Jobs hard to come by for MBAs Report says only 21% in the country are employable as talent pool dips

Jobs hard to come by for MBAs

Report says only 21% in the country are employable as talent pool dips

Only 21% of the country’s MBAs (master in business administration) were employable in 2011-12. A report on employability of MBAs study 2012 by MBAUniverse.com and MeritTrac throws up this alarming fact. The nationwide study covered 2,264 MBAs from 29 cities and 100 B-Schools and asked candidates to appear for tests by recruiting companies. In 2007, a study by MeritTrac placed employability index at 25%. “Perhaps with the increasing number of institutes and growing number of students vying for MBA degrees, the average quality of MBA graduates has come down,” states the report. The study also reveals that the quality of MBA graduate differs based on the city he/she did MBA from. Although there has been a marked growth in the number of MBA institutes since 2008, there has been a decline in the number of applications to CAT and GMAT. It says that around 3lakh candidates appeared for CAT (Common Admission Test) in 2008 but the number reduced to 2,06,000 in 2011. Comparing the current result with the 2007 report, the study states: “The 2007 report looked at data of 790 graduates from across six tier-1 cities of India. The 2012 report includes a larger sample of 2,264 MBA graduates from across 29 cities.” “The comparison reveals a 10% decrease in the average scores for verbal ability and a 14% decrease in the average scores for quantitative ability,” states the report. SS Mantha, chairman of the All India council for Technical Education, the governing body for management courses across the coun try, said: There will be a difference in the quality of the institutes in different cities. But that should not stop us from creating more and more opportunities. In the absence of comprehensive study on the job market, it is unfair to label candidates unemployable.” “Questions are asked about the talent coming out of MBA colleges and whether they create a workforce responsive to the needs of the economy,” said Amit Agnihotri, chairman of MBAUniverse.com