The Future of Work: Delivering the Skills that Graduates Need
As India continues its drive to become a global economic superpower, it is vital that its young population are well educated and suitably qualified to enter the labour force. The UK is well placed to offer support, owed to its world-renowned higher education sector.
We are extremely grateful to have secured Dr Paul Redmond, Director of Student Experience and Enhancement at the University of Liverpool, who will be joining us via video conference to share his expert insights on this important subject. Dr Redmond is well regarded as one of the leading specialists in the UK on student employability and career mobility, as well as for his expert views on making the graduate workforce ’employment ready’.
Currently, India is facing a burgeoning job crisis. With 15 million youngsters entering the workforce each year, more than 75 percent are not job ready due mainly to the lack of technical and soft skills. The escalating demand for advanced technologies like big data, artificial intelligence, cloud computing, and machine learning has meant that around 40 percent of IT professionals in India need to upskill themselves over the next few years, while 48 percent of Indian employers report difficulties filling job vacancies due to talent shortages. By 2022, India will need 700 million skilled workers to meet the demands of its growing economy.
Thus, there is an urgent need for Indian industry, government and higher education to join forces and act immediately to make young Indians job ready. What shape will this collaboration need to take to ensure maximum impact? What new opportunities does this open up for UK industry and universities keen to engage with India?
