Transforming Education For Service Sector in India: Challenges and Solutions

Context:

This editorial is based on the news “Engineering graduates are steering the service industry” which was published in the Hindu. This article highlights the growing significance of the services sector in India’s economy and the demand for skilled human power. 

Service Sector In India: Current Status

• In Gross Value Added (GVA): The services sector in India has emerged as a significant player, contributing 53% of country’s GVA. 
• In Employment: The dominance of services is also evident in employment distribution i.e., 31% of employment is generated in the services sector versus 25% in industries. 
• Consistent Growth: The organised Indian service sector, that comprises retail, telecom, consulting, hospitality, banking and health care, has been growing consistently. 
• An Offshore Hub: India is also the offshore hub, delivering these services for the entire world through captive and third party shared services and Global Business Services (GBS).

Engineering Graduates in the Service Sector in India

• Need of Skilled Human Resources: The massive service industry needs continuous supply of skilled manpower which is being fulfilled from a rather unusual education stream — engineering. 
• The Statistics: Only 57% of engineering graduates are employable. 
• An All India Council for Technical Education Commissioned Report: It highlighted that less than 60% of available engineering seats have enrolment. 
  • Another industry report claims that about 80% of graduate engineers end up in a non-technical job which is unrelated to their field of education.
• Reason for Engineering graduates in the Indian Services Sector: The dynamic and burgeoning nature of service-oriented opportunities, a lack of relevant jobs for their skills in their core sector and the rising prominence of the services sector has opened avenues in white-collar jobs.

Need for Generic Service-Oriented Courses

• To Counter Professional Challenges: As engineers seamlessly transition into various roles such as sales, customer service and finance across a wide variety of sectors, it becomes imperative for the educational ecosystem to evolve and address this need from the service industry, and recalibrate their approach towards curriculum design and pedagogy.
• Generic services-oriented courses: There is no generic course to cater to the needs of the services sector. As a result, services are consuming engineers. Rather than focusing on bridging the gap between existing engineering education and job demand, there is a pressing need to develop generic services-oriented courses. 
• Competent Match: Just as an engineering education equips the student with the basic skills to find a vocation in an industrial setup, there is an equivalent services skill education that instals the necessary competencies to excel in the service-oriented landscape.

Significance of Such Courses- “Service Engineering”: 

• Fulfil Required Needs: They can offer a holistic blend of technical proficiency, soft skills, and industry-specific knowledge essential for success in service-centric roles. 
• Enhance Employability: By integrating cutting-edge technologies such as Artificial Intelligence and the Internet of things (IoT) into the curriculum, it can enhance students’ employability.
• Holds a Transformative Potential: By offering a pathway to enhanced employability, improved service delivery, and sustained economic growth. 
• Women Empowerment: The recent Periodic Labour Force Survey-7 reported the women’s participation in the workforce to be 37%. Services offer better flexibility to employees and such courses can also help women to balance work and family while contributing to the workforce.
• Feasible & Accessible: These courses would leverage digital platforms and virtual learning environments, significantly reducing costs and eliminating geographical barriers to education. 

Conclusion

By investing in the development of a skilled workforce tailored to the needs of the Indian service sector, India can position itself as a global leader in service innovation and delivery, driving prosperity and competitiveness in the services-driven economy of the future.