Time to focus on learning outcomes and graduate employability

education

Dynamic global job markets today have drawn unprecedented attention from governments, education institutes and student bodies across the world. Large scale automation and the on-going pandemic have led to mass unemployment. The current skill gap that exists between the skills learnt after graduating and the skillset required by employers is widening. Traditional learning and teaching models need to be constantly upgraded to cater to the changing needs of the global markets. The growing shift towards outcome based education requires a complete overhaul of the education system. Institutes globally are investing heavily to revamp their teaching methodology and restructure testing formats to cater to this growing demand from employers.

Cross border partnerships and collaborations between industry, government and academic institutes are on the rise to re-think and re-engineer curriculum development to match the current demands of the job markets.

Leading edtech platforms are focused on bridging the skill gap to increase graduate employability rates by empowering academic institutes with key insights and data. "With the edmissions alumni portal, we introduced prospective students across the world to our '5-F' course and campus review system which allows alumni and current students to share their first hand experiences pre, during and post their program completion. One of the key rating factors is based on 'future' which allows alumni to share their honest and unbiased feedback about their personal experiences after completing their program on key aspects like employability, time to find their first full time job post program completion, co-op and internship opportunities during studies and so on" stated Mehrab Grewal, co-founder of edmissions, an edtech startup focused on democratising access to international higher education for students across the globe. This continuous feedback loop powered with real time data and predictive analytics is made available to academic institutes via their AI powered college portal with powerful and advanced insights to improve outcomes for students on campus.

A growing emphasis towards program delivery structures and teaching methodology is taking centre stage at global conferences to meet industry expectations. Newer teaching formats like blended and hybrid learning are on the rise that leverage technology and make learning more accessible, while also maintaining the critical offline elements of the curriculum. As per Ravin Sandhu, co-founder of edmissions, another key factor of the edmissions '5-F' review system is focussed on the institute's faculty "current students and global alumni can now comment on their learning experiences during and post their program, this allows prospective students to get an in-depth understanding of how the program is run on campus, teaching methodology, testing formats and learning outcomes''. Clearly defined program specific outcomes make it easier for students to make a well educated choice when choosing a program to study. "We put special emphasis on promoting programs that focus on skill based learning, programs that offer the right balance of theory and practical learning along with programs that offer co-op opportunities to students" added Ravin Sandhu.

Such tech powered additions to the college's arsenal are ensuring that steps are being taken in the right direction to ensure higher student satisfaction rates. Improving program learning outcomes with innovative evidence and competency based learning could also significantly improve student retention rates across campuses globally.

"Arming the institutes with the most powerful data at the right time with actionable real time suggestions is what sets us apart. We work very closely with employers and institutes to analyse the skill gaps that currently exist. Our aim is to empower students with the right skills to remain competitive in today's dynamic workplace. We are already jointly working with leading academia to create upskilling programs in our mission to build a future where no skill gaps exist" said Mehrab Grewal.

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