Indian Graduates to Attend 'Finishing Schools' to Remain Globally Competitive

With approximately three million graduates being churned out each year, India is now seeking to improve their presence in the global marketplace by enlisting them in 'finishing schools.' These schools in New Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore and Hyderabad are intended to refine the skills of graduates so they can succeed in business and give India the edge it requires in the offshore outsourcing arena.

The Indian School of Integrated Learning (ISIL) along with British training firm Speak First are collaborating on this project and these 'finishing schools' are expected to open in India's metropolitan cities later in the year as part of a $2 million project.

Amanda Vickers told AFP, "The finishing school is taking graduates and anyone else of that academic level through a program which will give them all the skills that a business could possibly want."

India has witnessed double-digit growth in its economy recently with unprecedented foreign investment flowing into outsourcing industries as well as banking and IT sectors. The inflow of work is largely due to the availability of cheap labor.

ISIL chairman Vijay Moza and Vickers agreed that Indian workers could benefit from improving their 'soft skills.' They added that misunderstandings that stem from telephone and email etiquette with global customers could be due to cultural differences.

For instance, Vickers noted that one common complaint among overseas businesses is that Indian workers have a tough time saying 'No' to their superiors or clients. Hence, this leads to frustrations when assignments are not done on time.

"Soft skills training has huge potential but what's more important is that we have to put all these things together," Moza said.