‘Instead of accusing Gen-Z of lacking skills or discipline, we need to ask what drives them’ Premium

At a recent event held in the city, Cambridge University Press & Assessment launched an advisory panel comprising leaders from top global corporations, aiming to bridge the employability gap in India and better align academic output with industry needs. A whitepaper released at the event highlighted the growing importance of communication skills, the need for stronger collaboration between industry and universities, and strategies to bridge the persistent skill gap.

India has been staring at a severe unemployment crisis with about 24 million out of the 556 million labour force being unemployed. A recent report titled India’s Graduate Skill Index 2025 showed that only 42.6 per cent of Indian graduates are employable, hinting at troubling trends and highlighting the need for better skilling of people.

At a recent event held in the city, Cambridge University Press & Assessment launched an advisory panel comprising leaders from top global corporations, aiming to bridge the employability gap in India and better align academic output with industry needs. A whitepaper released at the event highlighted the growing importance of communication skills, the need for stronger collaboration between industry and universities, and strategies to bridge the persistent skill gap.

Arun Rajamani, Managing Director of Cambridge University Press & Assessment, South Asia, spoke to The Hindu on the sidelines of the event about the critical skills that need to be imparted to people to be part of a global workforce, the many persisting challenges that could be addressed with industry-academia collaboration and the paradox of abundance of talent and rising unemployability.