Degrees Alone Are Not Enough: How Skills Are Becoming The Real Game-Changer

Consistent with the suggestions in NEP 2020, flexible academic paths such as lateral entry into degrees are picking up speed. With flexibility, holders of diplomas or working professionals can leverage learning done earlier and join higher programmes without duplication.

- PROF. SUPRIYA PATTANAYAK

For many years, the conventional education model has put strong focus on degrees as the final score of a student's potential and employability. But the employment landscape is evolving—and at lightning speed. Employers today are less concerned with paper qualification and more with what someone can do. With a wave of automation, AI, and fluid job descriptions reshaping the working world, skills have become the real differentiator.

While degrees remain a starting point, they're no longer a destination—they're merely the gateway. The world of work now requires flexibility, cross-functional proficiency, and moment-by-moment problem-solving. A programmer can be asked to know UI/UX, a mechanical engineer to collaborate with data analysts, and a marketing pro to operate AI software. Because boundaries are breaking down, students no longer only need knowledge but also agility—the kind that flows from experiential learning and ongoing upskilling.