52% employers find engineering gradslacking confidence, competence: Study

Time of India

21 hours ago

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Lucknow: A little over half of the employers (52%) hiring engineering graduates find technical skill gaps among students, according to a pan-India study conducted jointly by the Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur (IIT-K) and the Australia-based La Trobe University.
The study was carried out on over 600 stakeholders, including 43 employers of varying sizes—from startups to large multinational corporations—550 students, and 72 faculty members from Tier 1, 2, and 3 engineering institutes. The research shows that 78% of employers find fresh engineering graduates not well-trained for the workplace.
In contrast, 76% of student respondents felt that college training indeed equips them with the necessary skills required for the workplace.
Further, the study shows that 43% of employers from the IT/Tech sector report a lack of decision-making skills among graduates. The study also examined the key skills requisite among fresh appointees and found that employers reported teamwork and adaptability (4.7 out of 5) and cultural understanding (4.5 out of 5) as the most preferred domains, while digital knowledge and negotiation and soft skills received the lowest score of 4.2 each.
The faculty respondents also rated cultural understanding highest (4.7 out of 5), followed by teamwork and adaptability, and critical thinking with a score of 4.6 out of 5. For the students, critical thinking, teamwork and adaptability, cultural understanding, and digital knowledge skills were equally important to get a good job. To enhance graduate employability in the context of fast-paced technological change, the researchers have formulated a 5C Model—Curriculum, Capabilities, Certifications, Competence, and Career—as a framework for comprehensive educational reform.
While the curriculum focuses on the academic content, structure, and its alignment with industry requirements, the competence emphasises the technical, cognitive, and interpersonal skills of graduates.
The third C, capabilities, focuses on the external and systemic factors influencing employability, and the fourth C, career, refers to the structured process of preparing students to transition from academic environments into professional careers.
It also examines how institutions facilitate smooth transitions between education and employment. The last C, certifications, highlights the role of additional qualifications in enhancing graduate employability.
According to IIT-K research scholar ARKS Srinivas, the study explores why many graduates remain underprepared for real-world industry demands.
"Preliminary findings indicate significant concerns among employers, who often report the need for months of retraining for fresh appointees.
While students show confidence in their technical learning, employers point to persistent gaps in soft skills, critical thinking, and adaptability," Srinivas said.
Underlining the need for collaborative action between academia and industry to update educational frameworks and align them with emerging skill demands, STEM education faculty at La Trobe University, Melbourne, Prof Premnadh Kurup said, "Key findings show there are issues in graduates in terms of confidence, competence, and skills. The employers are finding it hard to train them."