Focusing on strengthening graduate employability within higher education, the Commonwealth Educational Media Centre for Asia (CEMCA)—a regional centre of the Commonwealth of Learning (COL)—recently partnered with Madhya Pradesh Bhoj Open University (MPBOU) to convene a pivotal workshop in Bhopal, India. By bringing together academic leaders and practitioners, this workshop aimed to ensure that future graduates acquire the necessary skills aligned with the demands of a rapidly evolving job market.
Guided by experts from COL and CEMCA, the workshop marked an advance in bridging the gap between academic learning and industry needs. This approach aligns closely with the employability priorities outlined in the Ahmedabad Declaration – adopted by all 16 open universities (OUs) in India – reaffirming a collective resolve to produce graduates who are more readily prepared for meaningful employment. Participants from these OUs were oriented on the integration and implementation process for higher education. Shri Inder Singh Parmar, Honourable Minister of Higher Education and Technical Education, State Government of Madhya Pradesh, in his remarks as the Chief Guest on the concluding day of the workshop, commended the project as the need of the hour.
Dr B. Shadrach, Director, CEMCA, underscored the timeliness of the project and the need for capacity building and sensitisation among OU educators. He referred to the flexibility offered by India’s National Education Policy 2020, which provides a unique opportunity to adopt and adapt the COL Employability Model to the Indian context. Dr Shadrach encouraged the participants to become GE champions in each of the four phases of the project, starting with assessment and sensitisation, planning, implementation, and evaluation. The GE project at the OUs aims to equip the faculty members to embed skills and competencies essential for employment into curricula, aligning higher education with the needs of the workforce.
Professor Jane-Frances Agbu, Adviser: Higher Education COL, discussed the project’s emphasis on stakeholder collaboration and exploring emerging job markets. She shared insights from GE implementations in Botswana, Cameroon, Ghana, Kenya, Lesotho, Mauritius, Namibia, Nigeria, Sierra Leone and Zambia, where stakeholder engagement and framework validation were critical.
Given India’s diverse cultural and employment landscape, strategies such as localising solutions, fostering industry-university linkages, and creating “baskets of courses” for learners with varied profiles were proposed.
Key recommendations stemming from the workshop included developing strong industry partnerships, promoting financial literacy and entrepreneurship/business acumen, and introducing industry-based internships and apprenticeships in the final year of graduate programmes. The participants highlighted the need for comprehensive faculty training, modular and outcome-based course designing, and leveraging alumni networks for mentorship.
