Over 90% of students seek paid internships or industrial training programs alongside degree education, reveals Uplifters Survey

Gurugram, 23rd June 2023: Gone are the days when students grew up working part-time to contribute to the family’s income for its subsistence during summer break. However, today’s fast-paced digitally driven world requires logical and technical implementation of knowledge they gain as part of their college curriculum. The college helps students to learn and impart knowledge but that is not enough in building their confidence or making them future-ready.

Against the backdrop of making students industry-ready, Uplifters – a skill-based ed-tech startup that offers a gamut of ‘Pay after Placement’ programs have recently conducted a survey to reveal over 90% of students seek to undergo paid internship and industrial training programs, alongside degree-based programs.

The approach to studying has undergone a paradigm shift. College students want to learn and carry out studies to be job ready and not for the sake of completing their education. The Uplifters’ survey reveals,  the majority of participants (62%) believe that the current college curriculum does not adequately prepare them for the job market, while the remaining 38% think it does. The majority of participants expressed their need to join boot camps for upskilling their skills mainly in the present digitized sectors.

The survey also indicates that over 55% of participants feel very confident in their skills and ability to secure a placement after college if they undergo an industrial training program or an internship alongside their college education. The remaining 36% responded with average confidence and only 9% expressed not being confident as they lack the skills of putting their theoretical knowledge into practical experience and strengthening their area of expertise.

“Industrial training or internships help students to become aware of the industry norms. They get to work in a real work setting which helps them gain exposure, and understand the latest technologies and happenings in the industry,” said Umnag Sangal, Founder & CEO of Uplifters.

An industrial training program or a paid internship helps students get into the skin of professionals. It provides them with an opportunity to apply their technical skills to play and deal with real-world challenges.

The survey reveals – an overwhelming 92% of participants are expected to gain skills and experience from an internship while only 8% expect to link classroom learning to workplace reality. Consequently, it reduces the chances of students cracking tough interview rounds or getting shortlisted for a company that looks for industry-ready candidates for their team’s agility.

“Keeping up with the pace at which the present market is evolving is difficult for students. Being fresh and still nurtured in the cocoon of classrooms, students often face difficulty in stepping on the right internship opportunity. Though social media has made things easier, identifying the most suitable opportunity that can help students put their skills to the test is still a big challenge for them,” he added.

The survey highlights – over 80% of participants cite both lack of skills and fewer options in their domain as the key to challenge while 20% of them mention the lack of resources is a huge hurdle in finding the right industrial training program or internship opportunity.

In recent years, many ed-tech startups have emerged to propose Upskilling programs not only for working or experienced professionals but also for college students. Students equipped with progressive learning sets are able to fill the key skill gaps that an organization endures. As per the survey report, over 90% of students are ready to pay a certain amount for upskilling as it helps them improve their skillset and get higher salaries.