Introduction

The ICSE results were announced recently across India, with five toppers from the state of Karnataka covered by the media. However, if these toppers do not bag the top positions in the “top 10 colleges” in India as per the privately conducted surveys and rankings, will they be remembered during campus recruitment drives conducted by corporates? Why is talent and skill assessment restricted by the name of the university or course in the Tier 1 cities?

Challenges

The All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) found that over 60 per cent of the 8,00,000 students graduating from engineering colleges across the country every year remain unemployed. What is the reason for this?

The high cut-offs in many academic institutions in Tier I cities limit the admissions of students from outside. This is the biggest challenge faced by Indian students and talented professionals who are not able to reach the well known academic institutes in their respective states or cities. However, they are eager learners, with innovative ideas, willing to take up challenges to grow. Our closed mindset influenced by a few facts and figures does not encourage students who do not belong to the “best” colleges of Arts or Science but are keen to pursue careers in the field of Science or Technology. 

Hence, there is a need to set up platforms of equal opportunity where they can be mentored and trained to achieve desired career goals and prepare them for job interviews and assessments. This is where portals like e2eHiring that are AI Powered Patented Recruitment Platforms come forward to assist and motivate students ready to gain more knowledge by doing internships and encourage professionals who are ready to face challenges and expand their career paths.

The United Nations predicts that India will overtake China as the most populous nation in the world by 2027 and grow to about 1.5 Billion people by 2030. These figures suggest that the workforce in India will see a major paradigm shift in the near future. Rapid urbanisation in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities are indicative of this workforce expansion.  50 percent of startups belong to these parts of the country. Rising technological advances has further fuelled the global aspirations of the young and motivated Indians living in these cities. 

In this scenario, quality education and job training is essential to meet the rising aspirations of youth graduating from these towns and cities that do not feature in the “top” colleges and are missed by corporates that are restricting the search for ideal employees to metro cities only. 

The education loan burden is another factor that is incorporated into the mission to motivate the youth. Many middle class families have taken loans for their child’s higher education but if the desired job is not achieved within the restricted time period it is a major economic burden for the family that has to start repaying the loan. If students can start earning early they will be able to pay the loans as they earn.

Solutions

AI recruitment platforms are trying to work towards making tier 2 and tier 3 cities part of the global workforce, preparing the youth for higher career growth and training them for the next Industrial revolution. The academic institutes and colleges need to be made aware of campus drives both online and offline to help them develop bandwidth for better placements in their region.

Short-term mentorship courses and internships can provide an effective means to encourage youth in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities to gain experience in corporations and can be the perfect testing ground for selecting their potential careers.

Recently, the IT Minister of Tamil Nadu inaugurated the 47th Bridge Programme at the ICT Academy to bring together academia and industry leaders. He asserted that there is a need to encourage Robotics, AI Software Engineering courses in cities and towns across Tamil Nadu. Students from these areas will be invited to join courses and platforms that help in development of skills hence increase their career opportunities.

Today, Indian talent plays a vital role in global industries such as technology, hospitality and medicine. In 2019, the United Nations reported that the Indian diaspora was the largest in the world. Since we have the youngest demographic in the world, it is incumbent on us to provide young, emerging professionals with skills to make them truly global in potential.

Nations across North America and Europe, as well as China and Japan, skill their workforce with such a global approach. It would benefit not just India but also the rest of the world if we follow suit. A rising middle class, changing consumption patterns and increasing technological adoption provide educators with the right tools to empower students from Tier II and Tier III cities to become a part of the global talent pool. How they do this will effectively shape the workforce of the future.

Aside from allowing students to test potential skills, hiring platforms aim to build new skills after their graduation.e2eHiring believes that startups in the Technology sector need not come from the top ranked university toppers. The leading entrepreneurs and professionals of the past decade have proved this correct. 

Tatas, Mahindras, Google and IBM are already in the process of seeking hidden talent across these cities so why are others waiting? The recruitment platforms can build the  bridge connecting professionals and mentors. Only if we move out of our imagined boundaries between “good,” “better” and “best.”

“Everyone can rise above their circumstances and achieve success if they are dedicated to and passionate about what they do.” Nelson Mandela