We are in process of entering a very different world. This is a world which we always wanted, where a person who is ready to learn, irrespective of his country, region, institution, class, will have a fair opportunity to a job. There have been two barriers which have been impeding the path to this new world till now.

The first barrier is around meritorious students and job-seekers not being visible to companies. In our 2012 edition of "National Employability Report", we showed that around 50% of employable (job-ready) students do not get opportunities from most companies. This is because they study in colleges beyond the top 25% colleges in India and very few companies hire from these remaining colleges. Students in these colleges, unfortunately, do not get a job opportunity even though they are meritorious and employable, just because they do not come from a good college. Similarly, students from smaller towns and cities also experience opportunity asymmetry. Secondly, students who are not employable do not know that they are not and also, do not know what skills they lack. Hence there is a big gap in terms of effective feedback being offered to these students.

Five years ago, we built AMCAT, a GRE-for-jobs to demolish this barrier. AMCAT is a standardized scientifically built computer-based test which a student from any city or college can take across the country. By taking the test, the student firstly gets to know which job profiles does he/she fit in and secondly, what skills they lack as per requirements of the job market. A million students who have taken AMCAT become visible to 550+ companies irrespective of the college or city they come from. Companies directly shortlist students based on their AMCAT scores and invite them for job interviews. This means that if a student has a good score, he/she gets a job opportunity irrespective of his college, city, state, etc. This demolishes the first barrier by giving a fair opportunity to every job-ready student.

However, we find that less than 20% students are employable for most jobs in the knowledge economy in India. We provide helpful suggestions to students based on their AMCAT attempt on what their gaps are and how to improve. But, good training may not be available in their city, state, institution or could be very expensive. Thus despite knowing the gap and the readiness to learn, the person is impeded due to lack of resources and his/her economic status.

edX aims to demolish this very barrier by providing world-class education for free on the internet, accessible from any corner of the world. Not only do they provide content through video lectures, but homeworks are graded and students are provided with feedback. To access these courses coming from some of the best universities of the world, you just need a computer with an internet connection. And on completing the course, you get a certificate. For a student, who is ready to learn, 'knowledge is free' and accessible at his/her doorstep.

Together, AMCAT and edX make a great combination to solve the employability problem of India and the world. AMCAT finds out the skill gaps of the 80% people who are unemployable and recommends them the right edX courses to fulfil these gaps. Students take up the courses and fulfil these gaps. On successful completion of these courses, they get a edX certificate and/or take the AMCAT again, show that they are employable and AMCAT connects them to jobs. While AMCAT provides the diagnosis, edX is the medicine that helps cure the gap and then finally AMCAT makes the job connect for a person with high employability connect!

This is how the picture of the changed world would look: Education will be free. Jobs will be given on merit only. If you are ready to understand your skill gaps, work hard to improve yourself, you will have a right to a job and a dignified life. Doesn't this sound like the picture of an ideal world?

-Says Varun Aggarwal, CTO & COO, Aspiring Minds