Degrees Don’t Do the Job

Series · 15 partsStart with Part 1 →

Degrees Don't Do the Job argues that education should help young Indians understand the world and contribute to it. This series of thirteen chapters, with an opening note and a list of sources, looks at how apprenticeship and AI can connect knowledge, judgement and real work, for students, parents, small businesses, colleges and districts. Each chapter stands on its own, so start where you need to.

The case for learning by doing

1. Before we begin: Degrees Don’t Do the Job argues that education should help young Indians understand the world and contribute to it.
2. Chapter 1: The degree and the empty toolbox: Degrees Don’t Do the Job examines why passing examinations does not always prepare someone to perform workplace tasks.

Building responsible apprenticeships

3. Chapter 2: Why India needs to respect learning by doing: This chapter explains why learning through practical work deserves the same respect as academic learning in India.
4. Chapter 3: What a real apprenticeship looks like: This chapter explains how a real apprenticeship combines guided work, instruction, supervision and assessment.
5. Chapter 4: Indian examples worth learning from: This chapter examines Indian examples of employer-led learning, apprenticeships and work-linked training.

Making the system work for each participant

6. Chapter 5: A student can build a better first ninety days: This chapter explains how a student can prepare for customer operations through deliberate practice, feedback and gradually increasing responsibility.
7. Chapter 6: Parents can become better career partners: This chapter explains how parents can assess career options with their children when qualifications and technical apprenticeships are being considered.
8. Chapter 7: Small businesses can grow their own talent: This chapter explains how small businesses can train beginners into reliable contributors without overloading experienced workers.

Using AI without surrendering judgement

9. Chapter 8: Colleges should become bridges to work: This chapter explains how colleges can connect academic learning with real workplace tasks without reducing education to placement numbers.
10. Chapter 9: AI as a patient practice partner: AI can give beginners patient, repeatable practice without replacing a human mentor.

Making progress visible and safe

11. Chapter 10: AI for mentors without losing judgement: AI can help mentors organise practical knowledge, prepare exercises and make feedback more specific without replacing professional judgement.
12. Chapter 11: Protect the apprentice and measure real progress: This chapter explains how to protect apprentices from exploitation and assess what they can actually do.
13. Chapter 12: From apprentice to independent professional: This chapter explains how an apprentice can turn demonstrated skills into a small, reliable service.
14. Chapter 13: A district can build a learning economy: This chapter explains how a district can connect education with real work through a small, supervised apprenticeship partnership.
15. Sources and further reading: This chapter lists the primary sources behind institutional descriptions in Degrees Don’t Do the Job.