WHY ENGINEERING GRADUATES FROM TIER-2, TIER-3 COLLEGES STRUGGLE: THE SKILL GAP THAT FEW TALK ABOUT

Tier-2 and tier-3 engineering graduates face challenges in securing jobs due to lack of skills and industry exposure.

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When Saif (name changed to protect anonymity) graduated from a private engineering college in Madhya Pradesh, he dreamed of a career in Civil Engineering. Although he had done well in college, scoring high marks and completing a reputable internship, he was unaware of the skills required to get a job. "I was ahead of most of my classmates, but I didn't even know what the 'skills' companies looked for were called," he said.

To secure a job that paid on a par with his IIT or NIT friends, Saif had to upskill through online courses and his master's degree - efforts he believes could have been avoided with better institutional support at the undergraduate level. After completing his Bachelor's, Saif felt compelled to pursue a Master's degree, not by choice, but by necessity; he lacked industry-relevant skills, exposure, and career guidance. He mentioned that the curriculum at his tier-3 college was outdated and disconnected from current market or trend needs. "I realised I had to learn the skills myself this time and not depend on the college," he said.

Saif's story isn't an outlier. It is a familiar situation faced by thousands of engineering graduates from tier-2 and tier-3 colleges across India. Despite holding the same degrees as their IIT or NIT counterparts, many find themselves locked out of core industry jobs.

A systemic gap