Summary
A degree has long been the expected path to a secure future for young people in Kerala. Yet graduates in the state face some of the highest rates of unemployment among educated youth in India, while employers report that they cannot find candidates with the skills they need. This report asks why.
What we examined
- the courses students choose, and why they choose them
- what employers in growing sectors say they look for
- how colleges connect, or fail to connect, with employers
- the role of competitive examinations for public sector jobs in shaping student choices
- the experience of young women graduates in particular
Main themes
Waiting for the right job. Many graduates spend years preparing for public sector recruitment examinations, which offer security and status but very few places.
Skills that are not taught. Employers emphasise communication, problem solving and practical experience. Most courses focus on examinations.
Weak bridges. Internships, apprenticeships and placement services are limited in many colleges.
Women’s choices constrained. Concerns about travel, safety, working hours and family expectations narrow the jobs that many women graduates feel able to take.
Recommendations
- Make a supervised internship part of every undergraduate degree.
- Fund career guidance in every college, staffed by trained counsellors.
- Support colleges to design short skill modules with local employers.
- Publish employment outcomes for every course and college, so that students can choose with better information.
- Address safe transport and childcare as part of employment policy for women.
[Placeholder publication. Replace with real CRGD work.]