THE CRITICAL COMPETENCY

THE CRITICAL COMPETENCY

Another aspect to be noted is that the core competencies would not offer by themselves all that is required to grapple with the contemporary skills. The ability to relate the core competencies with the contemporary skills itself is another core competency. We shall name it as critical competency to give it its unique identity. Without this critical competency an individual can’t develop self dynamism, initiative, etc., in the scenario of fast changes in the requirements of skill-sets. This critical competency of relating the core competencies and the contemporary skills helps a lot for career planning. The one who doesn’t feel that the contemporary skills are estranging the core competencies and who is resolved that what ever be the contemporary skills they are invariably with in the ambit of and can be traced from the core competencies and who with that resoluteness searches and establishes the link can plan well for one’s own career growth. The more vivid is the understanding one has about the relationship the more is, first of all, the assurance and then the pace of upward movement in career-scale.



See in Fig 5 how this critical competency is related with other core strengths and contemporary skills in the intellectual layers.

Fig 5: The hierarchy of intellectual layers




On this critical competency also the institution has to give the basic lessons. With a basic level of combination and a good understanding of relations with this combination a student may be confidently put on the board to embark upon the waters of the next phase. And, then onwards, naturally, it becomes the sole responsibility of the individual to handle the sail, where what the institution can do becomes more or less zero.

At this phase also the relations can be maintained. Alumni is one of the forms which is the dominant, perhaps sole, form. What can be added for the alumni relationship activity is the feedback to have effects on the curriculum, training modes, personality requirements, etc.

The tragedy is that none of the colleges have defined the next product of their institution either as an engineer in general or as a specific engineer in particular. We do not see any declared set of targets – core competencies or skills in their literature and prospectus copies.

What is more disgusting is the attitude of the very university / -ies. They have only a prescribed syllabus to prepare and most of the times or always lagging very much when compared to the contemporary technological conceptual advancements.

What does a student become when goes through the syllabus ? The purpose of the syllabus is not defined. It seems that the syllabus itself is viewed by them as the purpose and not a tool for some other defined purpose. What else can they do ? In this face of a striking deficiency of a defined purpose they have to pull along with the notion that syllabus itself is the purpose.

This is the quantum of bankruptcy of the ‘academicians’ at the apex positions. ‘GOD’ only can save them. But how the students and systems are to be saved ? OF COURSE, THIS IS NOT A MILLION DOLLAR QUESTION. SIMPLE AND CONSCIENTIOUS MINDS AND HEARTS ARE ENOUGH TO LAY THE PATH.