A three-day workshop on “Course Enhancement for Graduate Employability” organised by COL-CEMCA in collaboration with Uttar Pradesh Rajarshi Tandon Open University (UPRTOU), Uttar Pradesh, concluded with the development of nine new employability-focused academic courses aimed at strengthening skill-based higher education and improving career readiness among graduates.

The workshop, organised from 4 to 6 May 2026 under the COL’s Graduate Employability Project. Faculty members from various Schools of Studies of the University actively participated in curriculum redesign, programme planning, and skill mapping exercises aligned with contemporary industry requirements.

The workshop focused on reimagining higher education curricula in line with the goals of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, emerging labour market trends, and the growing need for flexible, skill-oriented learning pathways. Participants worked towards designing programmes that integrate employability, entrepreneurship, digital competency, and industry relevance within the framework of open and distance learning.

Dr. B. Shadrach, Director, COL-CEMCA, highlighted Uttar Pradesh’s transformation into a major economic and industrial hub and emphasised the strategic role of UPRTOU in preparing a future-ready workforce for the state. Referring to developments such as the Ganga Expressway, the Defence Industrial Corridor, and the expansion of manufacturing and technology sectors in Greater Noida, he stated that higher education institutions must respond proactively to evolving workforce demands.

Dr. Shadrach identified emerging opportunities in sectors such as semiconductor manufacturing, robotics, VLSI, electric vehicle maintenance, logistics, hospitality, digital marketing, and AI-enabled services. He called for a transition from theory-heavy academic models towards competency-based and learner-centric education supported by micro-credentials, project-based assessments, Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL), and embedded soft skills.

Addressing the participants, Dr. Pradeep Kumar Chaudhary, Consultant, COL-CEMCA, underlined the critical role of open universities in helping India achieve the NEP 2020 target of 50% Gross Enrolment Ratio in higher education by 2035. He emphasised that higher education institutions must move beyond traditional degree-oriented models and develop flexible, market-responsive, and skill-based programmes that prepare learners for both employment and self-employment opportunities.

In the valedictory session Prof. Satyakam, Vice-Chancellor, UPRTOU, stated that while nine new courses had been conceptualised during the workshop, the University plans to design several additional professional and interdisciplinary courses over the next three months. He informed that these programmes would also be delivered through Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) to ensure wider access and outreach.

Participants engaged in practical and collaborative curriculum development activities during the workshop. These included identifying job roles through the National Career Service Portal, mapping Qualification Pack-National Occupational Standards (QP-NOS) with programme outcomes, and drafting short-duration micro-credentials in areas such as logistics, supply chain management, healthcare support, and digital marketing.