Anushruti Singh
As India accelerates its Skill India mission under the Union Budget, questions arise about the adequacy of funding and focus on addressing the nation’s employability gap.
Prof. Supriya Pattanayak, Vice Chancellor of Centurion University, Odisha, provides valuable insights into the evolving skilling ecosystem, the systemic gaps in public-private partnerships, and the university’s innovative curriculum tailored for future industry needs. From hands-on learning to integrating real-world challenges, Centurion University is setting the stage for students to become job creators rather than seekers. Professor Pattanayak highlights the importance of aligning education with emerging trends in technology and MSME requirements, ensuring that India’s youth are equipped for Industry 5.0 and beyond.
Edited Excerpts:
With India’s push for ‘Skill India’ under the Union Budget, do you think the funding and focus are adequate to address the employability gap?
The previous Union Budget truly pushed Skill India, allocating ample funds for infrastructure and training the youth. With special funds for internships and training, it is a welcome move that will help students get decent pay immediately after they pass out and help them to be trained under experts. It sounds great; however, we must look at skilling the youth in fields that will be in demand in the future. People are not even thinking of courses such as smart agriculture, horticulture, fisheries management, fin-tech, etc. Grey collar jobs such as plumbers and electricians will still be in demand as they cannot be replaced by technology.
Globally, the IT industry has seen a slowdown in the hiring of freshers by 30 per cent Thus large-scale recruitment in this sector will go down. People need to re-think niche areas as jobs are being done by AI. We will have to train a small batch of students for skills like AR-VR, AI-ML and Blockchain, who will then be able to turn it into small scale start-ups. With funds being utilised for such futuristic courses and training students, we will be able to address the employability gap.
What are the systemic gaps in PPPs for education that need to be addressed in upcoming Union Budgets?
Public Private Partnership Programmes often help students get better insights into the workings of the industry. So, a company partnering a university to start a course and giving 100 per cent placement, will ultimately benefit students. We already have programmes like PM Kaushal Kendra and PM Kaushal Vikas Yojana that help the students upskill themselves. There are newer partnerships coming up. Ashok Leyland gives BS4 6 standard cut section of engines, truly partnering for learning and research. With up to 40 credits for such courses, students get hands on training of what they can expect when they join, preparing them for Industry 5.0.
How does CUTM’s curriculum ensure that students acquire skills that align with industry needs, particularly for MSMEs?
Centurion University has manufacturing unit setups to make precision components for ISRO, DRDO, HAL, recycled paper, transformers, apparel, e-rickshaws, pavers, diafit rice, furniture, pens and more. Action Learning labs custom made for different industries enable students to get hands on training of the process. Students passing out can set up their own MSMEs and become entrepreneurs rather than job seekers. Keeping the needs of the future in mind, we have launched niche programmes. Students will need to be well versed with Blockchain, AR-VR, AI-ML, Robotics in the future. Thus, we are teaching small batches instead of mass training. We are also identifying newer avenues such as cyber security. We believe in training fewer students but training them well, so that they can become an asset to MSMEs.
Are Indian education policies and budgets evolving fast enough to keep up with the rapid technological changes needed in skill-based education?
While a lot is being done, there is much more that is needed. For instance, in the future, keeping in view the growing population, we will need more doctors and paramedics. We will need students to be well versed with technology. A course that will be in high demand is Bio Medical Engineering, and currently we hardly have any colleges offering such courses. Thus, we will have to stay abreast with the changing times and cater to the needs of the present as well as the future.
What specific initiatives has CUTM undertaken to integrate real-world industry problems into its education model?
With 120 skill courses and 45 domain specialisations, Centurion University provides students with a wide range of options. Students can practise and get accustomed to modern technology in more than 50 industry-sponsored labs, preparing them for the workforce by the end of the course. Students are trained in industrial facilities, and Live Labs give them practical experience. For instance, in an agriculture course, students study farming as an enterprise in which the farmer takes on the role of entrepreneur. The curriculum introduces them to appropriate and practical technologies, including drone spraying, tissue culture, automation, polyhouses, and precision agriculture. We also get use cases from the industry to research upon, enabling students to learn through experience.
How can institutions like CUTM create an ecosystem where industry, academia, and policymakers collaborate to address India’s skill gap effectively?
We have our own limitations. We can contribute a lot more when we get the support. For this, policymakers and universities need to come on a common platform.
What are the barriers MSMEs face in accessing skilled talent? What are the challenges in equipping MSMEs with tech-trained professionals?
MSMEs are a bit of a misnomer. They are governed by turnovers. Medium and small enterprises don’t face much of an issue. Whereas micro industries and start-ups struggle. To overcome this, we need people trained in niche skills. With hands on training, we are creating a workforce that will be an asset to the industry they step into. Universities like ours can be tasked with training students who will ultimately benefit MSMEs.
