Kerala is charting new initiatives to bridge the gap between education and employment, higher education minister R Bindhu said at the CII Kerala Education Conclave 2025 – “Academia and Industry: A Collaborative Vision” held in Kochi.
She said programmes such as Industry on Campus, Connect Career to Campus, and Internship 1.0 are aimed at making youth industry-ready and creating opportunities within the state.
At the conclave, which brought together leaders from government, academia and industry, Bindhu noted that Kerala is already recognised as a knowledge society with universal literacy but must now focus on preparing its graduates for the job market.
Sharmila Mary Joseph, principal secretary of the higher education department, said Kerala leads the country in Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) among girl students. She highlighted the Four-Year Undergraduate Programme (FYUGP) and the establishment of Centres of Excellence under the Study in Kerala initiative as part of the state’s reforms.
P V Unnikrishnan, member secretary of the Kerala Development & Innovation Strategic Council (K-DISC), detailed Naipunnya – Connecting Career to Campus (CCC) 2025, designed to strengthen the interface between industry and academia.
CII Kerala chairman and VKC Footgear managing director VKC Razak said Kerala has the talent, academia and innovation to lead the next wave of growth, if industry, academia and government work together.
C T Aravindakumar, convenor of the CII Kerala Education & Skills Panel and vice chancellor of Mahatma Gandhi University, said skill development will be crucial for employability, calling it “the currency for the future”. He added that many institutions are already aligning their curriculum with industry requirements.
The conclave also discussed faculty empowerment, institutional reform, policy engagement and academic leadership, alongside innovation in curriculum, pedagogy and interdisciplinary learning. Integrating AI and emerging technologies into education was a key theme.