Additional Skills Acquisition Programme (ASAP) project: the case of an employability enhancement initiative in India
Journal of International Education in Business
ISSN: 2046-469X
Article publication date: 24 May 2022
Issue publication date: 23 September 2022
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to explore an employability enhancement initiative, the Additional Skills Acquisition Programme (ASAP) project in the state of Kerala, India, as a case for the inclusive development of employability in college and university students.
Design/methodology/approach
ASAP is applied as a case study to examine the employability enhancement initiative in India.
Findings
Participation in the ASAP project led to increased measures of employability. These increases were most pronounced in women and individuals living below the poverty line. Partnerships between educational institutions and organisations focusing on students’ technical and skill development can help overcome local and national talent shortages.
Originality/value
The theoretical implications come from addressing the lack of representation of skills based employability initiatives among students from India in the vocational behaviour literature. Practical implications come from knowledge sharing of innovative strategies to enhance the employability outcomes of individuals entering the labour market. New ways to overcome the reported mismatch in business education between curriculum content and the development of employability skills in graduates are presented. Benefits for diversity and inclusion are also provided.
Keywords
Citation
M., N.P., Mathew, P.V. and Donald, W.E. (2022), "Additional Skills Acquisition Programme (ASAP) project: the case of an employability enhancement initiative in India", Journal of International Education in Business, Vol. 15 No. 2, pp. 393-405. https://doi.org/10.1108/JIEB-10-2021-0094
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
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