An ideal platform

Updated on: Monday, October 26, 2009

Employers vouch for it. Survey findings are a clear pointer to it and the priority accorded to it in the job market is a testimony to its usefulness. The reference is to effective communication skills which has emerged as a standard tool to assess one’s employability or the lack of it.

Poor communication and soft skills are proving to be a stumbling block for thousands of students to realise their aspirations of securing employment in a competitive job market.

For, most of the job opportunities that are opening up in the post-liberalisation era in the country invariably require the candidates to possess good communication skills in English, knowledge about current affairs, ability to express an opinion coge ntly, and other applied skills including business presentation.

The Hindu’s EducationPlus Club initiative is an effort aimed at helping the students become more job-ready by the time they graduate from their colleges. Essentially, it is a programme that seeks to bridge the gap between the students and the opportunity for employment.

The EducationPlus Clubs can serve as a platform for students to get together, interact informally, give each other the opportunity to practice writing and debating in English, overcome stage fear, build confidence, and acquire the ability to collect and retain information that can bring about an all-round improvement in their personality.

Far from being a rigorous training module, the initiative has been conceived in a manner that enables the students to cultivate the vital communication and soft skills through enjoyment and fun.

Interested educational institutions should identify students keen on acquiring communication skills and form an EducationPlus Club. The activities of the club should be held for about 30 to 40 minutes every day, six days a week. Each student should get a turn to speak, write or participate in the activities.

It is important for the institution to identify a moderator, preferably among their faculty, who has a passion for communication and related soft skills to act as mentor for the club.
Modules

The club schedule featuring a range of exciting activities combining learning with fun will be carried in the EducationPlus supplement of The Hindu every Monday. The activity modules are prepared exclusively for The Hindu EducationPlus Club by Skillspark, an employability assessment company with an in-depth understanding of the needs of the industry.

The activities will be focused on a particular theme and the students will participate in games, discussions, debates, play-acting, writing and other creative activities.

An ideal platform

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