A large section of engineering graduates in the State are deemed unemployable by the industry.
A trust deficit between educational institutions and industrial houses hindered these graduates’ recruitment, according to M. Sivasankar, Secretary, Department of Electronics and Information Technology.
He was delivering a talk on the topic ‘Effective Engagements between Industry and Educational Institutions’ organised in connection with ‘Green Room’, a Start-Up-SME conclave organised by the Mar Baselios College of Engineering and Technology. Mr. Sivasankar said stakeholders had been unable to come up with solutions to address the problem.
“Despite predicting a host of changes in science and technology, the industry has been unable to pinpoint the set of skills required for students to improve their employability. Efforts made by the ICT Academy of Kerala, a social enterprise supported by the Central and State governments, in evolving a way forward has also been unsuccessful,” he said.
The engagement of academic institutions with the industry has not been effective beyond a certain point. At the same time, they have begun to collaborate to encourage innovation and entrepreneurship to a certain extent. This has been made possible by a mindset makeover of the institutions.
Kudumbasree’s voice
At a panel discussion, former Kudumbasree executive director K.B. Valsalakumari said the women empowerment and poverty eradication programme could not make much progress in marketing of food and other products. Lack of technical expertise in packaging and marketing products had been a hindrance for Kudumbasree.
Federal Bank chief operating officer Shalini Warrier lamented that the country has been unable to realise its innovation potential due to various factors. This could be partly attributed to a fragmented innovation ecosystem.
