Bridging Education and Employment: The Graduate Employability (GE) Project Launched in India
The Commonwealth of Learning's (COL) regional centre in Asia, the Commonwealth Educational Media Centre for Asia (COL-CEMCA) partnered with Madhya Pradesh Bhoj Open University (MPBOU) to host a pivotal workshop on integrating graduate employability into higher education from 10 to 12 December 2024 at Bhopal in Madhya Pradesh, India.
Led by experts from COL and COL-CEMCA, this event marked a significant step in bridging the gap between academic pursuits and the ever-evolving job market demands. The project aligns with the focus on employability embedded in the Ahmedabad Declaration (https://www.col.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Ahmedabad-Declaration-FINAL.pdf), which was adopted by all the open universities (OUs) in India.
The workshop was attended by participants from 16 OUs in India, who were oriented on the key objectives of the workshop, and its implementation process. Shri Inder Singh Parmar, Honourable Minister of Higher Education and Technical Education, Government of Madhya Pradesh, in his speech as the Chief Guest on the concluding day of the workshop, commended the project as the need of the hour. In addition, the Vice Chancellors of Karnataka State Open University, MPBOU, and Tamil Nadu Open University supported the participants through their presence, and insights on employability aspects of education.
Highlighting the timeliness of the project, Dr B. Shadrach, Director, COL-CEMCA, underscored the need for capacity building and sensitisation among OU educators on the project. He mentioned that the flexibility offered by India’s National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, provides a unique opportunity to adopt and adapt the COL Employability Model as per the Indian context. He encouraged the participants to become the champions of the GE project in India.
Dr Jako Olivier, Adviser-Higher Education, COL, introduced the GE Project, underlining its three-phase model, starting with assessment and sensitisation, planning, followed by implementation. He emphasised that universities must address not just academic outcomes but also equip students with skills and competencies essential for employment. The COL Employability Model promotes embedding employability into curricula, aligning higher education with the needs of the workforce.
Dr Jane-Frances Agbu, Adviser-Higher Education, COL, discussed the project’s emphasis on stakeholder collaboration and the exploration of emerging job markets. The project, spanning three years until 2027, includes a status review, capacity building, and the recognition of experiential learning to enhance career readiness. She shared insights from GE implementations in Mauritius, and Southern and Western Africa, where stakeholder engagement and framework validation were critical.
COL-CEMCA was ably supported by Professor Sarojni Choy, Senior Fellow of Higher Education, Griffith University, Australia; Dr O.P. Goel, Former Advisor, NSDC, and Dr Ashish Awadhiya, Assistant Director, Training and Development, IGNOU, New Delhi, India, who led the discussions with the participants. The experts suggested adopting a holistic approach by embedding employability across existing courses rather than offering it as a standalone programme. The participants discussed the challenges of tailoring the GE model to India’s diverse cultural and employment landscape. Strategies like localising solutions, fostering industry-university linkages, and creating “baskets of courses” for learners with varied profiles were proposed. The workshop acknowledged the transformative potential of NEP 2020 in widening employability horizons.
During the group discussions on GE project, the key recommendations included developing strong industry partnerships, promoting financial literacy, and entrepreneurship/business acumen, and introducing industry-based internships and apprenticeships in final year of graduate programmes. The participants highlighted the need for comprehensive faculty training, modular and outcome-based course designing, and leveraging alumni networks for mentorship. The workshop advocated replicating successful vocational models, and aligning curricula with India’s NEP 2020. Emphasis was placed on training students in accessing government schemes, and promoting indigenous industries. The workshop underscored collaborative, student-centred approaches to enhance employability across diverse learner profiles in open universities.
