The MBA is considered among those courses that are a ticket to a
good life and earnings, it is considered among the most-sought after
qualifications a person can have - if done from the right institution. To some, it is one of the most hyped courses, while to others,
it is the only target and the only qualification. And yet, this course and its
degree holders are the one that are among the most challenged. Similar is the
situation with other professional courses at the Graduate and Post Graduate
Level, in particular Engineering.
And yet, surprisingly, it is the students of these courses that
are finding getting a job to be a tough ask. Outside the top few colleges,
placements are a real challenge. Even in cases where placements are done, the
right job or a lucrative job is rare, to say the least. Placements usually
require a compromise on the part of the student, who is understandably keen to
land any job in this tough market. And even then, a good number have to remain
jobless
Further, we are seeing a stunning spectacle of seats going
unfilled in MBA colleges, and the closure of institutions. For example, as this
article clarifies, 147 schools closed down last year. For a nation
which is supposed to be going through a skill shortage, this is both sad as
well as surprising. On one side, companies are crying skill shortage, bemoaning the lack of quality
trained manpower, and on another - the institutions which can provide the
manpower to companies- MBA, Engineering and other colleges are going through
strain - either closing, or unable to attract students, or are going jobless,
in a classic case of the supreme irony! This would even be a laughable joke, if
it werent so tragic at so many levels...
This points to a deep seated problem at two levels - firstly on
the part of hiring managers and organisations, as I delved into some detail in
previous articles on my blog : Skill
Gap and Skill
Gap 2. In these articles, I noted the sad and pitiable status of training
cutting across functions in companies; as well as the reluctance of companies
to get into the situation, roll up their sleeves and craft a solution to the
problem.
Given the reluctance of the organisations to do anything about it,
I can only conclude that these organisations lack the skill sets required to
craft a solution to this vexing issue, something I shall go into greater detail
in my next article on this matter. We then have no choice but to look at the
other side of the equation, given that the people actually facing the problem
have no intention of either solving it, or lend a helping hand in solving
it.
The second level of the problem is within the MBA courses and
colleges itself, who in my experience have both the willingness as well as the
ability to craft a solution. As a matter of fact, much of what I state will
already have been thought of in colleges across the nation, of that I am
certain. The key question here should be, what can these institutions do that
is doable as well as logical?
Here again, there are two levels : one relatively easy, requiring
little specialised knowledge and readily doable over a short time-frame; and
the other exceptionally hard and time-consuming, requiring deep specialised
knowledge and conceptual clarity of a high degree. The first is increasing
industry-college linkages, and the other refurbishing the design of the MBA {or
the core curriculum in degree courses} course itself. This article dwells on
the first aspect only, given that the second is rather a tall order, especially
for a blog post.
The moot point in this is that the industry has shown itself to be
completely unwilling to engage itself with colleges and institutes outside the
top few in a meaningful manner, restricting their interaction to giving
pointless and empty feedback regarding what students lack : in effect, brushing
their hands off the problem and walking away! This leaves the colleges and the
students both up a creek, so to speak : hunting for vague meaningless terms
like "soft skills"!
The net result is that the people facing the problem in full : the
students, the colleges {in particular the placement and administrative cells} -
have little precise knowledge of exactly what the industry requires, for the
perfectly simple reason that no one in the industry has ever taken the trouble
of telling them in function and role-specific terms as to what is required. The
reason for that, as we shall subsequently see in the follow-up to this article,
is that companies themselves haven't even a farthing's idea as to
what exactly this ethereal and by now almost legendary skill gap is in
practical terms.
Thus, the people who should know, dont; and the people who are the
interface, the people who can link to the students and sort out this mess - the
professors and teachers - cannot help in the absence of information. This
leaves the gap open for vocational training services, which come at a cost,
and, while effective no doubt, can with a little thought be made far more
effective and pertinent.
The solution is simple : catch onto professionals who would like
to make a difference. Please note my usage of words, carefully : I did not
state hire professionals as teachers and professors. I stated clearly, catch
the professionals who want to make a difference. Trust me, if colleges across
the nation make a determined effort, they will find ready talent across functions
and levels - Engineers, Doctors, Managers, Marketers, Finance Specialists : the
whole lot of professions - who would want to make a difference. All they
require is an alternative, one which offers them a career option.
I also did not state increase salaries to the level of the
industry; the reason is straightforward. The industry can always pay more,
there is zero chance of all institutions matching industry packages. Some
might, but certainly not all. Second, there is the hope factor: so long as you
are in the rat race, there is always a hope that you will get the promotion or
the new job. Third, matching packages will run the risk of attracting people
who are in it for the money, not for the love of the profession. What is
required is giving entry to professionals, and a decent package that can ensure
a decent life. That is it.
Next, set up expectations from these professionals, in a defined
framework; a framework that asks them to give some value addition from their
industry experience. These cross-over professionals should be clear in their
mind that their task involves both covering the syllabus as well as grooming
students for corporate life. Interaction with such professionals in a classroom
over a sustained period of 2-3 years is bound to have a powerful impact. This
will of course require tweaking in the class allocations, with additional time
being given to such professionals, alongwith some performance measurement
criteria in terms of deliverables. Critically, for this to succeed, this has to
be taken up with an almost missionary zeal. The
make or break will be the professionals you hire, who should share this zeal
and passion.
The start will perforce be slow; but it has to be done. For in my
considered opinion, as I shall cover in the next article, the industry cannot
be relied upon to sort out this mess; it just does not have the requisite skill
sets for this. Neither is the training institutes route a permanent solution;
these are excellent; no doubt : but are hamstrung on two parameters : firstly,
low acceptance in the industry, and second, high resistance to external
intervention by industry as well as colleges, which is completely
understandable. This will have to go hand in hand with a solution to another
problem that is also a core issue : the
availability of the proper study material at the right price and in the right
language : which is a
massive, massive issue... but that is an entirely different story, to be taken
up in the concluding article in this series...
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