This is not a new one. Its a story which has been going on for a long time now.
I keep getting these offers from management institutions across the country to come and deliver guest lectures, workshops and talks. Without mincing my words, let me put it this way, that while inviting many of these professors and the PROs of these colleges don’t even know what they would like to invite someone for.
Sir, why don’t you come, you are an entrepreneur and it will be a great motivational factor for our young management graduates!
Almost every-time this is the pitch which many management institutes give and I am forced to halt and think, if this is how we are making our management graduates go through random guest lectures, various people coming from the industry speaking on random topics, which lets be honest, not all students might find of relevance.
How Critical Is It?
Higher Education is in two words “not kidding”. You are creating the future of a nation and only an informed and proactive, ready to be employed as smart workforce future can make India, the superpower we are expecting it to be.
Education has become a business, yes, in one way as it was supposed to get organized, my view is that it is becoming a little dis-organized. Students taking courses are not really aware and present to why they are investing into a particular stream, is it the salary prospects or their personal interest?!
Who Is the Culprit?
Both the management, faculty and the students. Management of an institute must ensure that they have the best talent available in the market to create visionary leaders and students must ensure, they are pro-active enough to collaborate with their peers as well as add real value to their institute by sharing ideas of the present generation.
But Where is The Issue?
I have been working in the industry for a couple of years now and now being the CEO of a fairly well doing venture, I echo the same voice as many other professionals do, that our academic institutions don’t produce employable and billable quality.
Let me put things in a very easily understandable perspective now. Every student investing an average of INR 6 lacs and above over two years of his/ her management degree, sets expectations. And these expectations are not abnormal, they are purely on the basis of something which we call: Return on Investment.
The student sees his/ her investment of time, effort and money and arrives at the conclusion that now the career is set, at least he’d get the average salary of an X amount and be happy forever.
Have we ever realized that the flashy brochures and websites of our educational institutions which boast of 100% placement with smiling students who are made to stand in the best spots in the college with sample laptops in their hands and profiled, to attract fresh batches are essentially creating a ripple effect.
Every Business Needs to Deliver
As a business every educational institution must deliver and so must these private institutions. They must stand upto the first commitment of creating value for all stakeholders involved and mind you, stakeholders in the education business is also your own country and its future.
When Does the First Reality Check Happens?
When these finished products from the educational institutions come to the industry, for them its a first of its kinds experience, but for the corporate, its a rude shock. Many of these fresh boarders are far from being practically able to start executing from day 1.
Many of these individuals are not ready to be billed by the client for upto 6 months.
What Can be Done?
Though there is a long way to go, but someone somewhere has to make a start.
In my view, the educational institutions must invest into the powerful future called India while being profitable businesses themselves. And how?
- Use technology
Recently I spoke at a major conference in New Delhi, India, on how technology can help the Industry and the Academia connect together. And sure the audience were amazed to see intelligent use of technology to create future opportunities
- Training Students in Soft Skills and Selling Skills while sharing with them Global content relevant to their field of expertise
How about a student sitting in Delhi, pursuing his/ her majors in marketing, collaborating with his/ her peer in London while studying Global content. Some very simple and highly effective and cost effective technology tools have made it a reality today.
To know more about these tools, I’d invite you to drop a mail at: business@untilroi.com
