Top 7 Courses After 12th Commerce Without Maths [2024]

Updated on 17 February, 2024

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Courses After 12th Commerce Without Maths

Summary:

In this article, you will learn about the top 7 courses after 12th commerce without Maths.

  1. B.Com (Bachelor of Commerce)
  2. B.Com (H) (Bachelor of Commerce Honors)
  3. BBA (Bachelor of Business Administration)
  4. LLB (Bachelor in Law / Legum Baccalaureus)
  5. CA (Chartered Accountancy)
  6. CMA (Certified Management Accountancy)
  7. CS (Company Secretary)

Read more to know each in detail.

What is a commerce stream?

The Commerce stream is an example of an academic stream that gives students information on all business-related topics and in-depth knowledge of all areas of commerce.

After class 10, you can pursue commerce if you are interested in business and trading other than science and want to become the best in some business-related fields. Today, there are many opportunities in the commerce field.

Accountancy, economics, and other topics in the field of business studies are taught to the students. And instruction on all of these begins from the very beginning. That’s right! You can learn commerce without maths for subjects in 11th class.

You will understand the basics of all the fields of economics, accountancy, and commerce in class twelve, which you can utilise to further your career goals after graduation.

The field of commerce has gained popularity among students, and those who complete this course can go on to become Chartered Accountants, Company Secretaries, Chartered Financial Analysts, Actuary, or Surveyors with a Law Degree.

One can pursue a profession in any of these fields: competitive government examinations, cost and management accounting, economics, B.Com, BBA, and bachelor of management studies, and can continue to study in order to fill all of the vacancies.

Out of the variety of choices available to students who have studied Commerce in Maths and have not studied Maths, common ones include BHM, CS, BBA, etc. There are also a number of certification and diploma courses that students can opt for. 

The study of trade, money, company operations, and the economy forms the foundation of commerce. Choosing the stream of commerce will be an excellent fit for you if you enjoy working with numbers, analysing data, and learning about the trade.

You have access to a wide range of employment opportunities in the area of commerce. If mathematics isn’t your thing, don’t worry—you can choose from among the many optional disciplines offered; it is not a requirement for commerce.

Here are the top commerce subjects you can go for in 11th without maths.

Mandatory Subjects Optional Subjects
Economics Mathematics
Business Economics Entrepreneurship
Accountancy Information Practice
English  

As you can see above, if you are in class 11th, you can learn commerce without maths.

1. Economics

This is a compulsory topic where you will learn more about production, consumption, distribution, wealth and much more about the Indian economy.

2. Business Economics

Another mandatory subject where you will learn how to start a business, control and manage, purpose, marketing, finance, etc.

3. Accountancy

This is a compulsory subject in 11th class subjects related to commerce stream where you will learn all about handling financial transactions, profit and loss, and much more.

4. English

It is one of the mandatory subjects in the commerce stream as per NCERT.

Optional subjects

5. Entrepreneurship

This is an optional subject of commerce stream pertaining to business, market, finance, etc.

6. Mathematics

This is another optional subject in commerce.

7. Informatics Practice

This is an optional subject in the commerce stream that contains HTML, SQL, Java, etc.

Looking to leverage your commerce background? Dive into the wide range of career options for commerce students and unlock the door to numerous opportunities that await you in the business world.

Choosing the Best Course After 12 Commerce Without Maths

There are multiple factors that play an instrumental role in determining which course a student shall opt for after 12 Commerce without Mathematics as a subject, and it may seem like a daunting task. Listed below are some points that need to be considered while making a choice: 

  • Choose a stream that will land you in a job that you will take an interest in and will love to do. 
  • Look for the relevant skills, educational knowledge, and level of expertise required to secure that job. 
  • Go through the curriculum of the course. Be thoroughly knowledgeable about the subjects in the course. 
  • Secure all the details about the admission process, fees, and other relevant information. 
  • Conduct thorough research about the career scope after the completion of the course. Also, gather a thorough knowledge about the salary you can bag after you secure the job. 
  • Search for good institutions and colleges that offer the course, and thoroughly go through the admission process. 

Easy courses after 12th commerce without maths

Are you wondering what would be the right career course after 12 commerce? If you want to study subjects in commerce without maths, then you’ve come to the right place because, in this article, we’ll cover the commerce without maths scope. We have discussed these courses in detail. Let’s begin:

Courses After 12th Commerce Without Maths

You don’t need to worry that you can’t find career options after 12th commerce courses list without maths. Even if you hate Maths, you can find plenty of good career opportunities.

You can either opt for graduation, or pursue certain diploma courses or certification courses, which will open the way for multiple opportunities. Listed below are some popular bachelor’s degree courses for students who have studied Commerce in 12th standard without Maths that are excellent for anyone who is looking for Commerce without Maths career options:

1. B.Com (Bachelor of Commerce)

One of the most popular career options after commerce without maths scope is Bachelor of Commerce. A B.Com degree lasts for three years and covers the fundamental concepts of finance, accounting, business, and other commerce-related subjects; this course gives you an overview of various commerce fields and makes you acquainted with the same. B.Com is a great option when you want to pursue subjects in commerce without maths.

It is not imperative to have maths as one of your subjects in the 12th standard to pursue this degree. You only need to be a 12th pass student to be eligible for this course. In a B.Com course, you get to study corporate tax, company law, financial accounting, bookkeeping, business management, audition, etc. It’s undoubtedly an excellent choice for students who want to pursue finance, insurance, accounting, and business career. 

You can also check out our free courses offered by upGrad under IT technology.

The rate of employability of commerce graduates was recorded as the highest at 60.62% as compared to other streams in 2023.

2. B.Com (H) (Bachelor of Commerce Honors)

As you are interested in pursuing an easy course after 12th commerce without maths, you can get a B.Com (Honors) degree after completing the 12th exams. It is an excellent option for students that didn’t pick mathematics as a subject in commerce. On top of that, you don’t necessarily need to be an expert in mathematics to pursue this course. The best thing about B.Com (Honors) is that it allows you to specialize in a subject of your choice. Many students get confused between B.Com and B.Com (Honors).

Both degrees cover the fundamentals of commerce and its related subjects, but there’s a vast difference between the two. A B.Com course gives you an overview of the various commerce-related issues, whereas a B.Com (Honors) course lets you specialize in a particular commerce-related subject.

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That’s why the demand for B.Com (Honors) is higher in the industry. If you’re focused on specializing in a specific topic, B.Com (Honors) will give you a fantastic career after 12th commerce without maths. 

Some of the popular subject choices to specialize in the B.Com (Honors) course are:

  • Marketing
  • Finance
  • Economics
  • Accounting
  • International Business
  • Information Science
  • Management
  • Accounts
  • Taxation
  • Investment Management
  • Law
  • Banking (and Insurance)
  • Human Resources

Curious about the most lucrative career paths in commerce? Explore our detailed guide on the highest paid jobs in India in commerce, and aim for a prosperous future in the business world.

3. BBA (Bachelor of Business Administration)

If you’re interested in the corporate sector and want to pursue leadership roles in companies, then getting a Bachelor of Business Administration degree would be perfect for you. Do you want to do BBA without maths? A BBA degree teaches you the basics of management, business method, and related subjects.

It helps you build a strong foundation to learn and understand the advanced concepts of management and organization. If you’re planning on doing an MBA (Master of Business Administration) in the future, then doing a BBA can definitely be helpful. It will make you familiar with many of the concepts an MBA course covers. The best part is you can do BBA without maths.

BBA offers you the option to specialize in many subjects, including the following:

  • BBA in Finance
  • BBA in Human Resources
  • BBA in Computer Application
  • BBA in Hospitality
  • BBA in Information Systems
  • BBA in International Business
  • BBA in Business Administration
  • BBA in Entrepreneurship
  • BBA in Retail
  • BBA in Accounting
  • BBA in Tourism
  • BBA in Sports Management

Different colleges offer different programs. You should keep this point in mind while looking to pursue this degree. This is a prominent career option if you want to pursue subjects in commerce without maths. Apart from doing a conventional MBA, you can take a PG course in a specialized subject of your choosing after this degree. You can also go for an MBA without maths after doing BBA. As a BBA graduate, you can do a course in Product Management to pursue a management career in the tech sector. 

Read: Data Science in Healthcare: 5 Ways Data Science Reshaping the Industry

4. LLB (Bachelor in Law / Legum Baccalaureus)

Another popular career choice after 12th commerce courses list without maths is Bachelor in Law. While the conventional LLB degree is a postgraduate course, you can get one of these by doing an integrated course. An integrated course such as BA+LLB allows you to get a law degree right after completing the 12th standard. The integrated course for law lasts for five years, but with it, you don’t have to pursue a law degree separately. Popular integrated courses for doing law are:

  • BA + LLB
  • BBA + LLB
  • BSc + LLB
  • BCom + LLB

An LLB degree teaches you about the various laws present in our country and gives you an overview of the same. You get to learn about Indian law, legal practices, and the relevant concepts. Some of its subjects are human rights, contract law, tax laws, tort law, labor laws, equity and trusts, IPR, evidence law, and many others. Apart from learning about various laws, you get to understand the judiciary system and how it operates.

Like the BBA degree, LLB offers plenty of specialization options:

  • Public law
  • Corporate law
  • Patent and Intellectual Property Law
  • Criminal law
  • International law
  • Business law
  • Legal Studies
  • Civil and Private law

After completing your LLB degree, you can pursue a career as a legal advisor, lawyer, or pass the state-level exams to become a judge. Apart from these career options, you can pursue higher studies and specialize in specific laws. 

Diving into the future after your BCA? Explore the diverse career options after BCA that can propel you into exciting tech roles and industries.

5. CA (Chartered Accountancy)

Chartered Accountancy is one of the most popular courses after 12th commerce without maths with high salary. A great thing about this career choice is that you don’t need to study maths in the 12th standard to pursue it. As maths isn’t imperative for CA, it’s an excellent option for commerce students who didn’t pick maths.

To become a Chartered Accountant, you must pass a three-tier exam. Another great thing about CA is you can join its course right after finishing high school (10th standard). It has three stages called the Foundation Course, the Intermediate Course, and the CA Final.

After the completion of these three stages, you must complete an internship of 2.5 years. When the internship is complete, you’ll receive the certification of being a Chartered Accountant. This three-year course is an excellent way to start an accounting career. 

CAs are in huge demand because of their unique job profile. Chartered Accountants help companies handle their books, accounts and follow the necessary compliance regarding the same. A Chartered Accountant in India earns INR 7.8 Lakh per year. So it’s certainly a lucrative career after 12th commerce without maths. 

Read: 12 Top Career Options After Computer Engineering

6. CMA (Certified Management Accountancy)

Another popular courses after 12th commerce without maths with high salary is Certified Management Accountancy, known as CMA in short. A CMA is responsible for analyzing and parsing data from various sources to enhance performance improvement. They are experts in corporate finance and accounting.

As a commerce student, you are eligible to pursue this role. Like CA, it doesn’t require you to have maths as a compulsory subject in the 12th standard. You’ll need working knowledge of mathematics and expertise in accounting to pursue a career in this sector. 

To become a Certified Management Accountant, you’d have to become a member of ICAI (Institute of Cost Accountants of India). If you’re passing the 10th standard, you can enroll in the CMA Foundation Course right after high school, finish the 12th standard and qualify for the foundation exam.

After that, you’ll have to register for the Intermediate course. If you’re a graduate (any subject other than Fine Arts), you can register for the Intermediate course by qualifying for the CAT exam. This way, you wouldn’t need to enroll in the Foundation Course. 

After the Intermediate course, you’ll have to complete the Final Course and Training. Then, you’ll have to finish the FInal exam, after which you’ll get certified as a CMA. The average income of a CMA in India is INR 7.9 Lakh per annum. So it’s undoubtedly a fantastic career after 12th commerce without maths.

7. CS (Company Secretary)

Company Secretary is a fantastic scope in commerce without maths as well. Moreover, it doesn’t require you to have maths as a compulsory subject. Company secretaries ensure that their organization follows all the regulations. They assist the board of directors in meeting and understanding different regulatory issues. CS is one of the best career options and has subjects in commerce without maths.

They have to ensure that their organization completes all the required legal filings such as annual earning disclosures, tax obligations, quarterly earning disclosures, and many others. The Institute of Company Secretaries of India organizes the exams and courses to become a Company Secretary in India.

You can become a Company Secretary by :

  1. Enrolling in the ICSI Foundation course if you’ve passed 12th standard and then enroll in the Intermediate course after completing the former. 
  2. Enrolling in the ICSI Intermediate course without taking the Foundation course if you’re a graduate or a postgraduate.

After completing the Intermediate course, you must qualify for the ICSI Final Exam and get the required training, after which you will become a certified Company Secretary. The median income of a Company Secretary in this country is INR 5.8 Lakh per year. Company secretaries with more than ten years of experience can earn a median income of INR 14 Lakh per year. So it’s undoubtedly one of the best career options in commerce without maths.

Some Other Graduation Courses to Opt for after 12th Commerce without Maths

If you are looking forward to pursuing something different, here are some more options that you can consider pursuing. 

  • Travel and Tourism Management: Travel and tourism management is a booming career option that youngsters who are enthusiastic about traveling can pursue. This is an emerging field that can open up a wide range of Commerce career options without Maths in India as well as abroad. 

If you don’t know your multiplication tables well and you’ve not studied Maths in class 12, you can proceed with a BTTM. BA, BBA, or a B.Sc in travel and tourism management. 

After you have completed your bachelor’s in this sector, you can opt for an MBA, after which you can secure an opportunity to work as ground staff or flight attendants. Not only this, but aspirants can also seek employment in areas like Transportation, Hotels, Travel and Tour companies, and many more. 

Candidates may also acquire designations like Lobby Manager, Tour Management Executive, Tour Operator, Travel Executive, Sales Manager, Visa Executive, Ticketing Assistant, Travel Agent, Reservations Executive, and many more. 

  • Event Management: If you are looking for courses after 12 Commerce without Maths, this might be a great choice for you. Students who have a flair for planning and organizing events can pursue a career in event management. This will require a BBA in this field. 

For any Commerce student who is not confident in Maths, a BBA in event management can open up many opportunities for them as Event Managers, Event Planners, Wedding Planners, Exhibition Organizers, etc. 

  • Retail Management: Retail refers to the sector that deals with the sales of goods, thereby ensuring customer satisfaction. Retail is a flourishing sector in India and is, therefore, an excellent option for those who have studied Commerce in class 12 without having Maths as a subject. 

Such students can pursue a BBA or B.Sc in retail management to build a career in this field. There are multiple opportunities in this sector. Graduates in retail management can secure jobs in supply chain firms, shopping malls, supermarkets, and retail outlets. You may be appointed as a Retail Manager, Floor Manager, Store Manager, or Marketing Executive. 

Therefore, not having Maths as a subject while studying commerce in 12th standard does not mean the end of the world. You can still carve a lucrative career for yourself; you only have to make the right choice of course that will open up a variety of career options in Commerce without Maths.

Diploma Courses that Commerce Students Who Haven’t Studied Maths in 12 Can Opt For

Students who have studied commerce in class 12 but have not had Maths as a subject can also seek a specialized diploma course. These courses are usually designed in a way that they can be completed in a short duration, mostly within 1-2 years. Therefore, diploma courses take less time than graduation, while also opening the doors to multiple opportunities.

The minimum eligibility criteria to pursue a diploma is either a 10th or 12th pass. Are you looking for courses after 12th Commerce with high salary without Maths? Listed below are some diploma courses after 12th standard Commerce for which a student does not require Mathematical skills:

  • Diploma in Hotel Management: This diploma course teaches subjects like Health Hygiene, Basic Food Production, Hotel Law, Marketing Sales Management, Applications of Computers, Basic Food and Beverage Service, and many more.

After completing a diploma course in Hotel Management, students get placed as Restaurant Managers, Hotel Managers, Front Office Managers, etc. The average salaries in these cases range between INR 2-6 LPA.

  • Diploma in Computer Application: This course without Maths is a 1-year course that involves multiple subjects on computer applications like OS, Internet Applications, MS Office, DBMS, HTML, and many more.

After completion of this course, candidates can bag jobs whose packages range between INR 2-5 LPA.

  • Diploma in Business Management: This is another one of the most interesting courses for career without Maths. This 1-year diploma is designed to provide knowledge on the basics of management and prepare an individual for the evolving world of Business. If you pursue this course, you will develop a basic understanding of the practices and principles of business management topics.

After completion of this course, individuals secure placement as Finance Managers, Business Development Managers, Marketing Managers, and so on. The average salary in such cases ranges between INR 6-8 LPA.

  • Diploma in Photography: A Diploma in Photography is one of the most interesting courses without Maths after 12th that will help to bring out the creative flair in you and make a career out of it. This diploma course will help you acquire specialization in topics like making a documentary, nature photography, and travel. Here, learners go through everything ranging from the foundations to the history of photography, learn the basics of Photoshop, gain insights about natural and artificial lighting, and much more.

After successful completion of this diploma course, candidates are placed as wedding, wildlife, product, or fashion photographers. Some might even be placed as photojournalists. The average salary for a beginner in this field ranges between INR 2-5 LPA.

  • Diploma in 3D Animation: Diploma in Animation holders are usually hired in organizations known for designing kids’ cartoons, gaming solutions, and other 3D movies.

A fresher can earn a package ranging between INR 2-10 LPA depending on his expertise, skill, and proficiency in the use of technology.

Hope this gives you an idea about some of the most popular courses after 12 Commerce without Maths that can open the way for rewarding Commerce without Maths career options.

Certificate/Professional Courses for Career Options After 12th Commerce Without Maths

Certification courses are designed so that individuals can develop their skills in certain career options without Maths. Certification courses can be completed in a short duration, that is, within 3 months, 6 months, or 1 year. The duration depends on the course that a candidate is willing to pursue.

These certification courses are job-oriented and are also known as professional courses. There are many renowned institutions that offer this kind of certification course. Below are some popular certification courses that can open up multiple Commerce career options without Maths. They are as mentioned below:

  • E-Commerce Business Management courses
  • Graphic design courses
  • Photography courses
  • Computer Application courses
  • Tally and account management courses
  • Drawing and painting courses
  • Cookery courses
  • Fitness and Yoga courses

One can also choose to pursue a certification course online. The ed-tech market size in India is expected to reach over 10 billion USD by 2025. These online courses are, therefore, holding great prominence and gaining recognition in this changing education scenario.

How to Choose The Best Course After 12th Commerce Without Maths?

Choosing the right course after completing your 12th in commerce without mathematics can be a pivotal decision that shapes your future career prospects. While mathematics might seem like a natural choice for many commerce students, there are numerous other paths that you can explore. So, let’s explore how to choose the best course and their scope in commerce without maths: –

  • Self-Assessment

Start your journey by knowing your area of interest, strengths, and weaknesses. That means, have a look on subjects you enjoyed in school, your hobbies, and any extracurricular activities you excelled in. Assess your skills, values, and passion; this self-awareness can guide you toward a fulfilling career.

  • Explore Options

Research various fields related to commerce without mathematics. Consider courses like B.Com, BBA, BMS, or specialized programs like B.Com in Accounting and Finance, Banking, or Marketing. Explore the syllabus of these courses to understand the subjects you’ll be studying.

  • Career Counseling

Consult with career counselors who can provide professional guidance based on your aptitude and interests. They can help you discover lesser-known career options and provide insights into market trends and job prospects in different fields.

  • Skill Development

Find out varied the skills you are eager to develop. That means, if you are interested in finance, accounting, or business management, look for comprehensive training courses in these fields. On top of that, soft skills like, communication, problem-solving, and leadership are crucial for any career choice.

  • Job Market Research

Conduct market research to understand the demand for various professions. Some fields might be more competitive, while others might have a growing demand for skilled professionals. Stay updated on emerging career opportunities and industries.

  • Internships and Volunteering

Participate in internships or volunteer work in your areas of interest. Practical experience surely offer valuable insights and help you decide if a particular field aligns perfectly with your expectations. Moreover, it also enhances your resume and makes you more appealing to potential employers.

  • Networking

Connect with professionals in different fields through social media platforms like LinkedIn. Engaging with people in your desired field can provide insights into the industry, job roles, and required skills. Networking can also open doors to mentorship opportunities and internships.

  • Consider Professional Courses

Explore professional courses like Chartered Accountancy (CA), Company Secretary (CS), Cost and Management Accountancy (CMA), or Certified Public Accountant (CPA). These courses offer specialized knowledge and can lead to lucrative career options in accounting, finance, and corporate governance.

  • Future Prospects

Evaluate the long-term prospects of the chosen field. Consider factors such as job stability, salary potential, opportunities for growth, and work-life balance. Some professions might require continuous learning and upskilling, so assess your willingness to invest in lifelong learning.

  • Passion and Motivation

Choose a course after 12 commerce that aligns with your passion and motivation. Pursuing a career you love can lead to job satisfaction and a fulfilling life. While practical considerations are essential, don’t ignore your inner calling.

Also Read: Career Options For Commerce Students

Choose Your Career Wisely

Picking the right career can be quite daunting. However, it would be best if you keep your interests and priorities in mind while you’re choosing a career for yourself. If you love your job, you will find it easier to make progress in your career. On the other hand, if you don’t like your job very much, working hard and making progress would be quite challenging. You should always keep these points in mind while picking a career.

We hope you liked this article where we listed top courses after 12th commerce without maths. If you have any questions or suggestions, please let us know through the comment section below. If you need further clarification of career and subjects in commerce without Maths, talk to our counsellors free today. 

At upGrad, we have mentored thousands of students from across the globe for different courses and careers. Checkout our degree courses offered by upGrad in association with top universities for motivated students like you looking for state-of-the-art BBA courses after completing their 12th.

Apart from learning support from faculty members, students also benefit from doubt resolution sessions, interview prep classes, and free 360-degree career guidance.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. Is a B.Com Honours degree better than a B.Com degree?

A B.Com Honours degree might turn out to be more useful and lucrative for two reasons: greater employable skills and a different learning approach. A B.Com Honours degree imparts greater professional depth and follows a more rigorous curriculum, even though the syllabus for both the degrees is very similar. Holding a specialisation in a particular field also gives you more weightage in the industry.

2. How is CMA different from CA?

While CMA and CA are both accounting-based courses, CMA deals with strategic managerial accounting unlike CA, which is primarily monetary and discusses financial principles of accounting. The CMA course is more advanced and allows you to practically apply your knowledge in the business field. In terms of the duration, CA takes around 5 years to complete whereas CMA takes only about 6 to 9 months. To compare job profiles, a Chartered Accountant looks into managing taxes, corporate finance, business recovery, and so on while a CMA takes on the responsibilities of a controller, accountant, manager and analyst of finance.

3. What does the course structure look like for becoming a Company Secretary?

After your 12th grade, you can enrol with ICSI for the Foundation Programme, which has 4 papers. They are: Business Environment and Law, Business Economics, Fundamentals of Accounting and Auditing, and Business Management, Ethics and Entrepreneurship. The Executive Programme (EP) includes 8 papers divided into 2 modules, whereas the Professional Programme (PP) consists of 9 papers divided into 3 modules. Module 1 and Module 2 of the EP will teach you about the legal aspects and the managerial aspects of being a Company Secretary, respectively. Apart from the fixed papers, the EP and PP also offer you a bunch of electives from which you can choose one of your choice for each programme.

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Nitin Gurmukhani

There is no better service to society than helping voluntarily. Grammarly fan, random reader, and an avid learner.

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Online education across segments and students population is emerging as a popular option for individuals. Across age groups, online education is getting adopted. A segment where we at UpGrad feel that online adoption will be rapid, is the working professional segment. And there are multiple reasons for the same – from their ability to pay, their willingness to move up in their career etc. In this piece I want to touch upon a key trend that we are targeting – changing requirements of the industry and the need to continuously upgrade for working professionals. To give an example, a few decades ago – a farmer’s son would be a farmer; a carpenter’s son would be a carpenter. Things changed over time, and a farmer’s son started becoming an engineer. And in today’s world, an engineer goes through 5+ career shifts in his/her career span. There’ll Be A Billion-Plus Job-Seekers By 2050, So Get Yourself Skilled NOW! Marketing is not the way it used to be 10 years back. Payment is not the way it used to be 5 years back. Data analysis has undergone drastic changes. And in this digital age, the rate of this change is going to further accelerate. Industry will evolve rapidly, and as working professionals, each one of us has to keep up with this changing requirement. Industry is not going to wait for the individual to get upskilled or upgraded, and a large part of the onus will lie with the individual. Further, the rate at which the needs of the industries are changing; our current university system is not able to cope up. Therefore, individuals have to look for alternate options to add relevant skills to their portfolio. This is where online education comes into the fore. Professionals today do not have the flexibility of leaving their jobs and going to a school to learn new skills. Online education platforms are great options for these professionals who are looking to continuously upgrade, while continuing to stay in their jobs. Unlike offline education, online medium provides the advantage of being able to update the program curriculum and content regularly, and keep it relevant to the industry needs. Online medium also allows real-life problems to come to working professionals learning, where an individual can actually live the real-life situations in the form of case studies. Top 10 Essential Tools For Startup Business in India In the digital age, each individual will have to continuously upskill himself/ herself to stay relevant, and that would provide a large opportunity for edtech startups to create scale platforms. EdTech startups will have to look for opportunities where there is a significant demand supply gap, and look at providing right education programs. The biggest challenge in this will be the ability of edtech startups to design the program content for digital medium, rather than replicate what is being covered in the offline programs. Taking advantage of the digital channel will be key here. So for all edtech startups, keep your ears on the ground, and look for areas and skills that will allow you to build scale learning platform.
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by Mayank Kumar

20 Apr'16
Google I/O 2016 – Day 1 | Recap

5.07K+

Google I/O 2016 – Day 1 | Recap

The most awaited Google I/O 2016 Conference was filled with announcements about improvements in current products and launch of some new products. In this article, we have summarized the biggest announcements from Day 1 of the conference. Google Allo Allo is Google’s new messaging app with resident chatbot. It has features like whisper/shout, expressive stickers, smart replies- which evolve with time and wide range of bot support especially the Google Assistant search bot. One of the most important features of Allo is that all its chats are encrypted but incognito mode offers end-to-end encryption and an option to send messages that self-destruct. Additionally, once you close a chat, the entire conversation is deleted forever. Google Duo Duo is Google’s mobile only companion app for Allo that helps in video calling. One of its special feature is ‘Knock Knock’ which lets users see the incoming video call feed before even answering the call. So, the receiving party can see who’s calling and where they are before they even pick up the call. Google Assistant Google takes search to the next level. Google Assistant supports “conversational understanding” to make search more natural and to better support voice searches. Google Home Home is built on the Chromecast standard, which lets it push media to other Cast-compatible speakers and screens, change temperature or lighting through Nest devices, and integrate with third party services. The entire experience is hands-free, powered entirely by voice. In fact, it doesn’t even have any buttons. Simple voice commands will control every aspect of the Home. Android N Android N comes with new features that include more control over notification size from different apps and a new picture-in-picture mode. Android N uses a new API called Vulkan that lets developers directly control a phone’s GPU for sharper 3D graphics. Android N will also download and install system updates automatically. The name of Android N has not yet been released. It is going to be selected through a crowdsourced contest. Google Daydream Google has a new VR platform built on top of Android N, and the new VR platform is called Google Daydream. It is an optimized virtual reality platform that aims to standardize the mobile-based VR experience. It also spans both software and hardware; Its biggest limitation is that it will be available only in new phones with special sensors and screen. Android Wear 2.0 Android Wear 2.0 can function independently of a smartphone. Apps no longer need a connected smartphone in order to function. Apps can function and even communicate without a phone, as long as the wearable device is connected to the internet via cellular or Wi-Fi. Users can also make data from any app show up on any watch face. Instant Apps One of the most interesting announcement was google Instant Apps. With Instant Apps, users can begin using an app instantly from right within the Google Play store without even having to download and install the app. As we can see, Google has made some big moves in the three hottest areas of tech – virtual reality, messaging, and smart assistants. However it would be interesting to see how these new products will compete with their competitors and how much of market share would they capture after their launch.
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by Dilip Guru

19 May'16
There’ll Be A Billion-Plus Job-Seekers By 2050, So Get Yourself Skilled NOW

898.94K+

There’ll Be A Billion-Plus Job-Seekers By 2050, So Get Yourself Skilled NOW

This isn’t just a catchy headline meant to shock you, though that would be a justified reaction. If you are 25 years old, have graduated from a reputed institute in a traditional higher education discipline and are looking for a job, you may not be handed one on a platter any time soon. You may be cushioned within the famous Indian demographic that is supposed to yield a “dividend”, but unlike what you’ve been reading everywhere, this does not guarantee you employment. Between 1980 to 2010, 90% of world labour force growth occurred in developing countries and about 500 million new workers emerged in India and China alone (workers went from 260 million to 470 million in India, between this period). India, along with other developing counterparts, is all set to fuel 60% of the global growth in labour in the upcoming years. Keep in mind that enrolment in Indian higher education is only 24% right now. With India attaining almost universal elementary education and increased retention in secondary schools, the projected demand for higher education and jobs thereafter, will only escalate. By 2050, India will be home to more than a billion job seekers. This means providing jobs for over 12 million new entrants annually. There is also the challenge of finding jobs for the backlog, which reached 60 million by 2014. So isn’t this good news? India finally placed on the world map with a solid advantage where labour supply is concerned. Well, it may not all be good news. The new-age job-seeker must strive to acquire specific skill sets to be considered employable. Currently, only 43% of Indian youth are considered fully employable. Indian millennials are being touted as the future of jobs and the saviours of the working world. But this won’t hold true if in-demand skills are not imparted to the youth entering the workforce. The world of work is changing and industries are transforming. It’s a fact that we are moving towards a massive labour pool, but we are possibly riding a low-skill, low-wage cycle to get there. The country is on a trajectory that involves a surplus of millions of low-skill workers, whereas most nations, including India, will be increasingly demanding a high-skill workforce. Impacting Education: My Journey and UpGrad Most industries are replacing low-skill jobs with high-skill ones. Skills relating to upcoming technologies like cloud computing, social media, artificial intelligence, robotics, nanotechnology, etc, are gaining immense relevance. Unfortunately, our education system is not preparing students well enough to enter the workforce as high-skill workers or equipping them with skills in the mentioned emerging domains. Gone are the days when just holding a graduate degree was enough to get employers to clamour to hire you. Education is not enough. The new-age job-seeker must strive to acquire specific skill sets to be considered employable. Currently, only 43% of Indian youth are considered fully employable. Gone are the days when just holding a graduate degree was enough to get employers to clamour to hire you. Education is not enough. The positive connotation associated with our demographic shift has been taken for granted and assigned the term “dividend.” But if we don’t strategically harness this change, we could very easily be faced with a demographic disaster. We don’t want to be stuck in a situation where we have too many job-seekers with inadequate skills, and therefore not enough jobs for them. India is moving workers out of farm jobs at a very fast rate, and this will only add to the burden of providing jobs in other sectors. We need a wake-up call and more concerted efforts towards large-scale skill development and training. We may have a situation of too few high-skill workers and not enough jobs for medium- or low-skill workers. This needs to be rectified by adjusting the education and skilling system to ready ourselves for the jobs of tomorrow. UpGrad develops various programs such as Digital Marketing Certification Program, and Product Management Certification Program in collaboration with IIIT Bangalore, specially designed for working professionals looking to up-skill themselves.  Check out the free courses.
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by Mayank Kumar

20 Jun'16
Only 25% Of Indian Graduates Are Employable, And The Solution Is Obvious

6.57K+

Only 25% Of Indian Graduates Are Employable, And The Solution Is Obvious

Co-authored by: Apoorva Shankar, Business Development Associate, UpGrad The world today has enhanced productivity requirements. Due to this, the demand for highly skilled labour is growing. China and India are set to drive this demand. Globally, the share of low-skill jobs is likely to decline from 74% of employment in 2010 to 62% by 2020. On the other hand, the shortage of highly skilled workers with a tertiary level of education is expected to reach 18 million by 2020, globally. But due to its demographic dividend, India will have a labour surplus of 47 million by 2020. However, this surplus may only be of low-skilled labour. And while the demand for highly skilled labour is increasing, the supply isn’t quite keeping up. The challenge, as well as opportunity, that India faces is how to train such a large reserve of labour and convert low skills to high skills. One solution that immediately comes to mind is providing higher education for all. But at present only 24% of those meant to be participating in higher education, are actually enrolled. Plus, traditional college or university pedagogy has been increasingly criticized for being outdated and irrelevant to the jobs market. If you attended school or college in India, you will have first-hand experience of the ills that plague the system. Some of the reasons for this are: Absence of a customized or personalized approach to education (necessary as different students have different needs and learning capabilities). Restricted resources due to not-for-profit nature of educational institutes and over-regulation. Lack of technology infrastructure. Poor teaching quality. Lack of skills-based learning. Low focus on research and development. Minimal partnerships with industry/foreign academia. Outdated curricula not reflecting requirements of a dynamic market environment. Skill-intensive industries are expected to contribute more than 90% of India’s GDP by 2030. The opportunity is staring at us in the face. Only about 25% of Indian graduates are considered employable by the organized sector. Further, 48% of Indian employers said they were having difficulty in filling jobs, in 2012. Despite employers expressing difficulty in finding employable candidates, in 2009-10 the unemployment rates in India were higher for those who were more educated (graduates had more difficulty finding jobs than secondary or primary level graduates). [b_color background=”#EDFF3D”] Also Read – Technology will surely kill some jobs, but not all of them [/b_color] So Indian education, in its current form, hasn’t proved to be enough training for the incoming workforce. The numbers also prove that just completing higher education in any field is not all it takes anymore. This pinch is being increasingly felt as the world of jobs is turning upside down; which is why we need skill training. Skill-intensive industries are expected to contribute more than 90% of India’s GDP by 2030. The opportunity is staring at us in the face. It’s not just about the potential but also the responsibility we are tasked with — restoring balance to the global supply of labour. The country needs to invest in skill development and training for a large chunk of its population. Exploiting sheer numbers is therefore one major reason to skill our workers. Secondly, the demand for advanced skill-sets in emerging areas is growing. Knowledge-intensive roles such as finance, business, etc, and those related to information technology and entrepreneurship are gaining momentum. The reality that these skills must be acquired will take root for more and more individuals, including drop-outs from the mainstream education system and those who have completed such education. Currently, the actual supply of these workers falls drastically short of matching growing demand. Hence, the gaps in domain knowledge are another reason to scale up the skilling. You are likely to be at a disadvantage, in terms of skill training and thereby employability, when compared to someone your age in China, USA, South Korea… In China about 47% of the workforce has received some kind of skill training, 52% in USA, 68% in UK, 75% in Germany, 80% in Japan and 96% in South Korea. Comparatively, only about 10% of the Indian workforce received such training in 2008. India is seventh in the category of countries facing maximum difficulty in filling jobs, i.e., 58% difficulty, where the global average is 38%. These figures reflect that just belonging to the young Indian demographic is not enough. You are likely to be at a disadvantage, in terms of skill training and thereby employability, when compared to someone your age in China, USA, South Korea etc. To address these imbalances, India needs unprecedented increase in both education and job creation. At this point, there is no guaranteed advantage for India in the contest for high-skill talent. It will be dependent on skilling. Considering the state of higher education and the skill upgrade required to be carried out in the future, the process will not just be about learning for professionals, but rather unlearning and re-learning.
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by Mayank Kumar

13 Jul'16
7 reasons to watch UpGrad Talks today

5.19K+

7 reasons to watch UpGrad Talks today

There is really no secret sauce for success. Provided you have had the opportunity to view the exclusive online tete-e-tete sessions brought to you by UpGrad Talks. With an amazing roster of world-class speakers, some from the top 1000 companies of India such as Mahindra & Mahindra, Tata Sky, Coca Cola, JP Morgan, JWT to start-up poster children such as RedBus, Snadeal, Ola & Zivame and many more, Upgrad Talks provides insights into their formulae for success. The talks also share deep learning from situations that didn’t work out and many valuable nuggets of honest, down-to-earth and practical advice from successful entrepreneurs, experts and industry leaders. While some lip service has been paid to new-age technologies and skill sets, and the evolution of industries because of these, a deeper understanding of what this signifies is missing. Upgrad Talks intends to fill this gap by bringing together thought-leaders from different walks of life and raising the level of discourse in this area, as they share their experiences. Here are the top reasons why you must visit talks.upgrad.com today and make it your daily source of insights and motivation: Get Inspired Inspiration can come from many different sources. You may get inspired when you see a problem that needs a solution, which you are able to ideate, or get inspired when you hear stories of adversity being overcome by sheer willpower. Rarely does the simple existence of wealth inspire us. It may motivate us to work harder, but inspiration stems from a deeper place that needs real stories. Upgrad Talks are stories from the folks who have lived these stories, first hand. Not only does hearing someone’s complete story of challenges, thought process and subsequent outcome inspire, it also gives birth to new ideas and provides impetus to grow in your own space.  Moreover, inspiration also stems from well-put statements such as, ‘attitude will sail you through,’ by Harit Nagpal, CEO of Tata Sky. A key benefit of listening to industry leaders is that it also inspires us to think. ‘What we think, we become,’ is a quote by Buddha that sums up this well. Go ahead, face challenges It does not matter if you are a startup or an established financial organization; challenges, big or small, exist in every level of most businesses. Challenges faced, strategized and overcome is the rite of passage for almost everyone. Not only do Upgrad Talks cover challenges faced by leading industry veterans, it also covers it from various stages of businesses along with discussion of the solutions that helped overcome them. Upgrad Talks speakers’ discuss challenges faced by businesses in different spaces, which makes these talks an interesting listen. Furthermore, is quite motivating to hear the candid conversations of business leaders. So what is the common thought on challenges in the Upgrad Talks? No challenge is too big. It also strengthens the belief that challenges help you grow and become stronger and develops a sense of confidence to take on the next big challenge. Learn from influencers People who can motivate are great influencers. To hear success stories at Upgrad Talks, which have been driven by deep-rooted passion as well as courage of conviction can be a great influence on most people. It is likely to help you push yourself to greater heights and also follow your dreams a bit more diligently. To quote Snapdeal’s Kunal Bahl, ‘ there is a fine line between stubbornness and persistence.’ Upgrad Talks is likely to help you define the lines as an excellent selection of influencers talk also about the key soft skills required to make it a significant mark on the industry that you belong to. Mentoring As you listen to entrepreneurs, business leaders and experts on models that have worked, one can also start drawing parallels to one’s one business or profession. Mentoring of this kind is both subtle and effective as it helps you choose some key takeaways from the shared experiences that are most relevant to you. Follow the series to get premium access to the best mentors in the country as they talk about education, the emerging digital age and its impact on businesses, talent shortages and advice to youngsters. A bit of crystal gazing In the series of Upgrad Talks, one is likely to come across a vast amount of business knowledge which has been converted into digestible insights that can also help you choose the next steps in your career. Speakers’ at Upgrad Talks share their business mantras and what the future is likely to be.  This is crystal gazing of the finest variety and yet another reason to tune into the talks. A healthy dash of optimism One of the unique selling points of the Upgrad Talks is that they also brings out the combined optimism in business from key industry leaders. Apart from that one can learn what is next in the industry, and explore potential future opportunities in the workspace. The upbeat and positive nature of these talks makes them a must-listen. Easily available online Just in case you were wondering how far you would need to travel to listen to such a wide range of speakers, you can breath easy. Upgrad Talks are delivered online and you can listen to them at your own convenience. All you need to do is to long onto talks.upgrad.com and you can access high quality, pre-recorded sessions online. Upgrad is making content richer, bigger and better as it kicks off with 15+ talks delivered by entrepreneurs, experts & business leaders.  You definitely do not want to miss out on the educational transformation that UpGrad is fuelling in partnership with some of the greatest minds. Remember, one can never stop learning. So, if you always aspired to hear great advice and insights from the top Indian business leaders on how you can grow your business, choose a career goal or get inspired, do take a look at Upgrad Talks. They are truly the voices that impact. Join us today and be a part of it at talks.upgrad.com.
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by Omkar Pradhan

06 Aug'16
Evolving online education: Learning Together

5.36K+

Evolving online education: Learning Together

Technologies in online learning have been making promises since early 20th century. From radio to present day MOOCs,  multiple new technologies were seen as silver bullet in revolutionising education. These promises were indeed laudable, to make education accessible to everyone, affordable for everyone and more effective. Yet, the same history of unmet expectations has been repeated every time*. Although a lot has happened over the past decade in terms of growth and expansion of online education, there are many challenges yet to be solved before we can say online learning has truly arrived. We, at UpGrad, believe the following three challenges are the biggest hurdles to the success of online education. Isolation: Online learning is solitary experience   Acceptability: Online learning’s validity in the Job Market   Not Engaging: Interplay of distractions and motivations in learning online The dismally low completion rates and high failure rates are reflection of these challenges [1]. Our goal at UpGrad is to fight these challenges and provide an unmatched learning experience for the working professionals. We believe, with the flexibility of online learning, every working professional can “UpGrade” himself without going back to full-time formal education. Hence, we need to to make online learning mainstream. In this article we would be sharing how are setting the online learning as a ‘Social Experience’ for our students, ie the first of the three mentioned challenges. In 2000s, internet surfing was mainly an individual experience and on the other hand, in 2016 almost all of internet time is a social experience. We do not feel alone in 2016 version of internet. We believe online education will have much higher engagement and completion rates once it becomes a social experience. An average student’s e-learning journey is an individual experience making him/her feel isolated. Learners move through the course with limited interactions with both their instructor and classmates. We at UpGrad, are building a new learning platform specifically designed keeping our students and their needs in mind. We believe this would be key to provide the kind of engagement levels the students deserve. The perception of social presence (or lack of) is a big concern among students and teachers in online learning. Teachers develop courses in isolation and the students take the courses in isolation. Researchers have found strong correlation between the sense of social presence facilitated by the course and student’s perceived learning [3,4,5]. Also there is good re correlation between withdrawal in the course and student’s perceived lack of social interaction and instructor presence [3]. Lack of social interaction in e-learning increases the distraction, since a learner would look for social interaction elsewhere which is usually Twitter, Whatsapp or Facebook. If there is another learner doing the same course in my apartment building, there are limited chances that I would know about him. As learners of online courses, we are oblivious of everyone else’s presence except few replies on the discussion forum. They do form Facebook groups or Whatsapp groups organically, yet the whole online learning format ends up being mostly a solo experience. Here are the steps we are taking at UpGrad in making our online programs a social experience.: Profiles : The first step in ‘social’ e-learning is knowing your classmates. We have learner profiles with education and work history along with other details. Almost everyone is encouraged to fill in their full profile along with a descriptive ‘bio’ section. There are multiple points where learners are nudged to click on the profiles. To improve discoverability of relevant profiles we not only leverage cohort social graph but also use interest graph, performance graph, complementary skills graphs. Combined with other semi random** algorithms like who was recently online, learners bump into each other in interesting ways. In the first month of Data Analytics Program, an average engaged learner viewed peer profiles 110 times. Discussions: We have a discussion forum which is contextual and relevant to the course content. We designed it from the ground up to involve learners during the course. They help each other, solve doubts, ask questions, have healthy debates on the forum. Only when there is no consensus a Teaching Assistant gets involved in clearing the doubts. Last 3 months data shows that on a daily basis 50% of the students who are engaged on the platform, also engaged actively on the discussion forum. As most professionals have different backgrounds, sharing of experiences on the forum is much valuable to everyone in the cohort. We have seen learners fall into three buckets on the forum. First is the majority producers, the top 30% of forum content producers are responsible for around 70% of the discussions. The next 50% do the rest of 30% of the content but continue to voice their opinions through upvotes. Rest of the 20% are mere observers. These numbers are highly encouraging and we will be investing more time in finding out how student-student social interactions can help in overall engagement. Figure 1: Forum topic distribution in one of our programs. Share in the pie is (questions * votes) for each topic. Bigger share of the pie is a proxy for doubts. This lead us to start live sessions on those topics. Thought Leader AMAs: Initiating and maintaining engagement on the forum is hard. To set the ball rolling, we started the discussion forum for a new cohort with getting a thought leader to do an AMA on the platform. This way not only the students got a product onboarding experience but also the social expectation was set amongst the peers. In some months, the total content creation during AMAs ended up around 20% of the total cumulative content. We also observed a side benefit of starting the program with thought leader – that learners are more helpful, behave with more civility and show much more respect for each other. This is not very unusual because it is known that a group’s eventual social dynamics are very much impacted by behaviour in initial few days. In a way, it sets the trend which follows upto the end of the course. We also explored bringing in external motivations to see how does it impact on engagement levels. At times, there were small gifts for top forum contributors and at times we included forum participation in the grading. Our primary observations show that this is to be used cautiously. We are working on establishing a balance between extrinsic and intrinsic motivations for social involvement. Facebook Groups: For all cohorts we have Facebook groups for students apart from the platform discussion forum. We were not very confident how much our forum will be used for non academic discussions and generic social sharing. However, we found more and more discussions of generic nature and sharing of articles & blogs also started happening on the forum. Hence facebook group ended up becoming redundant. We are thinking of doing away with a cohort’s facebook group with this expanded use of discussion forum In summary, having a strong sense of community within the students is a big predictor of learning outcomes. This has been researched multiple times [7, 8]. Our platform’s usage data of course progress and social interaction activity strongly confirms this research. At a time, a learner who is socially engaged on our platform has usually completed 4 times (Figure 2) course materials than a learner who does not participate in social discussions. This high correlation has been repeated across multiple cohorts. Figure 2: At a snapshot of time course completion rates for learners active on forum vs non active. Apart from the student isolation e-learning content creators and facilitators tend to work in isolation, reflecting and sharing of best practices is minimal[6]. We at UpGrad are aware of this problem, and making sure different program teams collaborate and share solutions to common problems. We do not have complete solution to isolation in learning yet. We as a company are focussed on solving this problem, we are testing out few ideas and are willing to share the results with the community. With these changes we are expecting online learning experience to be more engaging, more involving and eventually pushing up the low completion rates of online learning. These are early days of online education and we have miles to go. Bibliography [1] http://collegequarterly.ca/2007-vol10-num03-summer/rolfe.html [2] Online Social Networks as Formal Learning Environments: Learner Experiences and Activities, The International Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning, Vol 13, No 1 (2012) [3] Tello SF (2007). An analysis of student persistence in online education. International Journal of Information and Communication Technology Education [4] Herbert, M. (2006). Staying the course: A study in online student satisfaction and retention. Online Journal of Distance Learning Administration, 9(4). [5] Morris, T. A. (2009). Anytime/anywhere online learning: Does it remove barriers for adult learners. In T.Kidd (Ed.), Online education and adult learning: New frontiers for teaching practices. Hershey, PA:IGI Global. [6] Duncan, H & Barnett J (2009) Learning to teach online. [7] Kaulback, B (2015). Learning Together : Community and Network from the perspective of designers of online learning. (Doctoral dissertation) [8] Bernard, R. M., Abrami, P. C., Borokhovski, E., Wade, C. A., Tamim, R. M., Surkes, M. A., & Bethel, E. C. (2009). A meta-analysis of three types of interaction treatments in distance education. Review of Educational Research, 79(3), 1243–1289.
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by Ankit Mittal

08 Aug'16
Skill deprivation: Education alone won’t guarantee a job, in-demand skills need of hour

898.95K+

Skill deprivation: Education alone won’t guarantee a job, in-demand skills need of hour

If you are 25 years old, hold a degree in a traditional arts discipline from a well-regarded institute and are looking for a job, you may not be handed one on a platter any time soon. You may be cushioned within the famous Indian demographic that is supposed to yield a ‘dividend,’ but unlike what you’ve been reading everywhere, this does not guarantee you employment. Between 1980 to 2010, 90% of world labour force growth occurred in developing countries and about 500 million new workers emerged in India and China alone (workers went from 260 million to 470 million in India, between this period). India is all set to power most of global growth in labour in the coming years. Enrolment in Indian higher education is 24% right now. With India attaining almost universal elementary education, and increased retention in secondary schools, the projected demand for higher education and jobs will only escalate. India has finally been placed on the world map with a solid advantage where labour supply is concerned. Impacting Education: My Journey and UpGrad It’s not all good news though. Indian millennials are being touted as the future of jobs and the saviours of the working world. But this won’t hold true if in-demand skills are not imparted to the youth entering the workforce. The world of work is changing and industries are transforming. It’s a fact that we are moving towards a massive labour pool, but we are possibly riding a low-skill, low-wage cycle to get there. The country is on a trajectory that involves a surplus of millions of low-skill workers, whereas most nations, including India, will be demanding high-skill workers more and more. Most industries are replacing low-skill jobs with high-skill ones. Skills relating to upcoming technologies in advanced areas – think AI, robotics, data science and mining – are gaining immense relevance. Unfortunately, our education system is not preparing students well enough to enter the workforce as high-skill workers nor equipping them with skills in emerging domains. Curricula is outdated and pedagogy poorly-developed. Gone are the days when just holding a graduate degree was enough to get employers to clamour to hire you. Education is not enough. The new-age job-seeker must strive to acquire specific skill sets to be considered employable (currently only 43% of Indian youth are considered fully employable). This applies to all sectors of the economy, as most industries and businesses are adopting new-age technologies and going digital within most functions. There’ll Be A Billion-Plus Job-Seekers By 2050! The positive connotation associated with our demographic shift has been taken for granted and assigned the term ‘dividend.’ But if we don’t strategically harness this change, we could easily be faced with a demographic disaster. We don’t want to be stuck in a situation where we have too many job-seekers with inadequate skills, and therefore not enough jobs for them. India is moving workers out of farm jobs at a very fast rate, and this will only add to the burden of providing jobs in other sectors. Realising this, even the government has begun focusing on skill development and training. Creating an entirely new Ministry and launching the Skill India Mission are clear indications of this. Another sign that skill training is gaining momentum is reflected in the growth of the Indian education and skills industry at an average rate of 13% over four years. From Rs 1.21 trillion in 2008 to Rs 2.35 trillion in 2012. However, these measures have not been enough to successfully skill India’s young. Only 2% of the Indian workforce has received some kind of formal skills training so far, and 8% have received informal training. Comparatively, 47% of China’s workforce is skill trained, 52% in USA, 68% in UK, 75% in Germany, 80% in Japan and 96% in South Korea. Almost half of Indian employers find it difficult to fill jobs and a similar proportion of employed youth suffer from some degree of skill deprivation. By 2050, India will be home to more than a billion jobseekers. This means providing jobs for over 12 million new entrants annually. There is also the challenge of finding jobs for the backlog, which reached 60 million by 2014. The pace of accretion to the labour market will keep increasing, given our demographic profile and declining age-dependency ratio. Our working age population (15-64 years) will peak in 2050 and till then pressures for jobs will only become worse. We need a wake-up call and more concerted efforts towards large-scale skill development and training. We may have a situation of too few high-skill workers and not enough jobs for medium or low-skill workers. This needs to be rectified by adjusting the education and skilling system to ready ourselves for the jobs of tomorrow. Article Source: http://www.firstpost.com/business/skill-deprivation-education-alone-wont-guarantee-a-job-in-demand-skills-need-of-hour-3020568.html
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by Apoorva Shankar

08 Nov'16
Why The Growth Of Higher Education In India Hinges On The Private Sector

5.13K+

Why The Growth Of Higher Education In India Hinges On The Private Sector

For the sake of simplicity, let’s say that the public sector’s role in education can be identified as a three-fold one. Firstly, it is tasked with universalizing access to education. Its next responsibility would be to regulate the sector and finally, to ensure quality education for all. In the context of the access provider role, estimates show that just in terms of physical infrastructure, more than a US $100 billion spends would be required in higher education alone, to double enrollment, from where it stands today (24%). Where regulation is concerned, bodies such as the University Grants Commission (UGC) and other higher education regulators are in-charge but leave much to be desired in terms of quality checks and monitoring, accreditation, etc. In fact, the UGC merely acts as a grants disbursing body now for universities and colleges, rather than a regulator. This is despite the fact that about 16% of the Ministry’s budget (2016-17) was allocated to UGC. Regarding quality, the government struggles to set standards and measure outcomes. Accreditation in the country is irregular and sub-optimal. In addition, unlike school education, where a certain level of learning outcomes may be gauged, this is difficult to do in higher education – especially assessing employability of a student post completing such education. So is there a role the government should prioritise? Further, because the government is entrusted with these roles, does it necessarily mean that they are its exclusive mandate? Or should the government act as an enabler and allow external participation if it means better execution and a higher success rate? The education and training industry is extremely large today and has strong further growth potential. With total educational spending of $2.7 trillion, the industry accounted for about 4.25% of the world’s GDP in 2010. In India alone, the spending on education and skilling has touched approximately Rs 74,000 crore. This may seem like a daunting figure but is still not sufficient. India spends about 4% of its GDP on all of education (about 1% on higher education), whereas globally the minimum recommended expenditure on education is 6% of GDP. Most of the public expenditure on higher education is used upon salaries and maintaining existing institutions, leaving very little to be spent on curriculum, research, and technology. However, spending on education still has enormous scaling to do and this is where the private sector comes in. Private players will have opportunities from rising demand in segments not well covered by the public education system (like adult education and vocational training). They bring in additional capital and are able to make huge investments, especially when government spending is insufficient and results in substantial infrastructure and investment deficit. For instance, the government had set a target of achieving a 30% enrolment ratio in higher education by 2020. The enrolment ratio currently is 24%. Judging by historical trends, and the current pace of rising enrolments, this target seems difficult to achieve. We may need a better, plan to succeed. Plus, the demand for higher education is only set to accelerate with growing population, higher enrolment as well as retention of students in schools. The private sector could play a crucial role in plugging these gaps and matching demand. In fact, it is already capturing the market in a big way, as can be seen in the adjacent graph. Enrolment in, and share of, private higher education institutions has surpassed that of government institutions (data as on 2013). Even the online education market in India expected to grow to US $40 billion by as soon as 2017. Unlike the education sector, which is legally mandated to operate on a not-for-profit basis, for-profit skill training institutes can be set up. This, coupled with initiatives of the National Skill Development Corporation, has encouraged the private sector to set up vocational training institutes. Corporate interest has also increased in the skill development space because of the benefits that accrue to businesses themselves, in the form of adequately trained manpower as a ready pool for future hiring. Majority of institutions offering professional disciplines are now in the private sector. There is a tendency of the public sector to view the private sector’s involvement in the education space with scepticism. But the private sector is necessary because of its ability to match industry demand for superior skilled manpower. It supplements infrastructure, facilities, technology and pedagogy and has an added advantage of escaping bureaucratic control and retaining autonomy to a large extent. Private players often collaborate with reputed international universities for faculty and other benefits which can be attractive to prospective students. They are also heavily investing in research-based education. As consumers of skilled manpower as well, the private sector is in a position to understand what type of skill training is to be imparted, and eventually benefit from it. This makes skill-training more efficient and effective. All three education-related roles of the government are equally important. However, while regulation should remain outside the purview of the private sector, nothing should stop them from assisting the public sector in maximising enrolments and improving quality of education. Public needs to work with private and create a level-playing field, in order to uplift the overall quality of education. Article Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.in/mayank-kumar/why-the-growth-of-higher-education-in-india-hinges-on-the-privat/
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by Apoorva Shankar

08 Nov'16