Industry perspectives on skill development and technical education

In today’s fast-evolving job market, aligning skill development and technical education with industry needs has become crucial for creating a sustainable workforce. Industry leaders recognize the urgent need to transform technical education through focused skill-building initiatives and collaborative strategies.

In this video, Dr. Madhuri Dubey, Founder-Director of NSN, engages with:

• Mr. Vishwanath Kamath, Managing Director, Fronius India
• Ms. Vidya Basarkod, Managing Director, Ramboll India
• Mr. Sai Krishna Rao, Sr. General Manager, Education Field Services, Schneider Electric

This discussion emphasizes perspectives on enhancing skilling opportunities at the ITI, diploma, and engineering levels, with particular attention to introducing STEM subjects for women, integrating apprenticeships and internships, upgrading curriculum, and promoting teacher training. Industry-academia partnerships, especially through green initiatives, are seen as pivotal to ensuring that students acquire the hands-on experience and practical skills necessary to succeed in the workforce.

Here are some of the highlights from the interview. To watch the full video, please visit our YouTube channel.

Q. How do you see industry-driven skilling and education evolving and being adopted in India in the coming years?

Ms. Vidya Basarkod: From my experience, I see the need to align academic curriculum more closely with the future demands of industry, especially within civil engineering. Over the years, the range of professions has expanded beyond the few traditional paths, making it essential for students to gain a foundational understanding of diverse fields early on. Additionally, evolving industry challenges; such as climate change, resilient infrastructure, disaster management, and the green transition; require a new set of skills that only industry can adequately impart.

The industry’s future is closely linked with the education sector, making us key stakeholders who must invest time, resources, and expertise into developing the next generation of skilled professionals. In India, there is often a gap between graduates’ skills and industry requirements. Therefore, it’s our responsibility to actively engage with students, guiding them on the skills needed to thrive in tomorrow’s workforce. I believe in providing education that is industry-aligned, combining it with vocational training to meet these demands.

Mr. Vishwanath Kamath: I represent Fronius in India, an Austria based company, particularly well-regarded for its expertise in welding. By addressing the integration of skill-based education, I believe that when students understand the real-world outcomes of their studies, learning becomes more engaging and purposeful. For instance, many young people aspire to careers they see represented in media, like sports or acting, but they rarely consider careers in industry, as they lack exposure to such environments at a formative age.

To bridge this gap, industries should offer early exposure opportunities, such as summer visits to manufacturing sites, for students aged 14 to 16. By experiencing and visiting industries like automotive or manufacturing firsthand, students can better understand how subjects like engineering, physics, and chemistry translate to real-world applications, sparking genuine interest and making their studies feel more relevant and rewarding.

Mr. Sai Krishna Rao: I represent Schneider Electric and we are dedicated to transforming the technical education landscape in India by developing an industry-aligned curriculum. Since establishing our Education Equipment Services group in 2019, we have focused on bridging the gap between theoretical knowledge and practical skills to meet the growing demand for work-ready, tech-savvy graduates.

Over the past six years, we have observed significant disruptions in education, primarily due to the traditional emphasis on theoretical learning without adequate applied training. Educational institutions face challenges such as high costs and slow regulatory adaptations, especially when integrating emerging technologies like IoT and analytics. This has resulted in declining enrollments in core fields like electrical and mechanical engineering, prompting some institutions to reconsider offering these programs altogether.

To address these challenges, we are collaborating with government bodies and major industries to revamp India’s skilling ecosystem. Initiatives include upgrading ITIs, establishing skill universities, and setting up specialized skill centers in partnership with leading corporations. Also, international funding from organizations like the World Bank is supporting these skilling initiatives. We anticipate that by 2026, there will be a more unified and structured approach as government, academia, and industry align their efforts. This convergence will create a collaborative framework that effectively prepares India’s workforce to meet emerging technological demands, ensuring sustained growth and innovation in the technical education sector.

Q. What are two key actions that can strengthen STEM initiatives to attract more young women in civil engineering, particularly by focusing on practical skills and problem-solving?

Ms. Vidya Basarkod: I spend a significant amount of my time engaging with young people, showing them the importance of being future-ready, especially in fields like STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics). To inspire young women, we bring them to our offices and project sites to give them a firsthand experience of what being an engineer entails.

Seeing large-scale projects like the Noida airport or the Mumbai coastal road excites them, helping them understand their role in nation-building. I also share my journey, coming from a humble background, to show them that despite challenges, they too can succeed in STEM. We emphasize that engineering isn’t the only path; there are also essential roles in finance, HR, and IT that contribute to these projects.

We also showcase female role models within our organization who have excelled, demonstrating that success in STEM is achievable regardless of background. On a practical level, we offer training and internships on advanced software, allowing young interns to work on dummy or completed projects under the guidance of mentors.

This hands-on approach helps them gain confidence in their skills, equipping them for both domestic and international projects. This training model can be an actionable example for others aiming to promote STEM and empower young women in technical fields.

Q. How can industry help sensitize students to emerging technologies, and what are the actionable steps to implement?

Mr. Vishwanath Kamath: We need to change the perception around blue-collar jobs like welding. These professions must be made more appealing to make them appealing to younger generations. Just as sports and other careers, welding should also be showcased in media to attract attention.

The advancements in technology, such as robotic welding and automated manufacturing, have reduced the need for manual intervention, making these careers more attractive. It’s essential to raise awareness about these modern, tech-driven skill sets to help bridge the skills gap.

And, we are working with private colleges to make welding a more desirable profession. We provide free education to students from various backgrounds, including those from economically disadvantaged areas. Over the past year, we’ve placed 135 students in reputable industries, including major companies like Volkswagen and Larsen and Toubro. What’s encouraging is that 24 of these placements are women. This initiative focuses on passion and determination over formal qualifications, ensuring that individuals can become employable and skilled professionals, regardless of their educational background.

Q. How do you perceive the current ITI curriculum and the government’s initiative to modernize ITIs through the hub-and-spoke model, in terms of industry-academia alignment?

Mr. Sai Krishna Rao: For the current ITI curriculum, there is a noticeable gap in the practical application of core engineering concepts. For example, students in electrical engineering often lack hands-on experience with basic equipment like contactors or motor starter circuits, which are essential in the industry.

As industries evolve, with the convergence of IoT technologies and electrical engineering, it’s crucial to integrate more application-oriented learning into the curriculum. The focus should shift towards energy conservation, digitization, and analytics, which would inspire students to participate in the energy transition and attract them to core engineering sectors rather than the IT industry.

Moreover, faculty awareness and development are vital in this transformation. Faculty need to be well-versed in emerging technologies to guide students effectively. And collaborating with the government, who is highly committed to these changes, and setting up technology centers in academic institutions can make the sector more aspirational for students. Ultimately, the goal is to create a shift in how students perceive core engineering industries, emphasizing the exciting, future-driven opportunities in sectors like energy optimization and conservation.

Also read: Sustainable Industry-Academia Partnerships for Skill Education in India

Q. Please share a few suggestions for embedding sustainability and green practices into apprenticeships, internships, curriculum, or trainer training in educational institutions.

Ms. Vidya Basarkod: At Ramboll, we make carbon calculation training mandatory for all new employees as part of their onboarding process. I believe this should be adopted by colleges and institutions as well. Everyone should be trained on the fundamentals of sustainability. It is crucial India to become sustainable given our massive footprint and that people understand the carbon footprint of their actions and learn how to live in a way that supports a greener future.

Mr. Vishwanath Kamath: At Fronius, our second focus is renewable energy, particularly solar rooftop solutions. To link this to education and skill development, I believe an actionable plan is needed. It should be mandatory for all engineering, diploma, ITI, IIT, and IMS institutions to implement rooftop solar systems that generate their own electricity. This approach would help students understand that the energy they use comes from natural, renewable sources, rather than fossil fuels.

By embedding renewable energy into educational institutions, students will develop a habit of sustainability that they can carry forward into the industry. Expecting them to become renewable energy advocates without experiencing it firsthand at their institutions is challenging. Therefore, I strongly suggest that the government mandate renewable energy adoption in educational institutions. This would be a significant step toward a sustainable future.

Mr. Sai Krishna Rao: At Schneider Electric, sustainability is at the core of everything we do, and we believe it must be a critical area of learning across all fields of study, whether engineering or non-engineering. It’s crucial that every individual is educated about how to make the world sustainable, as we all have a role to play in limiting global temperature rise by 1.5°C by 2050. This cannot be left to a few; it has to be everyone’s agenda. We need to raise awareness and ensure that everyone has the knowledge and tools to contribute to this cause.

To move forward, I propose integrating sustainability-focused internships and faculty development programs across industries. These should be oriented specifically towards sustainability, creating a movement that involves all stakeholders. While renewable energy is essential, it’s equally important to focus on conserving energy and reducing demand, as energy accounts for 80% of global carbon emissions. If we educate people to reduce energy consumption, it will complement the shift towards alternative energy sources, addressing the issue more holistically. It’s time to act proactively at the grassroots level, and industry has a significant role in raising awareness across all sectors of society.