Sunday, November 17, 2019


“Career GPS India” inaugurated for youth to pursue and decide their jods or careers, while studying!


Educated youth not getting jobs: Nowadays, though more and more professionals have been coming out of colleges and universities, they are not able to get jobs or decide about their careers. Many feel that they are not getting suitable jobs for getting degrees. In Tamilnadu alone, every year 75,000 engineers and 35,000 doctors are unemployed. Particularly, engineers, doctors, and other professionally studied students are not appointed suitably. The engineering graduates are getting salaries as low as Rs.8,000/- to 15,000/- whereas, others get more. There have been desperation, despair, and gloom in the minds of youth because od prevailing conditions. Where to go, how to pursue and when to settle in life. At the same time, it is claimed that there are jobs, but, there are no suitable candidates for the jobs vacant. People with professional qualifications such as M Tech, B Tech and MBA, postgraduates as well as graduates are in the race to bag the work of sweepers and sanitary workers in the Tamil Nadu Assembly Secretariat[1]. Many Diploma holders too are fighting it out for the posts of sweeper (10 vacancies) and sanitary worker (4 vacancies)[2]. On September 26, 2018, the Assembly Secretariat sought applications for the posts. The only qualification was that aspiring candidates should be able-bodied. The minimum age limit was 18 years completed. The maximum age differed. The Secretariat received a total of 4,607 applications, including from the Employment Exchange. In February 2019, they appeared for the examination. However, now, with the privatization, job vacancy position is hardly advertised in the dailies and vernacular newspapers, but, entertained through online applications. Here, the old dictum, “apply-apply, no reply” only happens. An intermediary group of “consultants” have appeared, and they almost do the job of broker.


Obsolescence of existing jobs: In the global economic context, it is also pointed out today is the loss or obsolescence of existing jobs due to automation and rapid changes in technology. But every change also brings with it a unique opportunity and the youth should try to understand fully to exploit. Technological progress, while making a few profiles irrelevant, has also introduced a diverse array of new roles and responsibilities which require a greater application of human creativity, analytical knowledge, and intuition. Gartner’s latest widely quoted report, which says that AI will create more jobs than it eliminates by 2020, has further underlined the positive aspects of automation in global employment[3]. However, constructive impact needs to be made in tech-space employability through a holistic vision in training to cause a significant disruption[4]. According to the Developer Skills report of an the online learning platform, there is a strong mismatch between the frameworks/ skills required by the corporate world and the ones being learned by students. Under such circumstances, “Carrer GPS India” has been inaugurated in Chennai on 16-11-2019 with the august gathering of educational experts, career councilors, professors, teachers and students with the exchange of ideas, views and experiences.


How to find your genius: Their website[5] claims that, “Each person in this world has a genius within. The kind of genius may differ. The ‘one size fits’ all education system is designed to create a crowded marketplace for the most sought after professions and institutions. Consequently, every student is plagued with a crisis of confidence, fear of failure and uncertainty of succeeding with their choice on the face of extreme competition. It is imperative that every individual identifies their abilities and assets which will be the most valuable differentiator in these changing times. With the advent of the information age and knowledge economy, the possibilities of career choice have become limitless”.


Students should chase the changes to engage in their careers: The rapidity of change that the world is witnessing not only in technology but in social economic and political areas makes a selection of careers the biggest challenge for parents as well as students. The reasons for which the streams / disciplines were selected at the end of Xth Class becomes irrelevant when the student is passing out XII. The challenges of forecasting the relevance of selected streams / disciplines have risen in recent times. Similarly, students selecting a course of study after class XII finds himself under-skilled/unsuitable/unemployable at the end of Under Graduation. The challenge to select the relevant course at the end of Class XII requires professional guidance based on scientific and empirical efforts. For this, they assure[6], “We are a team of experienced professionals for assessing guiding and counselling students and their parents to meet the challenges at the end of Xth & XII Std in terms of Subject selection and course selection respectively. Our methodology is based on both online and personal guidance / Counselling. We have a dedicated research team which catalogues and creates an extensive database for finding the right fit. Our guidance/counselling experts will utilise our research database and present the best fit for the students in terms of making selections. The rapidity of change that the world is witnessing has made career selection ever more difficult. Knowledge obsolescence and skill redundancy are the two greatest challenges before students, parents, curriculum developers, and employers. Along with these challenges has risen infinite opportunities. We also make positive interventions for guiding career switch and evaluate, incubate and finance start up ideas”.


Mrs.Sethu Lakshmi introducing CareerGPS: Today is a beautiful day to start our new venture. Career GPS will be launching today officially in the presence of various well-wishers who have been with us throughout this journey. All our guests have arrived at The Grand. To new beginnings!


Mrs. Janaka Pushpanathan is here talking on the future opportunities she the Director at British CouncilShe pointed out that the job and the career have to be understood clearly. "These life skills will equip children to solve problems, make decisions, think critically, communicate ideas effectively and work well within teams and groups. The course will include special features like digital learning, public speaking, creative writing and learning with the use of films in the class. The unique teaching methodology is task-based, focusing on real-life activities, where classes are delivered in a fun and interactive way. The specially formulated activities and engagement with a variety of media will help children gain these life skills naturally," says Janaka.


Pazhanivel Rajan, Vice principal,CEOA Metriculation Higher secondary school , Madurai: “ Be a path-breaker and do what you want. But make sure there are people watching over you.” He was using certain expressions, “reaching the unreached…….how touchables and untouchables are to be tackled in education…..” and so on. He poined out there have been many careers for youth nowadays.


Mrs.Priya S.Dikshit, Principal, Akshar Arbol International School: "Choices have consequences..when you understand this at an earlier stage, things become easier."
She runs schools with motive, “We provide the best of contemporary educational practices in an atmosphere of cooperation and mutual respect, through experiential learning, for life-long thinking and problem solving”.


Mrs.Prema Raghunath, former Vice Principal, Vidya Mandir School: "There'll always be sick people..hence doctors.. there'll always be schools..hence teachers; this was the kind of guidance before. I'm glad things are changing now through Career GPS"


Mrs. Marlene Kamdar, founder Principal of an Alternative Learning Center,The Saraswati Kendra: "There is only one thing a GPS needs to work..'YOU'..you need to set the location and use it, so all we need is you; for Career, GPS to really work"


S.Kannan, I.R.S, Principle Commissioner GST, President of CIFF: "Syllabus is the same ! everywhere, teaching pattern/style is same everywhere, what we want to do is to help every individual achieve their true dreams by breaking all norms and provide them the essentials to pursue them"


Vagul Narayanan, Padma Bhushan Awardee, former ICICI Chairman: "Learning something is not enough, understanding the practical use of what you learn and its future necessity is key." Born in a remote village in South India, he was second in a family of eight children. He studied at Ramakrishna School, Chennai and graduated from Loyola College, Madras University in the late 1950s. He joined the SBI as an officer. He served in SBI's branches in Trichi and Madras (city now renamed as Chennai) before moving to Bombay (the city now renamed as Mumbai) in the 1960s. He resigned from the SBI and took up a teaching position at the National Institute of Bank Management (NIBM). Within two years, he became its director. In 1978, he became the executive director at Central Bank of India and served for two years there. Appointed as chairman and managing director of the Bank of India in 1981, he became one of India's youngest chairman of a nationalized bank at the age of 44. He was the chairman of the Bank of India till 1984. In 1985, he was appointed as chairman and managing director of the then Industrial Credit and Investment Corporation of India (ICICI), the financial institution now known as ICICI Bank. He transformed ICICI from public financial institutions to India's largest private bank. After relinquishing executive powers in 1996, he was its non-executive chairman till 2009. He was awarded as the Business Man of the Year Award in 1991 by 'Business India’, The lifetime achievement award by the Times publications, The Economic Times Lifetime Achievement Award. Narayanan had also served as a director in many major companies of India including Wipro (since June 1997), Mahindra & Mahindra, Apollo Hospitals and Mittal steel. Narayan is also the Chairman of Give_India, one of India's NGOs. He received the award of Corporate Catalyst — Forbes Philanthropy award in 2012 for his active involvement and assisting philanthropy causes.


Major General A.Arun, Deputy Commandant and Chief Instructor of OTA: "A student who loves the subject if and only if he/she loves the teacher too. Teachers are mentors, and Career GPS is the same." He narrated as to how one Khan helped in saving a baby, old woman, but died due to t severe injuries. He explained how students should learn the fundamentals to understand any subject. For this, he started with an example from Physics where refractive index plays a role in changing colors.


Natraj I.P.S, former DGP Tami Nadu, M.L.A Mylapore Constituency: "Getting out of the Herd mentality in today's generation is very important. And Career GPS is trying to do exactly that!" He pointed out that the “CareerGPS.India” should address the parents also, as they decide the future of their children. Students should pursue their subjects with interest. In fact, Sanskrit and Hindi should be learned to understand subjects and compete with others. He also pointed out that the poor, but talented candidates should be helped.


K. Sumathi, Advocate, writer: "What one requires in any field is the drive to succeed along with the bare necessities through guidance to achieve it.. that's when Career GPS comes in" She narrated as to how her father insisted to pursue some degree and get a government job to settle down. However, she wanted to become an advocate and she refused the insistence of her father and tried hard to join the 5-years integrated law course and become an advocate.


C. P. Rao, Principal GST Commissioner: After retirement, he does Ph.D in Madras University and advised students to work hard to choose best between job and career.

What to do under current scenario?: If 100 students wish and ape for 100 different careers, none could produce jobs or careers for them in 100 fields. Similarly, that a boy or girl can opt for one or two subjects, exhibit more than one skill or talent, and want to pursue many careers, there would a dilemma, where she or he would end up. And deciding that one would be suitable only to a particular job also is dangerous, as that career can also become obsolete or outdated. Therefore, balance has to be maintained. India has 130 crores population and 3o crores unemployed youth. Even among the professional degrees candidates, 80% are jobless. This creates a lot of socio-economic issues and problems leading to civil and criminal crimes disturbing society. That the technology is changing and it has to be updated etc., cannot be a reason for giving employment to the graduates coming out every year. None could expect that they could get experienced persons always. In fact, the freshers have to be trained and absorbed, so that they could work and experienced to carry out his skill.  

© K. V. Ramakrishna Rao
17-11-2019



[1] India Today Web Desk, 4,600 engineers, MBAs apply for 14 sweepers' job in Tamil Nadu assembly,
New Delhi, February 6, 2019, UPDATED: February 6, 2019 14:40 IST
[3] India Today Web Desk, 80% engineers are unemployed: How can we prepare engineers for the jobs of tomorrow?, New Delhi, March 1, 2019, UPDATED: March 1, 2019 18:46 IST

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