The rate of change around the globe is faster than we could have expected. Entrepreneurs and technologists are driving this revolution. Not only has new technology compelled a shift in the behavior of consumers who use this technology, but also of the producers who create these technologies. There is an urgent need for a new breed of adaptable technologists in this rapidly changing environment. Graduates of engineering schools around the world can no longer assume employment security by adhering to past practices. They must adapt rapidly to the rapidly changing environment.
More than 80 percent of engineering college graduates are unqualified for engineering professions, according to numerous publications and studies. Employers identify various deficiencies among students, the most obvious being: – Lack of basic technical knowledge, lack of hands-on experience, ineffective communication, and lack of practical aptitude. Although this issue has existed for more than a decade, the country’s school system has failed to address it, and it has now become a cancer.
The number of engineering colleges and the number of engineering graduates graduating from these institutions have expanded exponentially over the past decade, which is positive given the rising need for engineering positions. The deterioration of quality among these engineering graduates is undesirable. Even the nation’s most prestigious engineering schools employ faculty who have never worked in a company. They themselves lack practical experience with the technologies they teach. It would be silly to expect these colleges to provide higher results.
The emergence of cutting-edge technology such as Automation, Artificial Intelligence, and Machine Learning is an additional important issue of concern for our young graduates. Using the aforementioned technologies, the bulk of jobs performed by persons may now be automated, reducing the need for businesses to hire personnel.
According to the projections, 70% of existing engineering positions would evaporate within the next five years. This trend is projected to continue, since the need for data scientists has surged by 400% over the past year alone. Graduates of Machine Learning programs, Game developers, and User Experience designers are some of the fastest-growing technical career areas. Thus, the true issue is not that there are not enough jobs on the market, but rather that there are not enough individuals who are qualified for the newly generated employment. Even our finest engineering schools have failed to successfully address this issue.
The problem of a dearth of employable young graduates is enormous, necessitating a multifaceted response. It must begin with raising awareness among parents and students, who must realize that a B.Tech degree does not guarantee employment. Even if they are enrolling in one of the top engineering schools, their education will not be adequate to make them employable.
It is time for parents and students to start asking the right questions of engineering colleges, such as what is their “Return on Investment” from the college, do they offer a 100% job guarantee after graduation, what kind of jobs they will be offered, is there a specialization that comes with the B Tech degree, etc. Education Institutions and businesses must be held accountable not just for the quantity of engineering employment their graduates secure, but also for the quality of engineering jobs.
The second component of the solution is the necessity to combine technologists and educators. We require professors who are intelligent and have immersed themselves in technology. We require a curriculum that is of the highest caliber and very relevant to contemporary engineering positions. Curriculum validated by technologists and taught by professionals with prior experience in the respective disciplines.
A curriculum that focuses on making students proficient in technology and specializing them in a profession, as opposed to simply teaching them theoretical principles. Beyond the classrooms of engineering schools, education must delve deeply into how businesses operate. Students are required to visit a large number of organizations and speak with a large number of CEOs and HR professionals in order to comprehend what these individuals are seeking in candidates and how they may prepare for it.
Students must complete projects that are relevant to the engineering job market. They must focus not just on technology, but also on general growth, which helps them build communication and analytical skills. Finally, a program that accepts responsibility and offers a premium category to students, which reflects its dedication to providing the highest quality education.
Education must encourage children to reach for the stars, encourage them to ask questions, and guide them in the correct direction. Our next generation will have a very bad future until our education system and engineering schools listen to this call for change.