How job-linked learning can fix India’s talent gap
This article is authored by Harkunwar Singh, CEO & co-founder, Novatr.
India is at an important turning point. Over 65% of its population is under the age of 35, making it one of the youngest countries in the world. However, even with millions of graduates each year, companies continue to struggle to find job-ready talent. India’s Graduate Skill Index 2025 report by Mercer Mettl states that only 42.6% of Indian graduates are considered employable according to current industry standards. This highlights a serious gap between education and industry needs.
The issue is not talent or ambition - the problem runs deeper: it is outdated curricula and limited hands-on training. While colleges follow traditional courses, industries are rapidly changing due to automation, digital transformation, and global competition. As a result, multiple graduates enter the workforce without the technical knowledge required to navigate the workplace. This mismatch also leads to companies spending heavily on training new hires, graduates struggling to find suitable jobs and lower productivity and slower innovation.
This demonstrates that the problem extends beyond education and has wider economic implications. Job-linked degree programmes connect education directly to specific job roles. They help students clearly understand how their studies translate into employment opportunities. These programmes typically include:
- Industry-designed curricula
- Paid internships or apprenticeships
- Certifications aligned with real job demand
- Skill-based evaluations
- Strong employer partnerships and placement accountability
Instead of focusing solely on degrees, this model emphasises skills and outcomes, ensuring that graduates are better equipped for real-world roles. For these programmes to work, companies must do more than just hire graduates. They must actively participate in shaping the learning process and contribute to the training of future talent. Industry can help develop course content, offer live projects, provide internships, train faculty and commit to hiring benchmarks.
{{/usCountry}}Instead of focusing solely on degrees, this model emphasises skills and outcomes, ensuring that graduates are better equipped for real-world roles. For these programmes to work, companies must do more than just hire graduates. They must actively participate in shaping the learning process and contribute to the training of future talent. Industry can help develop course content, offer live projects, provide internships, train faculty and commit to hiring benchmarks.
{{/usCountry}}Indeed, India’s National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 encourages internships and skill-based learning, but meaningful impact will require sustained collaboration between academia and industry. For job-linked education to truly succeed, both systems and incentives must change. This also requires rethinking how educational success is measured. Success should not be measured by enrollment numbers alone. Instead, institutions should be evaluated based on career growth after two to three years of course completion, employer satisfaction - based on student industry readiness and knowledge, job placement rates and starting salary packages.
{{/usCountry}}Indeed, India’s National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 encourages internships and skill-based learning, but meaningful impact will require sustained collaboration between academia and industry. For job-linked education to truly succeed, both systems and incentives must change. This also requires rethinking how educational success is measured. Success should not be measured by enrollment numbers alone. Instead, institutions should be evaluated based on career growth after two to three years of course completion, employer satisfaction - based on student industry readiness and knowledge, job placement rates and starting salary packages.
{{/usCountry}}When funding and rankings are linked to career outcomes, institutions will focus more on employability. Beyond curriculum design and industry participation, technology is also playing an increasingly important role in making job-linked learning scalable. Technology makes job-linked programmes more flexible and scalable. Professionals can earn micro-credentials and certifications in areas like AI, green energy, cybersecurity, and advanced manufacturing without leaving their jobs. To make this system work nationwide, India needs standardised certifications, strong skill validation mechanisms and alignment with national skills frameworks.
This creates a common language for hiring and upskilling. To scale job-linked programmes, India needs policy support for apprenticeships, tax incentives for industry-academia partnerships, flexible credit transfer systems and state-level skill councils aligned with local industries. India already has the talent. The focus now should be on making that talent job-ready.
Closing the gap between education and employment is everyone’s responsibility. Universities must be flexible and industry-aligned. Employers must invest in long-term talent development. Policymakers must enable supportive regulations. Students must focus on skill-building, not just degrees. India’s young population can drive economic growth - but only if education and employment are aligned. Job-linked degree programmes offer a practical solution to bridge that gap.
(The views expressed are personal)
This article is authored by Harkunwar Singh, CEO & co-founder, Novatr.
