The mushrooming of several specialised courses at the graduate level are prompting students to steer clear from conventional degree courses, in an endeavour to break through the clutter. But the results have not been desirable. A NASSCOM report has recently said that less that 10 per cent of newly minted graduates in India are employable. Even employers have expressed concern about students opting for so-called specialised courses without considering the employability of niche sectors.
Swastika Surve, human resources manager of a reputed software firm says, “There is no parity between the business needs and the skill sets available. Most interviewees have low inter-personal skills and their basic knowledge in key subjects like English and Mathematics is also poor.”
Dr Adam Marshall, director of the British Chamber of Commerce, has reportedly blamed the education system and not the youngsters, for the situation. “Too many people are coming out with fairly useless degrees in non-serious subjects,” he said. But parents too are responsible, feels Manohar Desai, principal of Ruparel College, Mumbai. “Before enrolling their wards, parents should examine the current market demand and also try to foresee the situation a few years ahead. Private institutes will always hype the demand but one shouldn’t fall prey,” he says.
Most institutes lure students through seminars that create a need for these “special” courses. Rachit Garg, a third year student says, “Recently, a Canadian institute conducted a very interesting seminar on forensic sciences and most of us are now seriously considering it as a career option.” Their interests are further fuelled with the college’s endorsement, albeit indirect. Manohar says, “Institutes approach students through colleges because it costs them nothing as compared to advertisements. But students feel that it must be good, because the college supports it. But say for instance, while holding a seminar on forensics, they won’t stress on the need for sound basics in biology and chemistry and this will lead to an inferior selection of students.”