91% students, 92% employers in India believe professional certificates can help get jobs

As per a Coursera survey, 91% of students, 92% of employers in India believe professional certificates can help them get jobs.

Both students and businesses are placing an increasing priority on the value of professional certifications in response to a cutthroat, rapidly evolving job market. As per a recent Coursera survey, 91% of students, 92% of employers in India believe professional certificates can help get jobs.

The findings of Coursera's Higher Education to Employment Survey show the extent to which skills-first credentials are impacting both college selection by students and employment decisions by employers.

Nearly 5,000 students and employers from 11 different countries—Australia, Egypt, France, Germany, India, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the United Kingdom (UK), and the United States (U.S.)—were polled by Coursera, an online learning platform with more than 118 million registered users worldwide.

The survey report, which was created in association with the market research companies Dynata and Repdata, examines the goals, requirements, and difficulties faced by both degree-seeking students and the companies looking to hire them.

HIGHLIGHTS FROM INDIA

92% of surveyed employers in India (versus 88% globally) believe that a professional certification strengthens a candidate's job application, demonstrating a widespread preference for credentials that demonstrate specific professional skills

91% of surveyed Indian students believe that obtaining a professional certificate will help them stand out to employers and get a job after graduation.

Compared to their peers in Australia, the UK, Germany, and France (71%), Indian employers place higher importance on professional certifications (85%) than the global average (72%).

UPSKILLING AND MICROCREDENTIALS

"Connecting skills-based learning and skills-based hiring can unlock opportunities for students while diversifying and expanding talent pipelines for employers", said Raghav Gupta, Managing Director for India and APAC, Coursera.

"Higher education institutions in India are enhancing their curricula by incorporating industry micro-credentials, boosting student recruitment and graduate employability. This industry-academia collaboration equips students with job-relevant skills and hands-on experience, giving them a head start as they enter the workforce after graduation,” he added.

Coursera introduced Career Academy in May 2022 to give students access to in-demand career paths and job-specific skills learning through industry microcredentials created in partnership with Google, IBM, Meta, and Intuit.

These entry-level professional certifications, which provide training in applied skills, are intended to develop students who are prepared for the workforce and stronger higher education institutions.

In order to increase student retention and graduate employability, universities and colleges all over the world are utilising entry-level professional certifications, also known as industry micro-credentials, and career-relevant skills training in their degree programmes.

Universities and other institutions of higher learning in India, such as Lakshmi Narain College of Technology, KGiSL Educational Institutions, International Management Institute New Delhi, Chandigarh University, SGR Krishnammal College for Women, and RV Institute of Management, are using industry microcredentials from Coursera to provide hands-on learning experiences that combine academic knowledge with the practical skills required to succeed in a professional role. (India Today)