Mysuru, Karnataka

The Commonwealth of Learning – Commonwealth Educational Media Centre for Asia (COL-CEMCA), in collaboration with Karnataka State Open University (KSOU), through its Centre for Internal Quality Assurance (CIQA), organised a two-day workshop on “Course Enhancement for Graduate Employability: Integrating Skills, Attributes and Outcome-Based Design” at the KSOU Campus, Mysuru.

The workshop, held on 20–21 July 2026, brought together university leaders, faculty members and academic experts to strengthen curriculum design aligned with industry needs and outcome-based education. Senior university officials, including the Registrar, Deans and faculty members, also participated in the programme.

In his inaugural address, Dr. B. Shadrach, Director, COL-CEMCA emphasised the urgent need to reinvigorate higher education through outcome-based learning in line with national and state education priorities. Referring to Karnataka’s rapidly expanding industrial landscape, he noted that the state contributes nearly 60% of India’s electronics exports and over 40% of software exports, while emerging sectors such as aerospace, semiconductors, electric vehicles, space technology and medical technology are expected to generate nearly 20 lakh high-value jobs under the Karnataka Industrial Policy 2025–30. However, he highlighted a critical paradox: despite robust industrial growth, only a small proportion of engineering graduates are considered industry-ready, while a significant number of young people remain outside education, employment or training. He stressed that the gap between academic learning and workplace expectations demands stronger collaboration between higher education institutions and industry. Dr. Shadrach underscored that open universities are uniquely positioned to bridge this divide by embedding employability skills, professional competencies and outcome-based learning into academic programmes, thereby preparing graduates for an evolving labour market.

Presiding over the inaugural session, Prof. A.P. Gnana Prakash, Vice-Chancellor, KSOU, observed that universities today are expected to do much more than impart knowledge and award degrees. They must equip learners with the skills, competencies and confidence needed to address contemporary social, professional, economic and technological challenges. He emphasised that communication, critical thinking, problem-solving, digital competence, teamwork, adaptability and ethical responsibility have become essential graduate attributes alongside disciplinary knowledge. Highlighting the importance of skill certification, he encouraged university departments to introduce certificate programmes that recognise practical competencies and enhance graduates’ employability. He also noted that graduate employability extends beyond securing a job, encompassing entrepreneurship, lifelong learning, professional ethics and the capacity to create employment opportunities for others.

The two-day workshop featured expert-led technical sessions on graduate employability frameworks, integrating employability attributes into curriculum and course design, and developing skill-based courses for open and distance learning. Participants also engaged in hands-on group activities to redesign selected courses by framing measurable learning outcomes, incorporating employability attributes, developing skill components and preparing assessment plans aligned with outcome-based education principles.

The workshop reaffirmed the shared commitment of KSOU and COL-CEMCA to advancing quality higher education through industry-relevant curricula, outcome-based pedagogy and enhanced graduate employability, contributing to India’s vision of a skilled, future-ready workforce.