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The employability challenge
AIMA to introduce test to improve employability of business graduates Vandana Ramnani Reports
In an attempt to bridge the gap between management education and employability in India, the All India Management Association (AIMA) plans to introduce a new test across business schools.
“We are looking at introducing a new test across business schools which students can take after the first or second year. This test could serve as a barometer for the corporates to judge the employability of candidates and help B schools and corporates find a common platform,” says Rekha Sethi, Director General, AIMA, adding that the association was currently in the process of getting responses from the corporates.
AIMA will hold the MAT entrance exam online in the first week of September, becoming the first organisation to do so. “We are holding the first computer based test this month. However, this would be in the dual mode as we want it to be accessible to everybody,” she said.
Earlier this year, the organisation conducted RMAT (for 300 students) for reseach scholars and UCAT (for 2000 students) for undergraduates through the online mode.
It also plans to introduce niche courses to train people to be effective managers in the public sector, local government, municipalities and in setting up and running of physical and social infrastructure.
“The idea is to look beyond retail and marketing. The first such course on financial management will be launched in the January session,” she said, adding this will be both in the distance education and e-learning mode.
AIMA has recently constituted a high profile task force chaired by Sudhir Jalan and co-chaired by Sanjiv Goenka that has already looked into the demand for new, niche courses in management. Thanks to the Commonwealth Games, huge investment, both public and private is being made on building physical infrastructure. Implementation such large projects would create huge demand for trained skilled personnel. “The country will need people who can execute and run these projects,” added Sethi.
