Why are we not putting a restriction on the number of engineering colleges that are opening up?

n a recent interview between Nirmala Sitharaman and Think School, several critical issues were brought to light regarding the rapid increase in the number of engineering colleges and the skill gap in the industry.

It's not just about the money parents invest, but also the years students waste, ending up disappointed with their lack of real-life skills.

The Skill Gap and the Proliferation of Engineering Colleges

Ganeshprasad Sridharan: Sixty percent of our ITI students and more than seventy-five percent of our Polytechnic students are unemployable. I have been a perfect witness to this transition because ten years ago, I was in college.

I was that student who thought I would find a great job after college, but by the end, I realized I didn’t know anything relevant to the industry. Now, ten years later, as someone who recruits engineers, I see the same problem.

Students are reading outdated textbooks and concepts, and they lack relevant industry knowledge. So, how are we solving this problem for the middle of the pyramid—our engineers and management students?

Nirmala Sitharaman : First, it's crucial for individuals to recognize when something isn't working for them and to find a different path. This isn't to say it's not part of the government's responsibility, but personal drive is essential.

How do you get your mojo back? Once you identify that you don't have your mojo in a particular area, you need to figure out what to do to acquire it. Online or offline courses can help you equip yourself better.

Second, peer group learning has been beneficial historically, but today, people often rely on their mobiles instead of real peers. Peers are those who can sit with you and help you identify what’s missing in your knowledge. Such interactions are becoming rare.

Third, regarding the ITIs, it is true that many students lack the necessary skills after college. This issue is significant and requires attention.

And purely out of curiosity, why don't we just put a restriction on the number of engineering colleges that are opening up? ‍

To be honest, in Pune, there are colleges that have been set up merely for the sake of making money.

The professors are incompetent, and they excel only in marketing. Students and parents from faraway villages come to these colleges, where a sales team convinces them with promises of 4.5 to 6.5 lakh packages.

Eventually, after four years and often taking education loans, these students are unable to find jobs.

This points to a larger problem. To a foreign investor, 1.3 million engineers graduating each year seems like a goldmine, especially with low labor costs. But when they see the actual quality of our engineers, they realize most of them are not engineers at all.

This dents the country's reputation and reveals that many engineering colleges are just namesakes.

With better center-state coordination, can we curb the expansion of such engineering institutes and ensure that the supply of engineers is of concrete quality? Those who don’t meet the standards could find other paths rather than being deceived by false promises.

Nirmala Sitharaman: Absolutely, this is a critical question and an issue that is festering. Many who borrow money with hopes for their children’s futures are shattered.

Quality-less infrastructure and faculty-less programs have hurt the sector. The example cited of Pune is also applicable in many parts of southern states, where engineering colleges lie as huge concrete monsters with nothing substantial inside.

There must be a lot more vigilance and compliance with standards in this matter.

Furthermore, there is a clear disconnect between the qualifications students acquire, the education levels they reach, and the kinds of jobs available. Jobs and the skill sets they require don't seem to matter in higher education centers.

I've heard big companies say that a properly qualified engineer is recruited, but almost six months goes into making them job-fit. It's an investment for the company, and why should they have to do it?

The qualifications people obtain are still not up to the industry's requirements. Many companies, especially medium and small ones, can't afford to invest in training because after six months of training, there's no guarantee the employee will stay.

The considerations for industry are becoming so difficult that youth who believe they are job-ready upon graduation find it hard to accept that they are not.

The question here is, what are we doing about it? Are we accepting the same standards of education?

Are we preparing the students for the same colleges? How many students can afford to be in the premium colleges? If students are not learning relevant skills that can make them employable, what are parents going to do?

If we know clearly this is how the future looks, why shouldn't parents take charge and help their kids find their interests and train in them instead of waiting for the curriculum to change?

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