FROM CLASSROOM TO CAREER: BRIDGING INDIA’S EDUCATION-EMPLOYMENT GAP
RABINDRA SINGH
, Bishnupriya Kar , Priyabrat Pradhan , M S Prachi
Education-employment gap, Employability, Skill development, NEP 2020, Vocational education, Industry-academia collaboration, Graduate unemployment.
India’s higher education sector is expanding rapidly, supported by a large youth population. However, many graduates still face difficulties in securing suitable employment due to a persistent gap between the knowledge and skills provided by educational institutions and the demands of the labour market. This mismatch contributes to graduate unemployment and underemployment, posing a challenge to India’s economic and social development. This study examines the education-employment gap in India and identifies key factors responsible for it. Drawing on Human Capital Theory, Signalling Theory, and the Capability Approach, the analysis highlights outdated curricula, weak industry-academia linkages, inadequate career guidance, limited emphasis on vocational education, and sectoral imbalances as major causes of the disconnect between education and employment. The study also reviews successful international practices, including competency-based learning, apprenticeship programmes, industry partnerships, and comprehensive career counselling, and considers their relevance to the Indian context. Furthermore, it evaluates major policy initiatives such as the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, the National Curriculum Framework for School Education (NCF-SE 2023), the Skill India Mission, and the National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme (NAPS). These initiatives aim to enhance employability and better align education with labour market needs. The study concludes that curriculum reform, practical skill development, stronger industry collaboration, and effective career guidance are essential for improving employment outcomes and enabling India to fully benefit from its demographic dividend.
"FROM CLASSROOM TO CAREER: BRIDGING INDIA’S EDUCATION-EMPLOYMENT GAP", JETNR - JOURNAL OF EMERGING TRENDS AND NOVEL RESEARCH (www.JETNR.org), ISSN:2984-9276, Vol.4, Issue 6, page no.a527-a533, June-2026, Available :https://rjpn.org/JETNR/papers/JETNR2606069.pdf
Volume 4
Issue 6,
June-2026
Pages : a527-a533
Paper Reg. ID: JETNR_235041
Published Paper Id: JETNR2606069
Downloads: 00082
Research Area: Social Science All
Country: KORAPUT, ODISHA, India
ISSN: 2984-9276 | IMPACT FACTOR: 9.87 Calculated By Google Scholar | ESTD YEAR: 2023
An International Scholarly Open Access Journal, Peer-Reviewed, Refereed Journal Impact Factor 9.87 Calculate by Google Scholar and Semantic Scholar | AI-Powered Research Tool, Multidisciplinary, Monthly, Multilanguage Journal Indexing in All Major Database & Metadata, Citation Generator
Publisher: RJPN (IJPublication) Janvi Wave
