Certificate courses fulfill requirement of upskilling, reskilling – Times of India

Paving new paths


Uma Shankar Pandey, officer on special duty, Campus of Open Learning (COL), University of Delhi (DU), says, “Today, taking up certificate courses is directly linked with getting a job. Global trends emphasise on the importance of learning and value addition through add-on courses, a phenomenon yet to reach the Indian education system.”

Internet of Things (IoT), Cloud Computing, and Data Science are popular value addition certificate courses, he adds. “Demand for multiskilling is enabling students specialising in fields like Medicine or Chartered Accountancy opting for certificate courses in management or data science,” tells Pandey.

Tapan Kumar Nayak, director, Jaipuria School of Business, Ghaziabad, says that around seven years ago, demand for certificate courses started rising. “The entry of EdTechs with new and unique certificate courses enabled this boost,” he says.

Rahul Kashyap, co-founder, Skillslash, says that a decade ago, skills acquired during higher education were enough for any student to retire with. “Today, the constantly changing work environment has made it imperative for everyone to be an expert in at least four to five skills. Taking up certificate courses is the easiest and most cost-effective way to achieve this,” he says.

Growth for digital age

With minimal awareness regarding electronic vehicles (EVs), Ashwini Tiwary, co-founder, Autobot, started on the mission in 2017. “While few HEIs started offering formal degrees in the field, the course is still limited. In 2019, we switched to spreading knowledge through three levels of certification courses in the niche. Both students and professionals join the courses looking to develop skill sets in the field,” he tells.

Hands-on learning coupled with theoretical knowledge helps students become industry-ready. “The next step is tie-ups with academia to help disseminate the required specialised information more quickly and easily, and to benefit maximum learners,” adds Tiwary. Since inception, registration has grown three-fold for level 1 courses, he tells.

Rahul Kashyap, co-founder, Skillslash, provides project-based certification. “Certificate courses are generally in collaboration with an HEI or industry magnate. We have chosen the project-based certification route. As of today, students will be given knowledge in their chosen area of Data Science or Full Stack developer followed by projects with a company. Based on feedback regarding success, the student will get a certificate,” he adds.

HEIs join the trend

Most institutes revamp the courses at regular intervals, matching pace with the changing market dynamics. “Every year, the academic council deliberates emerging market trends, based on which certain certificate courses are offered to students as part of their PGDM degree, says Nayak.

Students’ speak –

Post my Electrical and Electronics Engineering (EEE), I worked in the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) as a junior engineer for three years. Interest in Analytics enabled me to enroll in a certificate course in EV. Compared to a full-time degree, this course is time and money-saving and provides necessary hands-on experience to become industry ready

– Bheemashankar Kattimani from Gulbarga, Karnataka


Along with a Bachelors degree from School of Open Learning, DU, I am pursuing a certificate course in Fashion Designing, Merchandising & Entrepreneurship. This course gave me freedom to pursue my graduation along with learning a special skill. With classes on weekends, I can manage both. I am preparing to start a fashion business.

– Surbhi Tak from Jaipur