Survey shows that employers in India are more likely to hire a graduate who has both a degree and industry micro-credential.
Professional certificate courses are in high demand among Indian students and employers, reveals a 2023 Coursera survey, “Advancing Higher Education with Industry Micro-Credentials.”
Coursera, an online learning platform, surveyed nearly 5,000 students and employers across 11 countries including India, and found that entry-level professional certificates, also known as industry micro-credentials are in high demand among students and employers. The survey was conducted in collaboration with the market research firms, Dynata and Repdata.
According to the survey, 96 percent of the surveyed Indian students believe that earning a professional certificate will help them stand out to employers and get a job after graduation.
Basil, who is pursuing a post-graduation degree in Canada, said, “Since I did my graduation in English Literature, I wanted to learn more about human resource management, the subject I wanted to do my postgraduation in. I started doing professional certificate courses in Coursera for free, to enrich my knowledge in the field.”
He said that the certificates boosted his resume. He added that the certificates were an added benefit for him during his interviews for the course and part-time job roles in Canada.
Srivigneshram, who works as a graduate engineer trainee in Bengaluru, said that a certificate course helped him to get his first job after a career break of two years. “It was difficult for me to find a job after two years of career gap. My friends who were in the industry suggested to me to take a professional certificate course so that it would make my job hunt easy.”
He said that he paid Rs. 60,000 for the course. “I checked for similar courses offline, but they cost around Rs.75,000 to Rs. 80,000. I found this course comparatively affordable,” he added.
He said that the extra certification in the field was an advantage enabling him to find a job within two months after joining the course.
The survey also shows that 92 percent of the surveyed employers in India believe that a professional certification strengthens a candidate’s job application.
Lokesh, who works in a Human Resource Consultancy firm in Bengaluru which also offers professional certificate courses, said that having a certification in related industry can benefit potential job seekers. He added that the certificate makes the person fit for a specific job role. “They stand ahead of other job seekers who have not completed similar courses,” he said.
Rahul Karayil, an educationist based in Kerala, said that a professional certificate course makes it easier for job seekers to land in the desired job. It can also make them more confident and motivated, he said. He added that professional certificate courses which can upskill employees, are a great advantage for people who are already working.
However, he said, the quality of these professional certificate courses is to be ensured before joining the course. “Certificate courses which do not equip a learner with necessary skills can affect the confidence of an employer and the quality of human resource in the long run,” he said.
He added, “Giving preference to unskilled candidates who have professional certificates, can demoralize skilled candidates. It can also affect the value of higher education and full-time courses.”
