Exploitation under the name of experience

India is facing a massive skill gap problem with hundreds of engineers graduating every year but only a few possessing the skills required in the industry now. The engineers of today are not being skilled right.

This obviously reflects in the employability of the engineers -- of more than 1.5 million engineers who graduate each year 80% are unemployed and close to 45% can be made employable with the right intervention.

We need to remember that these are students who have already been in a classroom kind of learning environment for their entire life till date. However, the certificates that they currently have from their engineering and other online courses does not guarantee them a job.

Adding to this list are the growing numbers of experienced engineers already in the workforce whose skills are quickly becoming obsolete! It is estimated that more than half of the 4 million engineers in tech will need to be re-skilled to relevant to the industry!

What is the problem?

If we were to pin down the reason for this skill gap it would be simply the absence of experience in the relevant skills that are required for emerging jobs. In our education system and even with the multitude of up-skilling and re-skilling options available this unique requirement of ensuring deep and strong experiential learning is missing.

The only feasible and effective solution

Every professional program out there has an inbuilt deep experiential learning component without which the program is incomplete.

In Medicine, every doctor has to undergo a compulsory extended duration of hands-on’ learning where the young doctor learns under the guidance and mentorship of the experienced doctors- this is called Residency’.

Similarly, in Chartered Accountancy, there is Article-ship’ and in Law, there is Apprenticeship’. While the periods of learning are different, in each profession the understudy learns while doing herself.

This experiential learning that is inherently expected and hence built into these professional programs ensures quality and relevant skill application of the talent.

One of the solutions for this issue are internships

Internships are important in professional courses for students to have practical experience and learnings. It not only enhances the outlook towards the real world but also gives an idea as to how workplaces are, how professionals work and what is expected out of them in work culture.  Besides this, it's one of the ways of gaining an understanding and clarity for their prospects or interests. 

In a country like India, where theoretical based learning is still popular in colleges, a good internship becomes crucial to gain clarity and hone our skills. Moreover, internship experience has also become a part of course completion and is counted in credits. Sometimes freshers are also approached because of their vibrant internship experiences. Throughout the year students look for Legal internships under firms, NGOs, government departments and research organisations and getting it has become more competitive than before.

But the main question here is, has the rising demand for internships given away for exploitation?

When considerable time is invested irrespective of the experience, unpaid internships become a disadvantage and seem unfair. It is undeniable that we need internships more than employers need interns.

And this is where the exploitation begins...

“Interns Are Still Students And Lack Experience"

Yes, it is an accepted fact that students in the first or second year in their respective courses can be considered inexperienced. But does lacking practical training justifies non-payment of the efforts?

A stipend is just a remuneration or reimbursement of labor done during the period of internship. Receiving it can further enhance the experience and encourage an intern, especially in cases where students have no godfathers in the field. Besides, it’s a harsh truth that interns have to strive to learn the skills on their own. For them, the mere excuse of an internship certificate and experience in place of free labor cannot be justified.

Have Privilege, Get Internships

This debate opens up the harsh reality of privileged groups as well. Some students can avail themselves of internship opportunities through contacts and references whereas a large number struggles to find one.  For a good fruitful experience at well-known organisations or companies, one has to apply months in advance. Even a student with a good CV can be left behind against the one who has contacts.

An Expensive Experience

Pursuing higher education in India is expensive. Their are limited seats available in government universities. Most students complete their higher education from private universities at high fees. In that situation, the struggle for work experience becomes another game of privileges. For an internship, many have to arrange for accommodation, travelling and other expenses. In that case, a minimal amount of stipend can encourage students with financial constraints to think about it.  So the availability and accessibility get compromised. 

Workload And Exploitation With No Respite

The workload varies. It depends on the assignments given by the employer and also the field we have applied for.  Interns can make the most out of it.  All of this demands time and sacrifice on the part of students as well. The heavy work can be stressful.

Yashwin Saraswat