Focussing on the urgent need to bridge the gap between institutional learning and corporate expectations, uKnowva conducted a panel discussion on “Decoding the gaps in Corporate expectations vs Available Talent Pool from campuses”. It was joined by key industry leaders like Ranu Parwal (Founder of Acura Solutions & SkillConnect.in), Varda Pendse (Independent Consultant), Neelam Sanguri (Head of Human Resources and Training Academy at Credillo), Sunil Kabra (Director at Ace Human Capital) and Vicky Jain (Founder and CEO of uKnowva) on 17th September.
The event was hosted by Bistriti Poddar, Chief Communications Officer (CCO) of uKnowva. The panel discussion was aimed at guiding the graduates who are looking for jobs but are not getting the right opportunities due to this gap in Institutional Learning and Corporate Expectations.
When asked about the challenges that companies continue to face when hiring freshers, Varda Pendse highlighted a gap in the translation of skills to the job at hand comes up first. Organizations are finding it difficult to get the right candidates with the required skillsets for certain professions. Three in four employers globally report difficulty finding the talent they need in 2022.
Simultaneously, Neelam Sanguri pointed out that as Gen Z enters a volatile yet dynamic job market, cognitive skills and soft skills become essential. In addition, organisations demand talent that is determined, resilient, and delivers on their expectations while being ready to learn and unlearn in the face of evolving skill demands.
“We often hear from many recruiters that there is a huge gap in what we require from the freshers and what is taught to them. This panel discussion was aimed at solving this problem of recruiters and people looking for jobs by providing insights, lessons learned, and best practices from industry experts. With the present generation actively seeking passion in their jobs, institutes need to align student aspirations with employment for more significant results. Moreover, these campuses must create curricula with the foresight to meet the talent needs of particular sectors and industries.
At the same time, once organisations zero in on their campus partner of choice, relationships with students and faculty need to be built much before the placement stage to create a ready talent pipeline aware of the organisation’s culture, values, and ambitions. Learner readiness is a key ask at the workplace today, and this attribute has to be accompanied by core skills already gained at campus. Internships are another important aspect for students to understand & implement the knowledge they are taught in their respective courses or degree.
A practical work background carries a major significance when attempting to enter the job market. In today’s talent market, the attitude, mindset, creativity, and ambition combined with experience make a fresher stand apart. And while companies are setting their expectations when it comes to hiring, finding such talent will require them to collaborate with the central source, which is educational institutes and organisations that offer the in-demand skills. I would like to thank all the panelists for joining this discussion and helping the people out there with their insights” said Mr. Vicky Jain, Founder & CEO, uKnowva – 360 Degree HRMS.
uKnowva organizes such panel discussions every month to guide the CHROs and make them strategic partners of their CEOs.