‘Employees must recognize that education is insurance for a better future’

December 12, 2011, 9:01 pm , The Island.

Dinesh Weerakkody MD HR Cornucopia says the current educational system in our country, from kindergarten through university, does a poor job of equipping people for continuous learning. Therefore, to engage Generation Y, there needs to be a wave of innovation in future education, particularly online, that will cater to this need in a more flexible, personalized way than the traditional degree or postgraduate courses are delivered.

By Chiara Tissera

Q: There is a perception among some of our employers that there is a lack of skilled talent to fill positions at management levels?

A: Yes, some employers say to me they have difficulty filling positions. Some of the complaints about skill shortages simply could be that employers can’t get top candidates to join their companies because they do not have a solid  reputation as an Employer of Choice or the wages they offer is not competitive. Then that becomes essentially an attraction problem, not a skill shortage. A skill shortage to me would be when employers cannot find candidates at market-clearing wages.

Q:If it is affordability issue what should they do?

A: When companies cannot afford the people they want they need to drop the idea of finding perfect candidates and look for people who could do the job with some training, on the job coaching, mentoring and on the job practice. There are plenty of ways to get staff up to speed without investing too much time and money, such as putting new employees on extended probationary periods with lower pay until they get up to speed with the requirements of the job, also on the job coaching and relying more on internal hires would help.

Q:If candidates don’t have the skills the industry needs, what should the industry do collectively?

A: The industry as a collective unit should make them go to a technical school and get the skill before they are hired. Technical Colleges should be motivated to join with employer groups and business chambers and run targeted course work to fulfill the specific needs of employers. Candidates who complete the course will then qualify to be hired. They can pay for themselves or could share the cost with the employers supporting the technical school. For instance, a Bank might require that prospective job candidates first pass a basic elementary course in banking before they are hired as trainees. This strategy should not be limited for new hires only; it should be actively promoted for internal candidates.  Employees must recognize that education is insurance for a better future.

Q:What other options do the industries have to grow the right kind of people for their companies?

A: Apprenticeship Programs are very good options. This is a very popular arrangement in many professional firms.  Apprentices are paid less while they are learning skills. Audit firms, law firms, motor companies and consulting firms have operated long time this way, A properly structured apprenticeship program, with exams, testing and certification at different stages of experience would work for most industries to create a pool of talent to hire from.

Q:Should employers as far as possible make internal candidates the first choice to fill jobs higher up?

A: Employees have organizational knowledge that no outsider would have. So they should be given priority over an external candidate. However if there is no role fit companies would need to look outside.

Q:How do you make employees ready to take on senior jobs?

A: Companies need to put employees with high potential on tough projects, help them learn new skills. That would over a period of time build an internal talent pipeline that can vastly expand the supply of talent that the company can tap into, making it both easier and cheaper to fill jobs within the company and group.

Q:How do we as a country we move up the skills ladder like in India?

A: The solution lies in education. People should be trained in areas where jobs are plenty. There are probably many jobs that go elsewhere because people don’t have the expertise. Therefore, post-secondary education should become more affordable so that people have the opportunity to move into fields were skills are in high demand. Also there needs to be a wave of innovation in future education, particularly online, that will cater to this need in a more flexible, personalized way than the traditional degree or postgraduate courses are delivered.