Navigating the employability landscape: challenges and solutions for management students

Abstract

The research was conducted to delve into the differences between industry expectations of management graduates and how the curriculum prepares them. The paper examines key skill gaps of management graduates who enter the workforce. By identifying the gaps, academic institutions could work on the existing curriculum and ways of teaching. The existing literature talks about a significant gap between skills gained from academic curriculum and the industry demand. It focuses on a lack of practical experience, making the student’s employability a challenge. The literature also delves into the need for higher education institutions to collaborate with industry for exposure and gain insights into the corporate world. The data was collected from a total of 170 participants, mainly employers, undergraduate management students, fresh graduates, and academicians, to get a multidimensional perspective on the issue and provide suggestions that benefit all stakeholders. The findings revealed a mismatch in the expectations of students and employers. A significant difference was identified between student’s perceptions of how the curriculum equips them with practical skills and the employer’s emphasis on the importance of practical skills. Further, both the students and employers felt that there was a gap in the existing academic curriculum. Based on the results, the study suggests a model to inculcate in the existing curriculum to equip students with better practical skills along with suggestions for the existing curriculum, students, and employers.