Enhancing employability in engineering and management students through soft skills

Abstract

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to bridge the gap between campus and industry among the management and engineering students to enhance their employability. It equips students and faculty with creative tools and techniques to acquire soft skills and provides a new perspective to the discipline of soft skills. Design/methodology/approach – The paper designs an interview questionnaire containing both open and close-ended questions to elicit responses from faculty, students, recruiters, and directors of educational institutions. Findings – The study found that there must be effective coordination among faculty, students, industry and directors of educational institutions for enhancing employability skills among students. It places emphasis on the role of Training and Placement Officer (TPO) in the educational institutions for better employability and calls for promotion of finishing schools to enhance employability. Research limitations/implications – The article relies on limited survey and interview data from one particular district in India and from students of engineering and management education only. Practical implications – The study can be applied in any part of the world as there is a problem of unemployability everywhere currently. Originality/value – The paper adds value to the little literature available in the area of soft skills. It sets the agenda for discussion in soft and hard skills and employability, presents problems and prospects and calls for blending both hard and soft skills to enhance employability.