UGC AIE Programme: Furthers the careers of youngsters
Recently, in India, The University Grants Commission (UGC) has decided to create internship and apprenticeship opportunities in degree programmes in colleges and universities across the country. This has been done to further the careers of youngsters. There are already some universities and affiliated colleges that offer such opportunities.
Apprenticeship/internship embedded programmes, also called AIE programme was formerly a part of general education courses like B.A., B. Com and B.Sc. Previously, the course structures and pedagogy style mainly focussed on theory, information and memory-based evaluation and lacked real-life practical approaches to create new career opportunities. However, with changing times, it has become imperative to incorporate the AIE programme into the college curriculum that addresses the make the students industry-ready with practical, real-life skills. Let’s now explore the benefits of this AIE programme.
Addresses the skill gap
To begin with, UGC’s scheme for AIE programme goes hand in hand with the NEP 2020. Moreover, with colleges and universities submitting their AIE plan to UGC, it will help create an integrated database to install this plan effectively and maintain a thorough structure. Industries have also been asked to share their insights as to what they are looking for in their prospective employees, so that the youngsters can be offered training accordingly. This will not only help youngsters acquire skill-based learning but also provide them onsite experiences while improving their chances of getting better employment opportunities in the near future. Here are a few examples of professional skills that can be acquired through AIE programme. B.A. English students can do an internship in media houses while B. Com students can do an internship in financial sectors, and Chemistry students can do an internship in pharmaceutical companies. This will also help in building a rapport between the prospective employers and their future employees.
Adds value to the CV of a fresher
Youngsters often struggle with the fact that they do not meet the industry standards as freshers as several sectors often want some kind of experience in their employees. If AIE programme is properly implemented, industry will soon get trained and skilled employees which will make their hiring process easier and much more convenient. With colleges offering on-campus training sessions, the on-job training time period will automatically reduce while improving the chance of better employability for fresh graduates. In fact, several educational institutions have made their own model internship guidelines to initiate apprenticeships in big and small, public and private sectors. According to AICTE authorities, their job portal already has 12.5 lakh internship opportunities waiting for students to explore.