There are millions of job opportunities across different private and public sectors; India would need over 500 million skilled people by 2022 across these sectors. Industry continues to struggle for skilled talent and bridge this talent gap. Institutions fall short in delivering these Skills in terms of Application of Theoretical principles- Unless Learning is Practiced, the impact would not be as desired. To create the bridge between talent and skills and enable sustainable transformation through learning and skills development, which develops the personality of one talented employee through Personality Development. It is a habit formation that needs to be practiced over years to become integral part of the person. One cannot expect a complete transformation through short term programs but it can have little impact on one's foundations. It is for this reason that Soft Skills and Vocational Skills Training impacts in differing degrees, depending upon the educational and social background of the candidate.
The manner, in which we interact or deal with our neighbors and family, handle difficult situations, make purchases, make friends and build relations and so on, affecting us, determines our Skill levels. These experiences and Learning enables one to take decisions when dealing with customers, interacting with co-workers, communicating ideas and achievements. It brings about harmony in behavior at all times and not compartmentalizes professional and personal life. Based on a research there are 9 Core Skills- Communication Skills, Team Work, Problem Solving, Self Management, Planning and Organizing, Technology, Ability to Learn, Initiative and Enterprise and Life Skills, which helps an individual to be successful both at work place and in personal life. They are:
Lack of Employability Skills or the Core Skills results the individual's inability to cope in the work environment in terms of Communication, Presentation, Interpersonal skills, Team working and so on, and hence does not meet the desired levels. A very important aspect is the change in role from Student to Worker as most of the Institutes do not prepare the candidates for the new working world. Another reason for failure could be lack of preparation for the Interview / Selection Process that includes- Awareness about the Industry, Company, Nature of Products and Services, Understanding of one's role in the company.
Student who gets into MNCs do carry on well but there is a small percentage that does not stay long. For a fresher it could be the struggle of understanding the difference between being a student to being an employee. The transition takes longer and therefore affects performance, if the exposure to apply and adapt was not there during education, then theoretical learning alone can't make one industry-ready. The Learn-Unlearn-Relearn mantra makes the difference in the rapidly changing work environment and these skills need to be inculcated in individuals while still studying, to face the corporate world with aplomb.
Hard work, sincerity and passion for work drive the individual to Learn-Unlearn-Relearn, depending upon the need of the situation. It is critical to not only grow but even survive in the industry. Therefore it is very important for the individual to keep abreast of the latest developments in the respective field and adapt to the ever changing environment. Quality of service, in today's time is a basic requirement but in order to stand apart from the rest and to succeed, it is important to be able to work as a team, communicate, present, and have all other Employability Skills.
BPO employees are typically imparted trainings on Core Employability Skills apart from domain needs social skills, customer service skills and other customer relationship management. They have structured various training systems and implementation that has in built audits and corrective actions too, which helps new employees to understand the environment where they going to work. The sustainability of the training models vary across different organizations and depends upon the nature and quality of trainings, its delivery, periodicity and post training evaluation mechanisms.
As India progressively moves toward becoming a knowledge economy, it has become imperative for its work force to acquire and upgrade skills that are relevant in the emerging economic environment. Today only 25 percent of the graduates are considered employable by employers. To meet this scenario the need of the hour is deeper connect between the academia and the industry, education and training has to be from the learner's perspective, the approach in imparting training needs to be "Practice oriented instead of Theory focus". In a dynamic environment where change is the only constant, the individuals need to constantly learn-unlearn-relearn, Practice and Practice in all spheres of life, to sharpen the abilities and build efficiency that will lead them to the goal; successful career and reduce their stress.
Kamini Prasad:
She served for 9 years as a Head of NIIT Bangladesh. She was also selected as a Regional Vice President NIS Sparta 1999 - 2006 where she served for 7 years and later Senior Vice President Bharti Learning Systems Limited. Presently she is with Centum Learning Ltd. as its Chief Operating Officer.
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