Second-rung B schools churning out unemployable graduates

Updated on: Saturday, July 24, 2010

'India, currently, is undergoing a huge metamorphosis in the education sector. Right from primary education being made compulsory and free, to the number of institutes and universities mushrooming all over the country, the Indian education system is fast gaining momentum towards effective development.

In such a scenario, it is expected that the quality of higher education that is imparted in the institutes would be undergoing a growth spurt too, and that as more institutes with more courses come up, the quality of education they offer would be top notch.

A recent study by the National Association of Software and Services Companies (NASSCOM) reveals what appears to be a sorry state of affairs. According to the report from NASSCOM, only 10 percent of graduates from B-Schools and 25 percent of graduates from MBA and engineering institutes are actually able to find suitable employment. The rest of them, the report says, are "unemployable".

The corporate world is a sector that is in a constant state of dynamism and hence, offers a wide arena of career opportunities for students who wish to make it big in the field. The current globalization and immense growth that the corporates and industrial world is going through, especially in India, is motivating more and more students to pursue a career in this field.

Most Indian students join B-schools with the hope that with an MBA degree in their hands, lucrative job opportunities would present themselves galore in their path to success. With an ever increasing number of B-schools beginning courses all over the nation, students do not have to worry about higher education in this field.

Ironically, the reality is that as the number of B-schools in India increases, their quality of education seems to be following a downward slope. This case is not true for students who have passed out of the prestigious Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) and other top notch institutes of the country.

However, for students who have graduated from second rung B-schools that claim to offer immediate placements with the top companies after graduation, it is a sad tale of empty promises by institutes and being rated unemployable by the top companies.

Being an IIM postgraduate, a student would easily be able to find a job with a starting package of over Rs.10 lakh per annum. On the contrary, graduates and postgraduates from second-tier b-schools are only able to manage finding jobs that offer them a package of around Rs.2-5 lakhs per annum.

Why do top notch companies find graduates from second-rung b-schools unemployable? The answer, quite simply is that the education sector in our country has become just another area of corporate conquest and the institutes that spring up offering a large number of courses generally do not impart the high quality of education that is required for a student to excel in the industry.

It has been found that most such new institutes that claim to offer quality education in the field generally have a faculty that has zero industry experience of their own. With the IIMs themselves facing a faculty crunch, it is not surprising that second-rung b-schools are not quite able to hire experienced faculty.

Consequentially, the graduates and postgraduates that are churned out of such institutes end up having several shortcomings that prove to be a hindrance to them finding employment. With their industry exposure narrowing down to zilch, they are immediately rejected during interviews due to their lack of some basic skills, such as, good communication skills, attitude, business ethics, confidence, general awareness, basic managerial skills, domain knowledge and work experience.

These students lack confidence and other soft skills as they have not been exposed enough by their institutes to corporate interactions in terms of industry visits, internships and guest lectures.

Also, second rung b-schools might promise students with rewarding placements at top notch companies after the completion of their graduation, but more often than not, these institutes do not have tie-ups and networking with the superior companies in the corporate world but only with mediocre ones.

With graduates from second-tier b-schools facing misery and rejection at job interviews, it is time that such institutes, which are continuing to burgeon in our nation, realize certain facts and work on improving their quality of education.

Apart from tightening up their admission procedure to admit only students with an aptitude that is suitable for a career in the corporate world, second-rung B-schools also need to boost the quality of their education by encouraging learning via case-studies, competitive situations and direct interactions with industries and experts.

Also, institutes should focus more on the managerial skills of students and honing the students through language and personality development classes in such a way that they exude confidence and are fit enough to be leaders in the cut-throat environment of the corporate sector.

Graduates and postgraduates who have passed out of second-tier b-schools and are not being able to find a suitable job should focus on developing their language skills. This is because how a candidate speaks during an interview helps form the first impression. Hence, being fluent in English as well as any other second language can act as a major plus point while seeking employment. Confidence and up-to-date knowledge of the corporate world are other areas that should be focused upon.

As we progress further into this century, the corporate world is bound to witness immense growth, as a result of which, the requirement of leaders with vision and values arises. Such individuals who can lead the corporates into a future of development and success would be needed in every sphere and level of business activity.

Hence, it is not only important, but a concern of the topmost priority that emerging institutes focus more on the quality of education that they impart so that the graduates and postgraduates that they manufacture are not deemed "unemployable" by employers.

Second-rung B schools churning out unemployable graduates

More Education news