employers to help

employment events. So we have access to the most

students get exposure and learn what is happening

talented students and graduates in India, but the

in the real world. There should be more realisation

reality is that the majority of institutions don’t have

in Indian HE about what the corporate world is all

the capacity and resources to develop employable

about. So here we are making a case for stronger

talent with the right skills, knowledge and abilities

university-employer partnerships to bridge this gap

required by different firms and sectors in India.

in Indian HE.

Talent mismatch in Indian Higher Education skills Do you feel that graduates from Indian HE have the necessary skills and knowledge you are looking for? Employer: We face a lot of challenges with recruiting

lot of change when they join the corporate world.

skilled graduates – here we talk about not just

Graduates’ readiness to seek new challenges and

technical skills and knowledge but also in terms

keep adapting to these challenges is increasingly

of softer, interpersonal skills that many graduates

important.

lack when they Leave the He system in India. Professionalism, in general, is also lacking in many

What is also important for graduate talent is to keep

recruits.

learning and updating their skillsets constantly. They

There are some new skills and competency areas

in a particular area but what they should also have

that graduates should be aware of – Big Data, AI

a working knowledge of other areas to be able to

and Blockchain are some of them. But the bottom

benefit their organisation and stay employable.

may have good knowledge, expertise and experience

line is that graduates have to be ready to face a

Ideas for the future of skills development Please provide your top three big ideas on how you feel higher education can improve to fit current international developments and the rapidly evolving world of work? Employer: Indian HE needs to enable students to

internationalisation and exposure to global business

acquire global exposure, particularly in terms of

and developments should be better integrated into

cross-cultural experience in the corporate world.

the Indian HE system, so students are prepared for

Take for example Deloitte employees – even if

the internationalised world of work.

some of them don’t work or specialise in global engagement, often most of them are required to connect virtually with their counterparts in different regions of the world and work together. So

It is important for Indian HE to stop churning out graduates with business and engineering degrees. Instead, it should drive and push students to be educated in new areas and subjects such as

Global Talent in India | Challenges and Opportunities for Skills Development in Higher Education - 2nd Edition

Automation, Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning

Universities in India should also become more open

and Blockchain. More specialist knowledge and

and flexible in their approach to teaching and

degrees will be important in the future â&#x20AC;&#x201C; take for

preparing students for the world of work. We all

example Data Science and Big Data Analytics â&#x20AC;&#x201C; we

know that syllabus at many institutions is outdated

need to prepare our students in emerging disciplines

and not relevant to the requirements of the world of

if we want them to be more productive and

work, but institutions should be more open and work

employable.

closely with employers who can actively participate in developing a new, more relevant curriculum to prepare students for the future.

Global Talent in India | Challenges and Opportunities for Skills Development in Higher Education - 2nd Edition

GOVERNMENT PERSPECTIVES: POLICYMAKERS

GOVERNMENT PERSPECTIVES: POLICYMAKERS Policymakers play an important role in higher-level

India. This section of the report provides insights

skills development in the country. The Ministry

into the state of the policy and planning of skill

of Skills Development and Entrepreneurship

development and the Indian workforce including key

established in 2018 is set to champion this agenda

priorities, the public sectorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s requirements of skills

alongside other important players such as NSDC,

and competencies, the state of brain drain in India,

SSCs and CIIs. The proposed reforms in the recently

and the role of HE in skills development. This section

announced draft National Education Policy is

concludes with policymakersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; key ideas for the future

another initiative set to herald a change in HE in

of Indian HE.

Skills development and Indian HE Preparing students for global careers Understanding international developments is crucial in preparing students for the increasingly global workforce and workplace. Opportunities for Indian students to develop global competencies through immersion in international themes and

49%

developments are not evenly distributed across the sector. Only 51% of policymakers felt that Indian HE prepares students for the global workplace in terms of understanding international developments and standards. This figure represents a drop of four percentage points when data is compared with the inaugural Global Talent in India report. Students at major universities in big Indian cities are engaged in co-curricular and extra-curricular platforms (such as symposiums, conferences and competitions), which provide opportunities for them

of policymakers felt that Indian HE fails to prepare students for the global workplace in understanding international standards.

to develop an awareness of international affairs and developments. Global awareness, policy-makers felt, is key for students to understand how to navigate through an international work environment, but they emphasised that the majority of students may not yet have access to such opportunities. With the private HE sector in India becoming more competitive, initiatives involving outward student and staff mobility are more common, but they are limited in provision to fewer universities.

In line with the above findings, 49% of policymakers conclude that Indian HE is not international and globally-relevant. Increased focus on national as opposed to international themes and developments, limited global perspectives embedded in teaching and learning practice and the light representation of Indian institutions in global university rankings were

Conventional Indian HE is still very content-centric and is on its way to becoming more Industry oriented, which means the introduction of professional conduct and international standards. Such developments often take a backseat in HE institutions across India.

some of the reasons cited for this by policymakers.

(Associate, Department of Higher Education New

graduate workforce in India. Recent attitudes by

Delhi)

policymakers suggest that there may be a long way

Preparing students for the rapidly shifting world of work The world of work is changing at a rapid pace, and the Government initiatives such as Skills India aim to address this challenge but also provide an opportunity to develop the next generation of

Global Talent in India | Challenges and Opportunities for Skills Development in Higher Education - 2nd Edition

Only

43%

Before the setting of MSDE, there was no proper ecosystem in skills development. Some standardised models and schemes on quality education are to be implemented. (Director, Ministry of Skills Development and Entrepreneurship)

Respondents concluded that the majority of Indian HE institutions and courses taught in them are not industry-relevant. Indian HE was unable to make its courses at par with industry according to 59% of policymakers.

of policymakers felt that Indian HE prepares students for the rapidly-changing world of work.

Staff, resources and facilities required by Indian students Academic and professional staff, alongside resources

to go. 57% of policymakers felt that Indian HE fails

and facilities at Indian universities, are important

to prepare students for the rapidly changing world

factors in developing the employability of students

of work and recent developments contributing to

and graduates. Similar to staff, students and

shifts in the workforce and workplace. This figure

employersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; opinions, policymakers also felt that there

13 percentage points improvement on data from

is more to be done to address these factors in Indian

the first edition of this report, albeit the majority

HE. Just 49% of policymakers agreed that Indian

of policymakers still feel Indian, HE fails to develop

universities have the necessary resources, and 48%

employable graduates.

agreed that Indian universities have the necessary

Some policymakers commended the quality of the Indian HE system in light of its theoretical base but felt that the practice dimension involving real-

academic and professional staff. These figures show an improvement of 12% and 18% respectively when compared to the 2018 data.

life industry exposure might be missing. Others suggested that there is no focus on creating labs, inviting industry in the classroom and aligning industry requirements to university courses.

In the UK, teaching and training are conducted by professionals and people from the industry, and we still havenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t reached this level of integration of industry in universities. This kind of mindset is not there, and I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t think we are ready.

Only

47%

(Director, Sector Skills Council)

Despite challenging rhetoric, some policymakers emphasised the progress that has been made by

of policymakers felt that Indian universities are equipped with the necessary facilities required by students.

the Indian Government in the face of MSDE in its efforts to elevate the skills development agenda. One example is the largest skills development scheme, Skills India, which has been created by MSDE and aims to train 400 million people by 2022.

Further, 47% of policymakers reported that institutions are equipped with facilities, such as labs, pods and technology, required by students to progress into the workforce which also represents an

Global Talent in India | Challenges and Opportunities for Skills Development in Higher Education - 2nd Edition

improvement in performance and can be attributed to some improvements in teaching and learning infrastructure of Indian HE institutions. Policymakers concluded that limited provision of adequate teaching and learning resources is due to the lack of sufficient financial resources at Indian universities. They highlighted the considerable level of bureaucracy involved in the granting of additional

Teachers need to be trained, and thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s very true. We have had smart boards in our classrooms for a while, but some teachers feel that conventional methods work well, and they donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t engage with innovations. (Civil Servant, Department of Education, Chennai)

resources when requested at the institutional level. Alongside facilities and resources, policymakers

In addition to academic staff, policymakers

have questioned the preparedness of academic

emphasised that capacity building and up-skilling

staff. There is an opportunity for staff to change their

programmes at an institutional level should also be

mindset, particularly in relation to the adoption of

extended to technical and administrative staff who

innovations in the classroom.

are central to the provision of world-class teaching and learning infrastructure, facilities and technology.

Requirements of skills and competencies Indian HE graduatesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; skills and knowledge level The level of preparedness of Indian graduates in terms of graduate skills and knowledge level was also

public sector. Functional skills were relatively easy to acquire according to policymakers, unlike specific soft skills deemed to be key to the public sector, such as attitude to training, customer excellence, cross-cultural and cross-team communication and personality traits. Most of the colleges in India, which are private, provide opportunities for students to develop soft skills that are sought after by the public sector, but

63%

government colleges and schools have not been able to provide such opportunities according to policymakers. Policymakers felt that there had been considerable efforts channelled at incorporating these soft skills, but these have been individual, institutional efforts, as opposed to holistic, HE sectorlevel efforts.

of policymakers felt that graduates from Indian universities do not have the necessary skills and knowledge they are looking for in the public sector.

explored through the perspective of policymakers.

Since students and graduates go through an outdated curriculum, the public sector employers do not find them jobready, and then spend a lot of time and resources in retraining them by themselves.

Graduate skills and knowledge that are sought

(Principal Secretary, Department of Higher Education,

after by the public sector were limited, according

Hyderabad)

to policymakers. Only 37% of policymakers felt that graduates from Indian universities have the necessary skills and knowledge they are looking for in the

Skills and competencies required in the public sector

public sector. This is a drop of two percentage points

The top 10 skills and competencies required in

when compared to the 2018 data.

the public sector in India as seen through the

Policymakers concluded that except graduates from a handful of elite institutions, the majority of Indian university leavers are not generally employable in the

perspective of policymakers were dominated by soft skills and personal traits and abilities, as opposed to more technical and specialist skills. 52% of policymakers rated global mindset and leadership

Global Talent in India | Challenges and Opportunities for Skills Development in Higher Education - 2nd Edition

as the top two skills and competencies that are urgently required in the public sector. These replace creativity and critical thinking, and the new ranking of in-demand skills by policymakers includes:

The challenge is that there is a disconnect between universities and industry. A major deficiency is soft skills, people management and the ability to communicate. (Director, Confederation of Indian Industries)

52%

Challenges to skills development in the public sector Just as in the case of universities’ employability efforts and training provided by industry, policymakers also saw a number of challenges with regards to skills development in the public sector. For some policymakers, the scalability, quality and relevance of skills development programmes in India was seen as a key challenge to capacity

of policymakers rated global mindset and leadership as the top two skills and competencies that are urgently required in the public sector.

building and improving productivity. Due to the sheer scale and complexity of government structures in India, policymakers argued that duplication of efforts is a common challenge which should be addressed:

• Leadership – key for 52% of policymakers. • Global mindset – key for 52% of policymakers. • Creativity – key for 44% of policymakers. • Critical thinking – key for 40% of policymakers. • Adaptability – key for 36% of policymakers. • Cross-disciplinary understanding– key for 32% of policymakers.

• Teamwork – key for 32% of policymakers. • Digital literacy – key for 28% of policymakers. • Problem-solving – key for 28% of policymakers. • Curiosity – key for 24% of policymakers. Policymakers in relatively small governmental organisations emphasised the importance for graduates to be able to demonstrate multi-tasking skills with cross-functional capabilities and high adaptability, alongside other, predominantly soft skills.

There needs to be better co-ordination between various ministries and government departments to avoid the duplication of efforts in skills development. This is a common challenge in countries with a large population and extensive government services. (Lead Scientist, Ministry of Skills Development and Entrepreneurship)

Policymakers felt that regulations, frameworks and guidelines for skills development are still evolving, which leads to uncertainty, posing a challenge to actual viability and implementation. Other challenges involved a lack of access to skills development programmes delivered by private sector organisations and the limited availability of public sector skills trainers and assessors, alongside resources, both financial and technical and infrastructure.

The state of brain drain in India Indian brain drain – reversing the trend? The proportion of Indian talent that has joined the global workforce and contributed to organisations in world economies is soaring. With 16 million people living outside the country, India has the largest

diaspora population in the world (Times of India 2016). Thousands of Indian students go overseas for study purposes, and many of them decide to pursue a career post-graduation in their host country. Policymakers had the opportunity to provide their perspective on this trend and its direction, and

Global Talent in India | Challenges and Opportunities for Skills Development in Higher Education - 2nd Edition

advantage has been that India is now moving to the next stage of competitiveness among HE institutions, which in turn will create more opportunities for quality education in India. India already has

86%

landmark institutions like the IITs, IIMs, NLUs, which policymakers felt have raised the bar for other institutions. Others, however, felt that the proportion of Indian students going abroad to pursue university-level education is expected to increase even further, which is because the student body in India is increasing rapidly and admission to landmark HE institutions in

of policymakers felt that there is a challenge in making sure Indiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s skilled graduates stay in the country.

86% of policymakers felt that there is a challenge in making sure Indiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s skilled graduates stay in the country. This is a sharp increase of 27% relative to last years data. Despite the significant flow of skilled

India is becoming very competitive.

Universities are coming into India so the trend may change, though there will continue to be an interest in going overseas to get a global perspective which is useful for the global as well as Indian career. (Advisor, Department of Education, MHRD)

graduates from India, policymakers suggested that there is a significant number of talented

Policymakers pointed at the rapid pace at which

people willing to start new businesses and take up

HE institutions in most advanced economies

large roles in the Indian job market. Policymakers

update their teaching and learning programmes to

commented that the recent surge in inward

make them more relevant for the world of work as

investment, and the opening up of new sectors and

another motivational factor for Indian students to

markets in India, are encouraging signs that highly-

study overseas. Indian universities, the policymakers

skilled Indian graduates will decide to start their

contended, are largely lagging behind major study

career journey in the country.

abroad destinations such as the US, Australia,

The challenges of making Indiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s graduates stay in

Germany and the UK.

the country

Indian students studying abroad was not necessarily

Some policymakers felt that the trend of Indian

importance of the opportunities of studying abroad

students studying overseas is likely to reverse in the coming years and India may see more of its youth deciding to study in the country. While privatisation in the HE sector has become commercial in its objectives, policymakers suggested that the

seen negatively. Some policymakers stressed the and the influence of international experience and exposure on the employability of Indian students and graduates. Even if Indian universities improve to match the best in the world, there was no substitute for international exposure.

Key policy priorities Productivity and capacity building through skills

Quality Upgradation and Inclusion Programme

development

(EQUIP) reflect such recent initiatives. They felt that

Policymakers emphasised that the current

industry status, which will encourage employers to

Government has launched a number of key initiatives to promote vocational training, which will enhance the present skills and pave the way for improved skills development provision. The draft National Education Policy (NEP) from 2019 and the Education

key sectors of the Indian economy should be given come forward and take ownership of skilling. With this in mind, the logistics and supply chain sector was just one example highlighted by policymakers. Incentivising industry to train students should be

Global Talent in India | Challenges and Opportunities for Skills Development in Higher Education - 2nd Edition

Developing skilled professionals to train people

put at the heart of the skills development agenda. Apprenticeships were just one example to address

Another key policy priority, which was put forward

the current challenges surrounding the productivity

by policymakers, was the development of skilled

and capacity building of the Indian workforce

professionals to train people to join the Indian

through skills development. Apprenticeships

workforce through channelled investment and

were thought to be crucial for developing skills

quality control of training and assessment. Within

for key sectors of the Indian economy, such as

this context, key considerations policymakers felt

manufacturing, construction and trade.

should be taken forward include:

Identification of skills gaps, horizon scanning of

• Standardisation of academic inputs at all

workforce trends in the Indian labour market, and

universities and colleges.

the provision of industry input mechanisms were also put forward by policymakers as key policy

• Provision of resources to develop trainers and

priorities to support skills development aspirations

assessors.

of the Government and to ensure that universities

• Development of industry exposure opportunities. • Faculty development programmes.

develop graduates that are fit for the workforce.

The future of Indian HE and the World of Work Policymakers’ ‘big ideas’ for how Indian HE can become more industry-relevant and meet the demands of the rapidly evolving World of Work

BIG IDEA

Development of a

Focus on entrepreneurship,

Introduction of employer-

comprehensive university-

innovation and quality research

led short modules focused

industry network to set up

are important areas of work that

on skills development was

and promote various industry

have the potential to scale up

another idea proposed by

exposure opportunities to

and support the Government’s

policymakers. With this in

students. Policymakers agreed

efforts in skilling India and

mind, universities and colleges

that many universities offer

improving the productivity of

have the potential to introduce

industry engagement and

its workforce. Alongside skills

a range of specialised short

exposure opportunities to their

development, policymakers felt

modules, which focus on

students, but the sector needs

that research and innovation

developing skills in demand

a more unified approach that

hold a prominent place in

across key sectors of the Indian

will enable more institutions

the HE sector and that more

economy and supplement

and their students to benefit

resources be channelled at these

the mainstream curriculum.

from such initiatives.

two initiatives.

Policymakers suggested that

Some policymakers made a case for business incubation centres to support future graduates in building their enterprises. Incubation centres can prepare students for entrepreneurial life and support the creation of

employers have a key role to play in designing these short modules, training of faculty members, and having an oversight on the quality of training delivery, quality assessment and certification.

additional jobs driven by smallscale business innovations and start-ups.

Global Talent in India | Challenges and Opportunities for Skills Development in Higher Education - 2nd Edition

I hope universities will inspire youth to get into research too. Because by creating start-ups, for example, you are not just creating a job for yourself, but you are facilitating more employment for the country.

The Indian mindset is changing, and there are already initiatives in place to skill students and provide hands-on industry exposure but mainstreaming might take another ten years. (Director, National Skills Development Corporation)

(Director, National Skills Development Corporation)

Global Talent in India | Challenges and Opportunities for Skills Development in Higher Education - 2nd Edition

CASE STUDY: POLICYMAKERS Senior Secretary, Ministry of Skills Development and Entrepreneurship, New Delhi

The role of Indian Higher Education in skills development Do you think that Indian Higher Education prepares students for the rapidly changing world of work (e.g. highly competitive job market, automation)? Policymaker: One of the key challenges Indian

skillsets we need in business and industry. So this is

HE faces nowadays is related to skills deficiency.

another challenge – both for institutions but also for

Approximately 24 million Indians enter the job

our government. Also, a lot of work needs to be done

market every year. Out of those 24 million, only 6

by the education ministry to ensure that courses and

million of them go through HE, which at least allows

subjects at institutions are relevant to the workplace.

them to develop relevant skills. So as a skills ministry, one of our key aspirations is to reach out to all those

We have a workforce in India of around 500 million

24 million people entering the workforce every year.

people. With the pace of change of technology, in

But even if we look at that section of society which

than they were in the past. So we need to bring an

has access to HE, data suggests that the majority

ecosystem that catalyses this change so that we

of them are not employable or prepared for the

enable students, graduates and other sections of

job market. Institutions churn out graduates with

society to adapt fast and be employable.

particular, skillsets are becoming redundant faster

degrees which don’t allow them to develop the

State of graduate preparedness for the workforce Do you feel that graduates from the Indian Higher Education have the necessary skills and knowledge you are looking for? Policymaker: As the world of work is changing,

nurturing these hard skills in students and graduates

one thing that seems increasingly evident in India

is imperative.

is that more jobs are moving into the services sector. The services sector, by its nature, requires more communication and human skills rather than technical skillsets. These skills therefore become key to the future economy, and that’s why it is critical

I expect more incremental changes to happen in the world of work as technology advances and service sector becomes more prevalent in India. So integrating this change in our society and in aspects

that all graduates develop them.

of the way we live and work needs to become a

Second and as far as hard, technical skills are

we want to develop learning platforms where people

concerned, the required skillsets change constantly,

can acquire skills as they go along and as per their

so I believe a stronger industry connect to help with

requirements. This is one of our key objectives.

central part of our education system. In light of this,

and also in terms of the diversity of the skillsets

that develop employable graduates are not

that they develop in students. So universities, in

performing well – both in terms of student capacity

collaboration with the government should focus on

Global Talent in India | Challenges and Opportunities for Skills Development in Higher Education - 2nd Edition

short term skilling where people can up-skill fast, diversify their skillsets and can acquire multiple skills

skills and abilities to make them fully employable.

at various levels.

Since the world of work is changing at such a rapid

Another area which I see as a priority and indeed

upgrade their skill set regularly. So what is important

something that we have been working on for a while

for Indian HE is to help students with upgrading

is integrating apprenticeships, internships and other

their skills, understand the changes in technology

pathways into the curriculum of HE institutions.

impacting the world of work and develop in students

Once this new approach is in place, students will get

adaptability â&#x20AC;&#x201C;the ability to up-learn and re-learn to

industry exposure that helps them develop relevant

be successful and employable.

pace, every individual would need to be able to

Global Talent in India | Challenges and Opportunities for Skills Development in Higher Education - 2nd Edition

THIRD SECTOR PERSPECTIVES: SOCIAL ENTERPRISES

THIRD SECTOR PERSPECTIVE: SOCIAL ENTERPRISES Third sector organisations in India, commonly

perspectives of over 150 NGOs in India into the state

known as Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs),

of Indian HE and the skills development agenda,

are influential advocates of education and play an

NGO requirements of skills and competencies,

important role in skills development in the country.

the societal and community angle of workforce

India has 31 lakh (3.1 million) NGOs, more than

productivity and capacity building, and the state of

double the current number of Indian schools (Indian

brain drain of Indian talent through the perspective

Express 2015). Many NGOs in the country have their

of NGOs. The section concludes with a section where

primary focus on education and skills development.

NGO representatives reflect on key ideas for the

Prominent ones are Teach India, the British Council

future of Indian HE.

and You and I. This section of the report draws on the

Skills development and Indian HE Preparing students for global careers Globalisation requires students to be prepared for global careers and this is particularly relevant in the case of India, where a large number of graduates are expected to join the global workforce and fill in skills gaps in countries experiencing talent shortages. NGOs have a role to play in inculcating a global mindset and awareness in students. Over half or 57% of the Indian NGOs, which took part in this

positive picture on the preparedness of Indian students and graduates for the world of work. Despite that, only 53% of NGOs highlighted the potential and capacity of Indian HE to prepare students for the global workplace in terms of understanding international developments and standards in this second edition of the report. This figure represents a drop of 14% when compared to last yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s dataset.

study are directly involved in education provision and

Furthermore, only 55% of NGO representative

skills development, which often cater to youth from

participants in this study agreed that Indian

disadvantaged backgrounds.

HE and skills development opportunities are

In the first edition of this report, NGOs, unlike employers and policymakers, provided a more

international and globally-relevant. They felt that current government initiatives such as Skill India should introduce more advanced skills development programmes to prepare students for understanding international developments and the changing nature of work. NGO participants felt that having a global outlook and being able to respond to issues of diversity are

47%

important to graduate outcomes, which have not been taken forward by Indian HE institutions, nor have they been integrated with the curriculum. One of the key problems they identified was the lack of opportunities for Indian students for exposure to diversity both in the Indian context and internationally. Representatives from NGOs felt that HE institutions

of NGO representatives felt that Indian HE fails to prepare students for the global workplace through understanding of international development and standards.

themselves should concentrate considerable efforts to internationalise and innovate their curriculum as the basis for preparing students and graduates for global careers:

Global Talent in India | Challenges and Opportunities for Skills Development in Higher Education - 2nd Edition

There is an urgent need to develop in students 21st Century skills – particularly global and soft ones – like critical thinking, cross-cultural communication, the art of having conversations with people from different cultures and at different levels. (Consultant, British Council)

This decline in confidence is re-echoed in their sentiment towards Indian HE as a whole. Just over half or 51% of NGOs concluded that Indian HE is not industry-relevant. The largely outdated university curriculum and limited employer engagement in both course development and delivery were highlighted to be among the key reasons for this state of affairs.

Staff, resources and facilities required by Indian students

Preparing students for the rapidly shifting world of work

NGOs also had the opportunity to reflect on the state of the provision of key resources and facilities

NGO representatives highlighted a number

to aid students with developing their employability.

of prominent challenges related to preparing

Unlike the more critical perspectives provided by

Indian students for the world of work. The lack of

academics, employers and policymakers, NGOs

experiential learning opportunities and limited

were more likely to agree that Indian universities

access to project-based education were flagged up

are equipped with the necessary staff, resources

as two considerable challenges in Indian HE. NGOs

and facilities required by students. Only 49% of

highlighted a number of institutional initiatives

NGOs highlighted that Indian universities have the

of good practice, which has the potential to be

necessary academic and administrative staff, some

mainstreamed across the wider HE sector in India.

arguing that faculty in lower-tiered HEI’s are not

Some of these examples of good practice included

inadequately trained and are lacking in essential

student-led projects with community organisations

skills. 48% of NGO (an increase of 22%) respondents

and the involvement of industry representatives in

suggested that institutions are not equipped with

skills development initiatives.

the necessary facilities students require to progress

Nevertheless, nearly half or 46% of NGOs concluded that Indian HE fails to prepare students for the rapidly-changing workplace and workforce requirements, particularly in the case of universities located in large urban centres, such as Delhi and

into the workforce. Other NGOs suggested that there was a huge gap between urban and rural institutions in their access to and provision of the necessary resources and infrastructure for teaching and learning.

Mumbai. This is a downward trend represented a

NGOs identified that government resources for

26% increase in the number of NGO’s concluding

HE are not often utilised strategically and tend to

such. Rural and publicly funded universities were

concentrate in a few institutions. The reason for

thought to be facing far more challenges in

unequal distribution of resources and inconsistency

equipping their students for the workforce. These

in the quality of education might be the result of

challenges are often related to the capacity and

key country-level trends and challenges such as the

quality of HE provision outside large urban centres in

‘massification’ of Indian HE, as NGOs highlighted,

India and the negative effect on the employability of

coupled with the growing demand for education

students graduating from these institutions.

from India’s fast-growing middle classes, which are

The potential is there, but there is a problem with skills development as the current supply of higher education is unable to meet the demand from youth across the country. There is a shortage of quality and scale. (Director, E and H Foundation)

expected to increase to 500 million people in the next decade (British Council 2014).

The main challenge for Indian HE is quality because massification is happening at a rapid pace. The Gross Enrolment Ratio at Indian universities is only around 27%. (Head of Internationalising HE, British Council)

Global Talent in India | Challenges and Opportunities for Skills Development in Higher Education - 2nd Edition

Requirements of skills and competencies Indian HE graduates’ skills and knowledge level Specific skills needs for organisations representing the third sector in India is also an important consideration, particularly for NGOs involved in education and training as their network of volunteers serves as educators, whose knowledge and attributes is transferred on to students. Only 38% of the surveyed NGO representatives felt that Indian graduates have the necessary skills and knowledge they are looking for representing an increase of 29% on the 2018 data. NGOs pointed to the range of predominantly soft skills that graduate recruits in NGOs often fail to demonstrate. Within this context, some NGO representatives felt that students lack communication skills on both a personal and professional level thus leading to an inability for graduate recruits to work as part of a team, which is an essential requirement for this type of organisation.

volunteer base. Leadership was nevertheless less demonstrable in Indian graduates regardless of which NGO jobs they went for, with NGO representatives highlighting that the ability to manage people and people skills are not present in Indian graduates. According to NGOs, students and graduates from Indian, HE knows how to work on their own, but they often lack the skills to work with others.

Skills and competencies required in NGOs Alongside the ability of Indian graduates to demonstrate adequate levels of knowledge and skills for the sector lay an array of specific skills, attributes and competencies that are required by NGOs, making graduates who possess these skills more employable in NGOs. Creativity and digital literacy were noted by 71% of respondents as the two, most important skills required in the not-for-profit sector in India. Other top skills comprised primarily of soft skills as follows:

62% of NGO representatives felt that Indian graduates do not have the necessary skills and knowledge they are looking for.

The organisation I work for have a problem with finding leaders. Interpersonal skills are something that you do need when you have to deal with a large number of people, but if one is treated as an independent student, it is hard to develop them. (Lead Educator, U and I)

Leadership skills were highlighted as key for NGOs, particularly for those organisations with a larger

71% of NGO representatives named creativity and digital literacy as the two most important skills required in the not-for-profit sector.

• Creativity – required by 71% of NGOs. • Digital literacy – required by 58% of NGOs. • Global mindset – required by 62% of NGOs. • Leadership – required by 59% of NGOs. • Critical thinking – required by 54% of NGOs. • Adaptability – required by 42% of NGOs. • Sensitivity– required by 37% of NGOs. • Cross-cultural communication – required by 33% of NGOs.

Global Talent in India | Challenges and Opportunities for Skills Development in Higher Education - 2nd Edition

• Curiosity – required by 33% of NGOs. • Emotional intelligence – required by 33% of NGOs.

Attributes linked to key functions of NGOs involving community outreach and social work, such as leadership and sensitivity, were also featured as key and ranked fourth and seventh respectively. Equally, global mindset and cross-cultural communication were also considered highly important and feature in the top 5 skills highly sought after by NGOs.

Challenges to skills development in NGOs To support skills development, NGOs felt that accessibility and awareness of training and education opportunities need to be encouraged, alongside

media partners. NGO representatives felt that the ability of new recruits to absorb and apply new knowledge and innovative pedagogic approaches was seen as a major challenge.

We can provide the training, but having the skills to pick it up, understand it, comprehend it and apply it is not there. There is a lot of micro-managing that we end up having to do as recruits do not absorb skills fast enough so that they can apply them in NGOs. (Lead Educator, U and I)

Others suggested that building on the recent

capacity building for trainers in NGOs.

success of the NSDC; the challenge remains to

Accessibility to and affordability of education and

their efforts at developing capacity and capabilities

training from underprivileged communities in India was seen as one of the main challenges. NGO representatives suggested that there should be greater awareness of the benefits of undergoing training and education courses through NGOs, particularly amongst underprivileged communities, which should be supplemented by effective

establish niche skills companies that can channel for the Indian workforce engaged with NGOs. NGO respondents highlighted the importance of instigating good leadership and governance structures in the education and skills development sector, arguing for greater support for the further development of the social enterprise sector.

planning and support from the Government and

The state of brain drain in India The challenges to graduate retention These challenges are often linked to the absence of an enabling environment which promotes economic opportunities and incentivisation of top talent (Purkayastha 2017). These challenges are seen through the perspective of NGO representatives who, similar to policymakers, felt that India, as a whole and the NGO sector in particular suffered by brain

87%

drain in different ways. 87% of NGO representatives felt that there is a challenge in making sure India’s skilled graduates are retained in the country. For policymakers, the figure was 86%, which suggests that both groups are cognizant of the dangers of brain drain. The lack of

of NGO representatives felt that there is a challenge in making sure India’s skilled graduates stay in the country.

talent development opportunities was seen as the foremost barrier to the retention of highly-skilled graduates in India:

Global Talent in India | Challenges and Opportunities for Skills Development in Higher Education - 2nd Edition

Yes, there is a challenge. Providing a stimulating environment where you do not just use your skills, but you also develop new skills is important. So the challenge for a lot of employers is to develop their employees. Sadly, the best minds are attracted by the best companies, which are in Silicon Valley, not in India.

whereby main destinations for Indian students

(Project Liaison, Rural Women NGO)

of a better learning environment, a challenging

have been the UK, Australia, Canada and USA. NGO representatives reflected on whether this trend is likely to change in the coming years and whether India would perhaps see more of its graduates choose to study in the country. They provided contrasting perspectives on the future of brain drain in India and felt that challenges related to this trend can be offset by innovation in the HE sector in India linked to the provision curriculum and graduate employment opportunities.

Not only was brain drain recognised as a specific problem for India at large, but also for NGOs themselves, which suffered the departure of talented volunteers, educators and trainers at NGOs. Representatives from these organisations pointed to the challenge of continuity, whereby Indian graduates commence work for NGOs immediately after graduation for a short period and then take on

I do not see any change in the coming future unless there is a paradigm shift in education policy following the demand of modern times with a focus on knowledge production and value addition. (Chairman, Arts and Culture NGO)

opportunities to study abroad. NGO representatives also had the opportunity to provide their views on how challenges related to brain drain are likely to impact the societal agenda and society at large. They felt that brain drain had not affected the social agenda to a significant extent, as Indians abroad only have a moderate influence on the social agenda in India mainly through their involvement in NGOs and contribution through remittances.

Many of these people were born in families that are educated. They understood the importance of education and higher education. So people who went abroad are the elite of India. They donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t play much of a role in defining the social agenda; they do, however, contribute through remittances. (Project Liaison, Rural Women NGO)

Indian brain drain â&#x20AC;&#x201C; reversing the trend Thousands of Indian students go abroad to study for undergraduate and postgraduate HE degrees,

Others suggested that the current trend whereby Indian students go abroad to study is slowing down, despite the significant number of students who embark on opportunities to study abroad, particularly at a postgraduate level. NGOs felt that there is a shift whereby Indians choose to go abroad to either look for employment opportunities or undertake postgraduate courses:

There is a slowdown as education overseas does not have the same attraction as in the 90s and early 2000s. Now Indians prefer going abroad for jobs. Infrastructure and internet have made the world smaller so they will tend to study in India at the undergraduate level but leave for postgraduate courses and employment overseas. (Director, Education and Disabilities NGO)

NGO respondents suggested that postgraduate education opportunities in India are limited, but the fast-growing Indian economy and rising standard of living might serve as pull factors for Indian talent to join the Indian workforce.

Global Talent in India | Challenges and Opportunities for Skills Development in Higher Education - 2nd Edition

Key policy priorities Skilled professionals to train people required in NGOs NGOs had the opportunity to define key policy priorities, which they felt would support their agenda going forward. Scaling up resources for capacity building of the NGO workforce and network of volunteers was seen as a key policy priority going

as another key policy priority by NGO representatives. Larger NGOs specialising in education and training, such as Teach for India provide in-house training to their employees and volunteers, but they saw a potential in reducing the amount of time required for training, which currently stands at six weeks.

forward. Only 18% (an improvement of 11% on

Role of productivity and capacity building through

last year) of the surveyed NGO representatives

skills development in society

felt that they are unable to access the necessary professionals, who will be able to train the number of

Skills development benefits the economic productivity of Indian companies and the economy. Nevertheless, the wider role of workforce productivity and capacity building through skills development should not be underestimated, particularly in the societal agenda. NGO representatives had the

82%

opportunity to reflect on how skills development initiatives benefit societies and communities at large. NGO representatives suggested that skills development has the potential to boost the employability of Indian graduates and create more job opportunities, but a fundamental reconsideration of the way skills development interventions are carried out may be required going forward.

of NGO representatives suggested that they have access to the necessary professionals, who will be able to train the number of people needed in NGOs.

skilled people required for professions and projects in the NGO sector. The shortage of skilled trainers was particularly evident in rural India, where the need for adequate training was seen as even higher due to poorer education and training standards in these rural communities when compared to NGO

The market is still very immature to realise that capacity and competency building exercise have to start at the ground level. We may produce a million more engineers, by opening another thousand-degree mills, but the problem is with ensuring that they are employable and their skills benefit societies. (Director, Entrepreneurship and Skills Development NGO)

professionals based in cities. NGOs based in cities, on the other hand, highlighted that they boast a good number of professionals who can support them in their training and development projects due to their proximity and reach to technical institutes. Improving the effectiveness of training and capacity building of the Indian workforce, while promoting the optimisation of investment in training, was seen

In line with this, other NGO representatives suggested that, in addition to students and the graduate workforce, improving productivity and increasing the capacity of the wider workforce pool should also be placed high on the agenda. This move was seen as something that would also benefit societies and communities at large, particularly in areas with lower concentrations of HE institutions and graduates.

Global Talent in India | Challenges and Opportunities for Skills Development in Higher Education - 2nd Edition

The future of Indian HE and the World of Work NGOs’ ‘big ideas’ for how Indian HE can become more industry-relevant and meet the demands of the rapidly evolving World of Work

BIG IDEA

In line with recent technological

NGOs felt that there are some

NGO representatives suggested

developments, NGO

fundamental challenges that the

that providing access to

representatives concluded

sector needs to focus on in line

education and skills development

that more advanced skills

with taking actions to ensure that

opportunities to the masses is

development programmes

Indian HE is fit for the rapidly

what Indian HE should focus on

should instil. This would enable

evolving world of work. Ensuring

going forward. This will involve

the development of innate

equality through education

the establishment of sustainable

human capabilities read to

provision and skills development

multilateral partnerships

face the AI age. They felt that

opportunities were seen as an

involving Government, employers,

skills development initiatives

important consideration. The

academia and NGOs to drive this

are over-dominated by basic

inclusion of rural communities

agenda forward.

skills development and focused

in education provision and skills

on roles that are likely to be

development coupled with

automated in the future.

more diversity in the recruitment

Advanced skill development activities should be introduced in by Indian Higher Education. So many new technologies emerged in the last decade – AI, automation, Blockchain, Robotics. These technologies are changing completely the world of work. (Director, Skills Development NGO)

of students and academic staff has the potential to improve employability prospects for a wider cohort.

India’s higher education system, originally designed to serve the elite, will now have to serve the people. (CEO, Skills Development NGO)

In light of this, NGOs suggested that universities should provide a level playing field for students who have come from rural areas and those from cities by creating opportunities that enable interlearning.

NGOs, whilst having few that might be influential because they have supporters who are influential, these organisations can’t teach on their own. They need to bring everybody on the table – whether that’s the private sector, government or universities. (Lead Educator, Teach for India)

Scaling up of HE provision to enable access to higher education, particularly to students who cannot afford it, was seen as key for NGO representatives. However, the Indian HE sector may lack motivated and skilled lecturers to support students in their learning and employability efforts.

Global Talent in India | Challenges and Opportunities for Skills Development in Higher Education - 2nd Edition

CASE STUDY: SOCIAL ENTERPRISE Consultant, British Council, New Delhi

The role of Indian Higher Education in skills development Do you think that Indian Higher Education prepares students for the global workplace in terms of understanding international developments? Social enterprise: Certain HE institutions in India

There is an urgent need to develop in students 21st

are very much into internationalisation and have

Century skills – particularly global and soft ones –

developed projects and programmes that connect

like critical thinking, cross-cultural communication,

their students and staff with the rest of the world.

the art of having conversations with people from

But other institutions don’t have the resources or

different cultures and at different levels. Indian

personnel to develop their internationalisation and

universities and colleges still focus largely on

make their teaching models more international – I

theoretical perspectives and practical perspectives

think forging internationalisation at institutions

are not developed. Part of the problem is academics

is very important for preparing students for the

who don’t always have practical knowledge,

globalised world of work and help them understand

experience and exposure that can be transferred to

international developments.

students and prepare them better for employment.

The role of Indian Higher Education in skills development What would be the top three skills which will be important for the future? Social enterprise: Creativity and innovation I have to

to change many jobs throughout their life, so they

say are imperative for the future. We tend to focus

have to have this ability to adapt quickly.

on a lot of new-age skills thanks to technological advancements, but I would argue that creativity and innovation are even more important if we want

Finally, all students should have the opportunity to develop a global mindset and understanding

students to be ready for employment.

of different countries and cultures. The world is

Developing adaptable graduates who can get out of

graduates will end up either working abroad or here

their fixed mindset and adapt to changing trends in

in India working for large multinational companies.

the world of work and also changing requirements

If they want to be successful, then having a global

from employers is a very important skill. When

mindset is very important.

becoming more globalised, and many Indian

students join the workforce, many of them will have

knowledge from students entering employment – we

broaden their perspective on the subjects and

need to prepare for that.

disciplines taught to students – there are way more opportunities beyond traditional disciplines such as engineering and IT. Institutions need to develop new teaching models and introduce courses that will be more relevant in the future. Take, for example, technological advancements which have created a range of new professions and require new skills and

Introducing more international partnerships between institutions in India and other parts of the world is also very important – partnerships create a bridge for students to travel and experience new cultures and modes of work. It’s the international exposure that is very beneficial to students in

Global Talent in India | Challenges and Opportunities for Skills Development in Higher Education - 2nd Edition

preparing them for the world of work, and I think

foreign faculty to teach at universities and share new

universities and colleges in India can achieve that

knowledge and use non-traditional teaching models,

through international partnerships.

then we tend to value their perspectives.

I also think international exchange programmes and

So I think the exchange of faculty and particularly

projects should be extended to staff and particularly

inviting foreign faculty in Indian HE can help revamp

with foreign academics coming to India and working

our institutions and also help students gain relevant

at Indian HE institutions. We Indians are very critical

knowledge and skills that will make them more

to other open-minded Indians, but when we invite

employable.

Global Talent in India | Challenges and Opportunities for Skills Development in Higher Education - 2nd Edition

INTERNATIONALISATION IN THE SPOTLIGHT

INTERNATIONALISATION IN THE SPOTLIGHT This section provides cross-stakeholder insights on

broadly. As such, internationalisation plays an active

the importance of internationalisation of the Indian

role in the development of students as employable

HE system. Institutional efforts in internationalisation

graduates.

can support students with the development of global mindset, skills and competencies and provide exposure to global economic, political, environmental and societal themes and developments which are redefining the World of Work and society more

In this section, we present themes from across the five stakeholder groups pointing to data-driven approaches and other ideas for Indian HE to improve its internationalisation efforts.

Towards comprehensive internationalisation Some policymakers suggested that Indian

Embedding key elements of internationalisation at

HE institutions should focus on embedding

institutional, departmental, faculty and student level

comprehensive internationalisation as a way of

was seen by academic staff as an important action

becoming more global in nature. International

that needs to be taken forward if institutions are to

faculty and students, developing multilateral

become more globally competitive. Staff also argued

partnerships with foreign institutions and the

for this to be initiated at the government level with

establishment of a body to promote and oversee the

a designated funding stream for internationalisation

implementation of internationalisation efforts were

of Indian HE; further enhanced and supported at the

cited as necessary steps to promote comprehensive

institutional level.

internationalisation according to policymakers.

Development of bilateral mobility programmes The introduction of a ‘study abroad’ initiative and

highlighted that both government and individual

provision of more international opportunities for

institutions should focus on diversifying the student

Indian students through bilateral agreements with

target market which at present is dominated by

international institutions was repeatedly mentioned

students from other South and South-East Asian

as an important step to support the Indian HE

countries and Africa.

system in becoming more international and globally-competitive. Such exposure to international education and practice would enable students to be

This theme was equally supported by students who advocated in favour of the increasing of funding

ready for a globally competitive labour marketplace.

and scope of inward and outward student mobility

Academic staff also proposed the development of a

whilst inviting students from other countries to

‘study in India’ programme that will enable cross-

experience HE in India. Students proposed that this

cultural learning on campus and the development

mobility programme should also extend to faculty to

of international classrooms through inviting more

enable the sharing of good international practice.

programmes to enable them to study internationally

international students to Indian HE institutions. Staff

Internationalisation of teaching and learning Introduction of a globally-relevant curriculum and

This can facilitate learning about international

the role of technology in the classroom to enable

perspectives and developments with technology

learners to connect with the rest of the world.

breaking down the barriers to collaboration. This

Global Talent in India | Challenges and Opportunities for Skills Development in Higher Education - 2nd Edition

sentiment is echoed in the recently announced

students and needs scaling up to impact a country

National Education Policy reforms too.

with 37.4 million students enrolled in HE.

Students proposed that the provision of

Employer respondents to the survey, highlighted the

internationally-themed projects and learning

importance of recruitment of international faculty

opportunities will enable them to develop a truly

at Indian HE institutions, seeing this as central to

global mindset and broaden their understanding

internationalisation and quality improvement at

of the world. According to students, significant

universities. Employers felt that faculty from other

resources and innovation should be directed toward

countries can be beneficial to both educators in

facilitating this change in teaching and learning and

India through teacher training and capacity-building

the recruitment of academic staff with international

and to students via the introduction of elements

experience and education. The GIAN initiative, whilst

of global citizenship and development of global

designed to do this, has only benefitted 40,000

classrooms.

Setting international standards in skills development in Indian HE Employers suggested that international exposure of

representatives advocated the development of online

faculty and students is urgently required as is skills

and blended learning content in partnership with

mapping that is bespoke to Indiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s development

foreign universities to provide students in Indian HE

context yet in line with international standards.

with more exposure opportunities and knowledge of

Within the context of internationalisation of

global issues and developments.

the student body, employers argued for more opportunities for both inward and outward mobility

The process of aligning Indiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s education and skills

programmes.

development standards with international standards

Other employers remarked that cross-cultural

will enable the Indian HE sector to become more

training and exposure to globally accepted work

competitive and develop graduates who are fit for

practices can prepare graduates for the world

both the Indian and international labour markets

of work better. Using technology to partner

according to policymakers.

is an important consideration in going forward and

with international institutions abroad, industry

Funding internationalisation developments NGOs felt that internationalisation of the Indian

is seen to be necessary for the attraction of global

HE sector should be encouraged at not only an

faculty and students.

institutional but also national and state levels. There is a growing recognition of the importance of greater openness of Indian universities to international HE providers, who can bring about good practice in

The development of support mechanisms to provide funding for institutions to develop their internationalisation strategies and improve their

higher education and skills development.

standards was seen as central to internationalise

NGO representatives also suggested that the

representatives. Some policymakers highlighted

international competitiveness of the Indian HE

that the government and allied departments

sector should be encouraged and incentivised by

should play a more active role in supporting the

government authorities and departments. This would

internationalisation efforts of universities through

enable Indian HE to build a global reputation which

financial and other resource-oriented means.

the Indian HE sector according to government

Global Talent in India | Challenges and Opportunities for Skills Development in Higher Education - 2nd Edition

INSIGHTS FOR POLICY AND PRACTICE

INSIGHTS FOR POLICY AND PRACTICE Based on the findings presented above, this section offers some initial insights and actions relevant to a variety of organisations and individuals with interest in Indian HE skills development and graduate employability initiatives.

Academic staff and HE leadership Insights provided by academic staff and HE leaders pointed to the widening gap between current teaching and learning approaches and developments in the world of work. Academic staff also highlighted the value of internationalisation in Indian HE emphasising the opportunity to establish international collaborations and partnerships. This report puts forward specific insights and calls to action made by academic staff and HE leaders:

• Embed internationalisation and cross-

disciplinarily in the curriculum and pedagogic practice as the basis of preparing future-ready, globally-aware Indian graduates.

• Provide opportunities for students to develop

industry-informed, subject-specific skills and soft skills and attributes through project-based and flipped classroom approaches.

• Revamp curriculum content together with

Intelligence, Blockchain, Big Data and Robotics.

• Embed employability development modules and pedagogic tools to assist students with

the development of employability skills and attributes.

• Intensify the employer engagement to provide students with a platform for the development

of industry-informed skills, exposure to business practice, placements and employment.

• Establish a collaborative environment for

industry and employers to engage with your institution and provide industry-informed input into curriculum and pedagogies through the establishment of Employer Boards and the appointment of Professors of Practice.

• Work towards establishing international student and academic staff mobility partnerships with HE institutions overseas that will enable the

teaching and learning practice to include 21st

internationalisation of the two cohorts at your

Century subjects and courses influenced by

institution.

technological advancements including Artificial

Students Key findings from students highlighted the limited

teamwork and other people skills, which are

opportunities for exposure to a practice-based

in high demand in the current graduate job

and industry-informed curriculum and pedagogy.

marketplace.

Students also emphasised the role their university can play in preparing them to navigate an everchanging world of work but highlighted that access to employability and careers services at their institutions can be difficult. As the key takeaways for Indian students, the report highlights the need to:

• Seek extra-curricular opportunities through your

• Enrol on subject-specific MOOC courses that

will give you access to the latest theoretical and practice perspectives and help you see your course through an international and crossdisciplinary perspective.

• Enrol on personal and professional development MOOC courses to develop new skills and

institution or through NGOs in India to enable

competences and brush up your teamwork and

your personal and professional development

communication abilities with other students on

through involvement in extra-curricular

the course.

experience and development of skills and attributes that make you more employable.

• Embrace curricular, co-curricular and

• Create a digital professional identity on

professional media platforms, such as LinkedIn that will make you stand out from the crowd

extracurricular opportunities involving

and give you a platform to network with like-

collaborative projects that will assist with

minded professionals and access training and

the development of emotional intelligence,

employment opportunities.

Global Talent in India | Challenges and Opportunities for Skills Development in Higher Education - 2nd Edition

Employers Employers and industry representatives highlighted

campus and use this as an opportunity to boost

the lack of preparedness of Indian graduates for

your graduate talent recruitment.

the world of work. Employers also defined the nature of Indian HE’s relationship with industry, as being closed and isolated despite the willingness of employers to partner with academic institutions. This report puts forward specific insights and actions aimed at employers and industry representatives as a response to these and other key findings:

• Explore university-industry partnership

• Seek incentivisation from the Government

to work together with HE institutions on the establishment of skills development initiatives through relevant government-led frameworks in place, such as Sector Skills Councils and India’s International Skill Centres.

• Provide input into the university curriculum

through the development and implementation

opportunities with universities and colleges as

of ‘new age’ academic courses and programmes

a platform to collaborate on the provision of

to provide Indian student and graduates with

training and skills development opportunities to

industry-relevant knowledge and skills.

students and graduates and conduct graduate talent recruitment.

• Establish your employer presence on campus

• Explore further skills development resources and opportunities at national and state events led by the Confederation of Indian Industries and

through recruitment events and job fairs with

Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce in

the view to promote your organisation’s vision,

India.

mission and values to students and graduates on

Policymakers Policymakers highlighted the need for universities and colleges to internationalise and innovate their

• Support the development of further inward and outward student mobility programmes that

curriculum to facilitate a more holistic personal,

will enable Indian students to develop global

academic and professional development of Indian

competencies and enhance their employability

students and graduates. They also pointed to the

through global experience and exposure.

need to embed attributes, such as ‘new age’ skills and attributes, entrepreneurship and innovation. For policymakers, this report highlights the need to:

• Nurture partnerships between Indian HE

institutions and universities internationally with the view to introducing a global curriculum in line with international developments across

• Incentivise university-industry collaborations with a focus on the design, development and delivery of new courses and modules in the areas of Big Data, Artificial Intelligence, Blockchain and Robotics.

• Support the establishment of university-industry partnerships with a focus on the development

subject disciplines identified as a priority for

of graduate-level career and placement

India going forward.

opportunities across subject disciplines of

• Explore and invest in the development of

large-scale inward and outward academic staff mobility programmes that will enable Indian

national importance.

• Utilise Big Data through professional media

platforms, such as LinkedIn India as a source of

academics to gain an international perspective

mining trends in relevant skills and professions

in their subject discipline, acquire innovative

in demand that will enable the development of

teaching and learning approaches from their

industry-informed curriculum that is fit for the

international peers and bring back good

world of work the requirements of employers

international practice to support Indian campus

and key industries.

internationalisation.

Global Talent in India | Challenges and Opportunities for Skills Development in Higher Education - 2nd Edition

Social enterprises Findings from NGOs highlighted the important role

on workforce and workplace trends to make

of social enterprises in the provision of education

informed decisions with regards to refining your

and skills development opportunities but also the

organisation’s curriculum content and teaching

lack of a skilled NGO workforce. NGO representatives

and learning practice

set as a priority the development of a widening participation agenda that will enable India’s tertiary age population to have access to relevant education and higher-level skills development opportunities. Key recommendations include:

• Explore partnership opportunities with

industry and employers to provide support to disadvantaged youth and students with

• Utilise free and affordable personal and

professional development platforms, including MOOC courses with a view to up-skill and re-skill your network of trainers and provide exposure opportunities to teaching and learning in a global context.

• Consider the inclusion of subject-specific and

skills development MOOC courses as a source

their personal, academic and professional

of international and employability perspectives

development.

into your organisation’s teaching and learning

• Nurture partnerships with large-scale social

enterprises internationally to support your vision and mission and scale up your operations and

practice.

• Explore crowdfunding opportunities and

develop international crowdfunding campaigns

impact in the education and skills development

to scale up the reach and impact of initiatives in

agenda in India.

education and skills development championed

• Make use of government and industry data

by your social enterprise.

Global Talent in India | Challenges and Opportunities for Skills Development in Higher Education - 2nd Edition

CONCLUSION The purpose of this report was to explore the current

could inform enhanced skills provision in the HE

higher and graduate-level skills landscape in India

sector which included establishing an enabling

from the perspective of a wide range of stakeholders.

environment to nurture the development of

In so doing, it builds on the findings of the 2018

partnerships between HE and employers (both

report and updates it with new data, insights and

within India and overseas) to internationalise the

cases.

curriculum and embed practice-based education.

Through detailed interviews and surveys, we

To date, the skills development agenda in India

have garnered the views of over 1000 HE leaders,

has been largely directed at the development and

educators, students, employers and NGOs on the

delivery of foundational life skills. Some recent

challenges and opportunities for HE in addressing

developments and initiatives led by MSDE, however,

the talent mismatch and graduate-level skills

point to a shift whereby higher-level skills are gaining

development challenges facing India.

recognition as they often contribute to higher

Respondents identified several challenges for HE, notably:

• The curriculum was often too theory-based and lacked opportunities for practical application of knowledge in the real-world.

• There was a lack of an enabling environment

where entrepreneurship, innovation and worldleading research culture can thrive.

• The provision of relevant courses and future skills

economic productivity and well-being, promote innovation and develop the capacity for the Indian workforce to address the country’s social, economic and environmental challenges and opportunities. The 2018 FICCI Visioning India 2030 report, however, points to current challenges to understanding and developing higher-level and specialist skills to futureproof Indian graduates joining the workforce (FICCI 2018). This study has, therefore attempted to further our understanding of this topic by giving a voice to five different stakeholder groups – all who have a

at HE institutions with a focus on AI, Automation,

stake in the future of higher-level skills development

Blockchain, Robotics and Big Data is either

in India.

limited or not present.

• Internationalisation, a critical enabler of

employable graduates, was not embedded into the heart of the institutional vision, mission and purpose.

• The need for an employer engagement

Further work in this area is needed to enable universities, government, industry and other stakeholder groups to meet the demands of a growing global economy and a favourable Indian demographic. It is acknowledged that while the present report represents a modest contribution,

framework for input into the further

we intend to continue this research on an annual

development and delivery of HE.

longitudinal basis to deepen our understanding of

Overall, there was a consensus amongst respondents

this important global challenge in the Indian context.

that there is much more to be done within HE

This second Global Talent in India report and its

to tackle the graduate talent gap and to ensure

findings aim to provide a framework, which will be

Indian graduates have the opportunity to develop

advanced over the coming years of this longitudinal

industry-relevant and graduate-level skills. Generally,

study. For now, it opens up a dialogue on the

respondents advocated the expansion of the higher-

importance of the design, development and delivery

level skills development agenda through proactive

of higher-level skills development interventions in

investment and collaboration but also the quality

India and further afield.

and relevance of this skills provision within HE through the setting of international and professional standards that respond to the rapidly changing world of work and incorporate key international developments. The report concluded by summarising some key

Through future research, we will build on the insights in this report to develop a nuanced longitudinal understanding of how key stakeholders, both in India and here in the UK, can work together to bridge the education to employment gap through a focus on higher-level skills development.

actions, specific to each stakeholder group, that

Global Talent in India | Challenges and Opportunities for Skills Development in Higher Education - 2nd Edition

APPENDIX 1 – Data sources AIU, 2017. Internationalisation of Higher Education in India - Annual Survey of International Students in India 2014-15. [online]. Available at: http://www.aiu.ac.in/International/AIU_International_Students_2017%20(2).pdf [Accessed 21 August 2017].

Bloom, P. and Clarke, C., 2016. Is the productivity drive hurting employers as well as employees? The Conversation. [online]. Publisher? Available at: https://theconversation.com/is-the-productivity-drive-hurting-employers-as-well-as-employees-60938 [Accessed 21 August 2017].

British Council, 2016. Overview of India’s Evolving Skill Development Landscape. Available at: https://www.britishcouncil.org/sites/default/files/18.10.16_overview_of_skill_landscape.pdf [Accessed 25 November 2016].

British Council, 2014. Understanding India: The future of higher education and opportunities for international cooperation.[online]. Available at: https://www.britishcouncil.org/sites/default/files/understanding_india_report.pdf [Accessed 19 July 2017].

British Council, 2015. The Indian States: Opportunities for International Higher Education Collaboration. [online] Available at: https://www.britishcouncil.org/sites/default/files/the_indian_states_-_oppurtunities_for_international_higher_ education_col_.pdf [Accessed 24 August 2017].

Confederation of Indian Industry, 2019. India Skills Report 2019. [online] Available at: https://www.cii.in/PublicationDetail aspx?enc=tudKNn66lNehqGyVloSEsRu4TE6rDtl5xMknshyBCBUklLsmXWztDdUyYmoPgHS9yKU/ yW98QAKIkJaEXvI4ZnnCeI6LsfATg26+x0hKvMaPW8Wid2ZMotOBdJ3l8CL6CSdRDLDW/ u82iSMHwB0t6xl9aHwS7Vn5AI3NtYKkC3o= [Accessed 21 July 2019].

Department of Higher Education, 2018. All India Survey on Higher Education 2017-18. [online] Available at: https://epsiindia.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/AISHE-2017-18.pdf [Accessed 21 July 2019].

Economic Times, 2016. Government launches 15 India International Skill Centres [online]. Available at: http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/economy/policy/government-launches-15-india-international-skillcenters/articleshow/53252497.cms [Accessed 22 June 2017].

FICCI and EY, 2013. Reaping India’s promised demographic dividend – Industry in driving seat [online]. Available at: http://www.ey.com/Publication/vwLUAssets/EY-Government-and-Public-Sector-Reaping-Indias-demographicdividend/$FILE/EY-Reaping-Indias-promised-demographic-dividend-industry-in-driving-seat.pdf [Accessed 24 August 2017].

FICCI, 2018. Envisioning India 2030. [online] Available at: http://ficci.in/publication.asp?spid=23058 [Accessed 28 July 2019].

Financial Express, 2019. The curious case of rising working age population and falling labour force in India. [online] Available at: https://www.financialexpress.com/economy/the-curious-case-of-rising-working-age-population-and-fallinglabour-force-in-india/1502256/ [Accessed 21 July 2019].

Global Talent in India | Challenges and Opportunities for Skills Development in Higher Education - 2nd Edition

FICCI and EY, 2016. Future of jobs its implications on Indian higher education [online].Available at: http://m.ficci.in/publication-page.asp?spid=20787 [Accessed 24 August 2017].

GTCI, 2017. Global Talent Competitiveness Index 2017 [online]. Available at: http://www.gtci2017.com/documents/GTCI_2017_web_r5.pdf [Accessed 22 June 2017]. GTCI, 2019. The Global Talent Competitiveness Index 2019. [online] Available at: https://gtcistudy.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/GTCI-2019-Report.pdf [Accessed 21 July 2019].

Heslop, L., 2014. Understanding India: The future of higher education and opportunities for international cooperation. British Council. Holland, D., Liadze, I., Rienzo, C., and Wilkinson, D., 2013. The relationship between graduates and economic growth across countries. BIS research paper, 110. Available at: http://www.voced.edu.au/content/ngv%3A57963 [Accessed 21 August 2017].

ICEF Monitor, 2015. Indiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s employability challenge [online]. Available at: http://monitor.icef.com/2015/10/indias-employability-challenge/ [Accessed 9 September 2017].

IMD World Competitiveness Rankings, 2019. IMD World Competitiveness Rankings 2019 Results. [online] Available at: https://www.imd.org/wcc/world-competitiveness-center-rankings/world-competitiveness-ranking-2019/ [Accessed 20 July 2019].

IMF, 2019. IMF Data Mapper: Population Millions of people. [online] Available at: https://www.imf.org/external/datamapper/LP@WEO/OEMDC/ADVEC/WEOWORLD/IND [Accessed 20 July 2019].

Indian Express, 2015. India has 31 lakh NGOs, more than double the number of schools [online]. Available at: http://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-others/india-has-31-lakh-ngos-twice-the-number-of-schoolsalmost-twice-number-of-policemen/ [Accessed 14 July 2017].

Manpower Group, 2017. 2016-2017 Talent Shortage Survey [online]. Available at: http://www.manpowergroup.com/talent-shortage-2016 [Accessed 22 June 2017].

ManpowerGroup, 2018. 2018 Talent Shortage Survey. [online] Available at: https://go.manpowergroup.com/talent-shortage-2018 [Accessed 21 July 2019].

Mathai, M., 2016. Indian Students Mobility Report 2016 [online]. Available at: http://mdotm.in/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/MM-Report-2016-Final.pdf [Accessed 19 July 2017].

Ministry of Human Resource Development, 2016. All India Survey on Higher Education 2015-16 [online]. Available at: http://mhrd.gov.in/sites/upload_files/mhrd/files/statistics/AISHE2015-16.pdf [Accessed 18 July 2017].

Purkayastha, D., 2017. Brain Drain. Silicon India Blog [online]. Available at: http://blogs.siliconindia.com/DEBASREE/BRAIN_DRAIN-bid-aC91y7GW16404003.html [Accessed 24 August 2017].

PwC, 2014. Adapt to survive: how better alignment between talent and opportunity can drive economic growth. London: Pricewaterhouse Coopers.

Global Talent in India | Challenges and Opportunities for Skills Development in Higher Education - 2nd Edition

Times of India, 2016. India has largest diaspora population in world, UN report says [online]. Available at: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/nri/other-news/India-has-largest-diaspora-population-in-world-UN-reportsays/articleshow/50572695.cms [Accessed 9 July 2017].

UNDP, 2016. UNDP: Fastest population shift in history means make or break for Asia-Pacific [online]. Available at: http://www.in.undp.org/content/india/en/home/presscenter/pressreleases/2016/04/26/undp--fastestpopulation-shift-in-history-means-make-or-break-fo.html [Accessed 23 June 2017].

UNESCO, 2019. Education: Gross enrolment ratio by level of education. [online] Available at: http://data.uis.unesco.org/index.aspx?queryid=175 [Accessed 20 July 2019].

WEF, 2016. Indiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s economy in numbers [online]. Available at: https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2016/10/india-economy-in-numbers/ [Accessed 13 June 2017].

WEF, 2017. The Global Competitiveness Report 2016-2017 [online]. Available at: http://www3.weforum.org/docs/GCR2016-2017/05FullReport/TheGlobalCompetitivenessReport2016-2017_ FINAL.pdf [Accessed 26 May 2017].

WEF, 2018. 5 things to know about the future of jobs. [online] Available at: https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2018/09/future-of-jobs-2018-things-to-know/ [Accessed 23 July 2019].

WEF, 2019. Future of Consumption in Fast-Growth Consumer Markets: INDIA. [online] Available at: http://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Future_of_Consumption_Fast-Growth_Consumers_markets_India_ report_2019.pdf [Accessed 20 July 2019].

World Bank, 2016. A knowledge economy needs primary soft skills development [online]. Available at: http://blogs.worldbank.org/jobs/knowledge-economy-needs-preprimary-soft-skills-development [Accessed 19 July 2017].

World Bank, 2017. Skilling India [online].Available at: http://www.worldbank.org/en/news/feature/2017/06/23/skilling-india?CID=SAR_TT_SAR_EN_EXT?cid=EXT_ WBSocialShare_EXT?cid=EXT_WBSocialShare_EXT [Accessed 18 July 2017].

World Bank, 2019. Global Economic Prospects: Heightened Tensions, Subdued Investment. [online] Available at: https://www.worldbank.org/en/publication/global-economic-prospects [Accessed 20 July 2019].

Global Talent in India | Challenges and Opportunities for Skills Development in Higher Education - 2nd Edition

APPENDIX 2 – Detailed methodology and sample characteristics 1. Profile of Organisations Participating in the Study

independent technical, liberal arts and engineering colleges affiliated to over 15 universities across India.

• Participating students in HE institutions included representatives from the University of Pune, University of Delhi, Symbiosis International University, University of Mumbai, IITs, IIMs, in addition to independent technical, engineering, social sciences and liberal arts colleges.

• Employers included senior representatives from large international organisations, such as Ali Baba India, Google India, Deloitte, Tata Motors, Michael Page and a range of small and medium-sized businesses established in India across key sectors of the economy.

• Policymakers included representatives from the Department of Education in Delhi and Madras, the

National Skills Development Corporation (NSDC), Ministry of Skills Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE), Sector Skills Councils, the Ministry of Human Resources Development and other government organisations.

• Third sector organisations included representatives of NGOs involved in education and skills development, social entrepreneurship, gender and minority empowerment, arts and culture whereby prominent

organisations included the International Labour Organisation, British Council India, Teach for India, U and I, E and H Foundation.

2. Research Tools, Study Sample and Profile A total of 55 semi-structured Interviews with representatives from the following stakeholder groups have been conducted (featuring at least 5 interviews for each stakeholder group):

• Higher Education (e.g. senior leadership and student representatives). • Policymakers (e.g. representatives of various governmental bodies). • Employers (e.g. employers from key sectors of the Indian economy). • Third sector organisations (e.g. NGOs and community organisations). Building on the semi-structured interviews, 1010 survey questionnaires were distributed online and completed by representatives from each of the five stakeholder groups:

Global Talent in India | Challenges and Opportunities for Skills Development in Higher Education - 2nd Edition

Higher Education (senior leadership and academic staff) â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 194 responses. Profile of Respondents

1 Qualification

2. Position in institution

3. Experience with industry, government or the third sector

Global Talent in India | Challenges and Opportunities for Skills Development in Higher Education - 2nd Edition

Higher Education (students) â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 218 responses. Profile of Respondents

1. Level of study

2. Study abroad considerations

Global Talent in India | Challenges and Opportunities for Skills Development in Higher Education - 2nd Edition

3. Your first study option

Employers (from key sectors of the Indian economy) â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 288 responses. Profile of Respondents

1. Position in organisation

â&#x20AC;˘ 64% of the respondents held senior management positions in their organisations, e.g. CEO, Managing Director, Head of Department.

2. Sector of the economy

Global Talent in India | Challenges and Opportunities for Skills Development in Higher Education - 2nd Edition

3. Size of organisation

4. Proportion of non-Indian workforce

5. Ties with academic institutions

Global Talent in India | Challenges and Opportunities for Skills Development in Higher Education - 2nd Edition

Policymakers (e.g. representatives of various governmental bodies) â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 155 responses. Profile of Respondents

1. Position in organisation

â&#x20AC;˘ 61% of the respondents held senior management positions in their organisations, e.g. CEO, Director, Principal Consultant, Principal Secretary.

2. Policy community (local, regional, national)

3. Size of organisation

Global Talent in India | Challenges and Opportunities for Skills Development in Higher Education - 2nd Edition

4. Proportion of non-Indian workforce

5. Ties with academic institutions

Global Talent in India | Challenges and Opportunities for Skills Development in Higher Education - 2nd Edition

Third sector organisations (e.g. representatives of NGOs and community organisations) â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 156 responses. Profile of Respondents

1. Position in organisation

â&#x20AC;˘ 56% of the respondents held senior management positions in their organisations, e.g. CEO, Project Manager, Managing Director, Programme Officer.

2. Area of economy or society (education, sustainability, gender equality)

3. Size of organisation

Global Talent in India | Challenges and Opportunities for Skills Development in Higher Education - 2nd Edition

4. Proportion of non-Indian workforce

5. Ties with academic institutions

3. Focus Groups with Students Global Talent Focus Groups

â&#x20AC;˘ Three focus groups were held with Indian undergraduate and postgraduate students. They were held in Pune, Mumbai and Delhi in February and June 2018 to gather studentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; views on the role of HE in skills development and to provide some key ideas for the future of HE.

4. Geographic Spread of Participants The interviews and survey questionnaires received responses from over 10 Indian cities, amongst which were Ahmedabad, Chennai, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Kolkata, Mumbai, New Delhi, and Pune.

Global Talent in India | Challenges and Opportunities for Skills Development in Higher Education - 2nd Edition

GLOBAL TALENT IN INDIA: CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR SKILLS DEVELOPMENT IN HIGHER EDUCATION – 2nd EDITION, 2019 Global Talent in India: Challenges and opportunities for Skills Development in Higher Education is second in a longitudinal study on the higher-level skills development challenges facing global higher education. Presented by the Global Talent Lab in the UK, the research reported here draws on a range of perspectives from key stakeholders in the Indian H.E. landscape.

This is a timely and highly useful report. Historically the UK has a strong HE presence in India but cannot take it for granted. Intelligence on skills and development needs will help UK universities stay relevant and at the forefront of this globally competitive market. Reference to opportunities in the voluntary and social enterprise sectors is especially welcome. Professor Nick Petford, Vice-Chancellor, University of Northampton

The report addresses a key challenge for Indian policymakers, HE leaders and employers. It provides further insights into the current landscape on graduate skills from stakeholders in the area. Building on the work in the 1st edition of Global Talent in India, the report provides evidence, data and views to shape this field of study and impact a key driver for economic development. Highly recommended.” Delia Heneghan, Director of Education – India, Sannam S4

Enquiries info@globaltalentlab.com

Global Talent in India | Challenges and Opportunities for Skills Development in Higher Education - 2nd Edition