Studying the impact of government's employability enhancement drive Finishing School on tribal students of a college in the South Gujarat region in India

1.   Introduction

Higher education institutions are increasingly expected to engage with the challenges of the contemporary world. Policymakers are often expected and asked to invest in personal skills as a route to building resilience and aiding recovery following global economic recessions over a long period ^[1]. Higher education institutions are often criticized for not preparing graduates for the real context involved in their professional practice ^[2].

This study resulted from the Gujarat government's employment promotion intervention of FS to close the employment gap between graduates and the labor market. The main objective for policymakers worldwide is to create jobs and prepare graduates for the workforce. Employability skills are the transferrable abilities a person needs to make them employable. Employees demand a set of abilities in addition to a deep level of technical knowledge and comprehension since these skills help them carry out their jobs well. Employability skills are the knowledge and soft skills (non-technical abilities) required for professional competence in the job market. Good communication, problem-solving, self-management, leadership abilities, and teamwork are all examples of employability skills.

As per the views of Knight et al. ^[3], higher education institutions are often criticized for not preparing graduates for the real contexts involved in their professional practice. Artess et al. ^[4] propose that to facilitate shared understanding, it is essential to address some assumptions about the concept of employability. Harvey ^[5] finds a lack of clarity about what employability. While referring to higher education, employability is considered more than merely 'getting a job. Yorke ^[6] observes that a set of achievements—skills, understandings and personal attributes—makes graduates more likely to get employed and do well in their chosen profession, which benefits themselves, the workforce, the community, and the economy.

While explaining the term and meaning of employability, it refers to competence-based aspect. In other words, the focus is based on the credentials and development of knowledge, competencies, and attributes that promote students' development towards effective performance in the labor market. This perspective also reinforces the responsibility of higher education institutions for the quality of the routes followed by their students.

These are fundamental competencies that enable young people with dreams and aspirations to seek appropriate jobs aligned with job satisfaction. Youth can be both, a power and a peril. Power is directed positively and perilous if it goes undirected. To channel this power for nation-building is a challenge. Employment for youth is a major concern in India and it needs to be addressed seriously. It is needed that huge employment opportunities have to be created, but at the same time, enhancing the employability skills of youth is the demand of the present time. There is a need to launch programs of employability enhancement skills to bridge the gap between employment opportunities and job seekers as it can't be denied the fact that there is somewhere to a certain extent a mismatch between the two ^[7].

Even though it might seem like jargon in contemporary times, the word employability dates back to the 1950s, when employability was apprehended as a significant factor for getting paid work in the future ^[8]. Until the 1980s, employability research chiefly focused on unemployed persons and vulnerable clusters of the economic market ^[9]. Graduate employability is seen as a multifaceted, dynamic, and multidimensional construct that includes both subjective and objective elements [10‒14]. The study focuses on investigating how FS an Employability Enhancement initiative of the Education Department, Government of Gujarat is empowering students with various skill sets that make them ready for industry employment/ self-employment/ government employment, in short-market employment, a step towards Self-reliant India @75. By 2025, India's population is projected to reach 1.65 billion. Utilizing the potential of a growing population over the next 20 years will rely on how many jobs are available for newly educated individuals. The development of competencies in higher education is strongly related to Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) 4 and SDG 8. Governments, multilateral agencies, and higher education institutions must work together by targeting publicly funded research and building partnerships across sectors ^[15,16]. Presently, the above-mentioned aspects are dealt with for inclusive growth of India by the policy makers of India and they integrated with good governance for sustainable growth and development contributing towards SDG's, human development, and Global Peace.

The following questions and point guided the study and research process:

• What is the job readiness level of graduate-level college students before the FS training and to what extent FS improves their skills after the training to meet the market demands by enhancing their employability skills?

• What is the impact of FS on the tribal college students?

• Evaluating the comprehensiveness and appropriateness FS set of employability skills by focusing on the employer's desired employability skills most often cited by the researchers.

2.   Literature review

The literature review incorporates various studies on employability, education administrators, and related aspects. Fedorchuk et al. ^[17] provide a study on developing tools for evaluating the effectiveness of regional education administrators and school administrators. The study suggests that creating evaluation methods for efficiency is crucial for achieving the established goals of regional educational systems. The research underscores the necessity to develop a new efficient element of the methodology for evaluating the efficacy and effectiveness of educators, particularly those leading regional education systems. Soft skills guarantee that domain knowledge is used effectively in daily practice and enable people to function more effectively in a global business context. The adaptability of job seekers can be increased by enhancing their soft skills. However, in the Indian context, the value of soft skills has always been overshadowed by the demand for other essential technical abilities ^[18]. Soft skills are highlighted by Izawa et al. ^[19] for enhancing job seeker's adaptability, especially in the Indian context where technical skills traditionally overshadow them. Jacobs et al. ^[20] according to research, networking activities are crucial for an employee's job success. It is argued that this type of proactive career behavior may be highly pertinent for freelance writers who cannot rely on an organizational career system promoting their further advancement but whose careers are characterized by high uncertainty and unpredictable nature. Krakovetskaya et al. ^[21] explores both theoretical and practical methods for developing the hard and soft skills needed to improve the employability of university graduates, emphasizing the entrepreneurial environment's impact on student's professional and personal development. The study addresses the underrepresentation of skill-based employability efforts among Indian students in vocational literature. It also discusses the reported disconnect between the curriculum and graduates' job skills in business education ^[22].

Studies emphasize the significance of sustainable human resource management ^[23] and the creation of campus cultures ^[24]. Shimekit et al. ^[25] identify a lack of cooperation between the education system and the labor market in improving employability, concluding that implemented policies did not sufficiently enhance graduate employability. Stoffers et al. ^[26] investigate age-related moderating effects and experimentally test a new work behavior-enhancing model of employability in small- and medium-sized firms (SMEs), while Tarkiainen ^[27] analyzes the rhetoric surrounding employability for long-term unemployed individuals.

Karacsony et al. ^[28] put in place ESF-funded projects and the project-specific environmental and social risk management tools that go with them. The CIU and PIU are of the opinion that the aforementioned strategy is sufficient to facilitate the integration of environmental and social risk control into the Skills and Employability Enhancement Project.

Our goal of this study is to evaluate the link between employability training value and job outcomes for academic staff members, using a competence-based model exploring social exchange and proactive approaches. We also investigate the impact of proactive coping and leader-member exchange ^[29]. Departing from asset ownership models, a new paradigm emphasizes substantial investment in innovation for wealth growth, introducing a seven-element "innovation capability" construct. These include vision and strategy, utilizing the competency base, organizational intelligence, managing creativity and ideas, organizational systems and processes, climate and culture, and systems engineering ^[30].

3.   Employability enhancement skills

3.1.   Employability

Employability means something that shows the capacity of the graduate to function in a job and is not to be altered or confused with the procurement of a job. Employability is a set of achievements – skills understanding and personal achievements that make graduates more likely to gain employment and be successful in their chosen occupations, which benefits them, the workforce, the community, and the economy. Employability skills are considered a social aspect that is treated at a group level and not at an individual level. The view is held that employability skills are not just the responsibility of the graduate alone, but even employers and universities should help graduates in developing the desirable employability skills. It is suggested that organizations mentor newly hired graduates to develop certain values and behaviors that are needed at the organization.

It has become a widespread tradition for higher education institutions (HEIs) to set employability expectations and enhance student learning outcomes, particularly at the undergraduate level ^[31]. The increase in interest in employability can be seen due to many reasons, like an apprehension that graduates are not able to procure public-sector employment due to the massification of higher education ^[32]. The role of HEIs goes further than guaranteeing that students are well-versed in knowledge in academics to make certain that they are prepared for the job market ^[6]. Newman ^[33], in his significant writing of The Idea of a University, clearly states that the University is a place where universal knowledge is shared, exchanged, and imparted. There is noteworthy literature that expresses liberal humanist noninterventionist perception of higher education as more than training or the acquiring of skills ^[34]. For a student, there are essential personal inspirations for enrolling in a university apart from its prospective financially viable gain to the graduate ^[35]. However, with globalization, internationalization, and a dramatic rise in for-profit institutions, the role of higher education is being redefined. Universities are expected to prepare their students for a complex society that demands employees have diverse skills and capacities ^[36].

3.2.   Employment skills

The model of employability not only includes disciplinary content knowledge and skills, but also recommends courses and training, including workplace awareness and experiences, and helps to develop generic skills such as self-management, and the management of others, information, and tasks. The generic skills within this model are operationally defined by one's ability to manage various tasks/people/items, which could provide fruitful opportunities to measure employability as a performance. Down Bennett's ^[37] model is acknowledged; however, it is deemed incomplete and a reformed model is presented: USEM. Underpinning the USEM model are four interrelated factors: 1) Understanding, 2) Skills, 3) Efficacy, and 4) Meta-cognition. ―Understanding refers to relevant subject knowledge and―Skills are defined as ―skills practiced. Likewise, ―Efficacy refers to a student's self-efficacy, specifically their belief that they can―make a difference. Finally, Metacognition refers to self-acknowledgement of the student's own knowledge. In this model, these four constructs are necessary for one to be employable. Like the Employability Assets model, skills are only a component of employability, and other factors are necessary, such as self-efficacy, for one's skills to truly affect their life outside college. The promptness of the job market revolutionizing is converting the set-up of higher education and the demands made upon them ^[38,39].

In the contemporary era, planned concern in the national growth and development outlooks of all G20 countries is a trained workforce with job readiness for the economy. In harmony, G20 leaders have pledged to support robust training strategies to meet the challenges of fostering strong, sustainable and balanced growth in each country and globally. The globalization of markets is accelerating the diffusion of technology and the pace of innovation. New occupations are emerging and replacing others. Within each occupation, required skills and competencies are evolving, as the knowledge content of production processes and services is rising. A major challenge in all G20 countries is to enhance the responsiveness of education and training systems to these changes in skill requirements, and to improve access to training and skills development ^[40].

3.3.   Skilled individuals as valued contributors to the organizations

Shaping the skills and enhancing skills of people to live well and contribute to a more sustainable world is a global objective of achieving Sustainable Development Goals. Providing evidence for the commonly held belief among educators that students who complete college are better prepared for life is a worldwide educational priority. As globalization makes education more accessible, there has been a substantial increase in enrolment rates, increasing the need for quality assurance. Economic hardships across the world have created skepticism about the value of college. Specifically, citizens want to know that college is a worthwhile investment. Individuals opt for a tangible beneficial outcome in return for their investment. With increased unemployment rates and record levels of debt among graduates, student success is unclear to the general public.

3.4.   Making of new India and employability aspects

The Government of India's top think tank on public policy Sankalp Se Siddhi is an inspirational appeal for a dramatic transformation for a New India, looking to all aspects, according to Niti Ayog's narrative on the strategy for a New India, which will be celebrated in August 2022 when India celebrates its 75th Independence Day. Unexpected events caused chaos, but despite all the destruction, India is committed to a quick economic change that would enable all citizens to find employment, whether it be in the public sector, for themselves, or in the private sector. This transformation can be made within the allotted time frame with a wave of energy, unceasing efforts, and unwavering resolve on the part of the public sector, the private sector, and each and every individual person.

3.5.   About the Finishing School

The government of India started many schemes like Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Scheme, Mudra Yojana, Prime Minister Employment Generation Program, Pradhan Mantri Rojgar Protsahan Yojana, Student Start-ups, Innovation Clubs, and Placement Fairs/ Cells ^[41], and many additional initiatives like Finishing School at the state and central level to aid employments creation through providing skill development. The Student Employability Enhancement Drive aims to empower students with various skill sets in addition to knowledge that makes them industry-ready. FS trainers enable students to polish up their life skills, employability skills, and functional and spoken English skills so as to be a notable part of building a new India and a stronger and better world. FS aims to prepare graduating students of Gujarat for better employability, industry readiness, and a prosperous career through appropriate training interventions. The vision goes a step further beyond Gujarat to spread this progressive initiative of FS throughout India. We direct our study towards knowing the impact of the FS on students of tribal colleges. The aim is if a student in Gujarat state graduates from college, with a university degree, they should be better prepared to enter the workforce than they were prior to entering higher education. The key components of FS are shown in Figure 1 ^[7].

Figure 1.  Key components of FS.

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Education Department, Government of Gujarat provides financial assistance to government and grant–in–aid colleges for the execution of the training. It is functional through the Knowledge Consortium of Gujarat (KCG). KCG appoints trainers the list is displayed on the website of KCG and each college has the liberty to choose trainers from the given list. These trainers are paid from the FS financial assistance grants availed to the colleges by the state government. The training coordinator is appointed by the college from among the existing faculty members of the college. The college coordinator provides free-of-charge services to the FS project. He/ She coordinates with the trainers and students and equally strives for effective execution and outcome of the program. The training was functional online amidst the COVID crisis. The government of Gujarat launched FS in the year 2016-17, the beneficiaries were 40 Government colleges of the Gujarat state, 20 Higher Education, and 20 Technical Institutes. Until 2022, around 140 Government colleges of the Gujarat state, 20 Higher Education, and 120 Technical Institutes were added. In 2021-22, 87 governments and 100 Grant –in- Aid colleges were covered under the FS project. By now, more than 253 colleges are executing the project following the module with four components as shown in Table 1 below. Figure 2 shows the core competencies that will be dealt with and developed in the course of finishing school training.

Table 1.  Finishing School Design-Key to comprehensive growth.

Life Skills Component Ⅰ	Hours 20	About the Topic	Learning Outcomes
Self-Awareness –SWOT	02	To know oneself better	Understanding self-better
Self-esteem	01	Measuring self-esteem using Dr Rosenberg's scale	Enhancing self-esteem
Self Confidence	01	Keeping track on skills and responsibility becoming one's own competition	Believing in oneself and gaining confidence
Empathy	01	Knowing the difference between empathy and sympathy	Enhancing empathy
Team Work	02	Learning organizational teamwork	Building principles and ideology
Life Goal setting	02	From personal to Professional	Articulate and set personal life goals
Observation and Concentration Skills	02	Collection of data through sense, attention control, excluding elements of bias, focusing on one thought	Enhance observation skills and concentration, controlling thoughts leading to inner peace
Self-Discipline	01	Developing inner strength and mind power to stick to one decision, controlling actions and reactions,	Become self-disciplined and avoid distractions
Commitment	01	Importance of commitment in personal and professional life	Staying committed to goals
Critical Thinking	01	Critical evaluation and decision-making	Improving decision-making process
Stress Management	02	How to manage stress in interpersonal and professional life	Identifying stressors and techniques to manage them
Problem Solving and Decision Making	01	Techniques to Filter, focus and solve problems	Applying Problem solving techniques and decision-making tools
Interpersonal Skills	01	Rating oneself in different situations	Demonstrating effective interpersonal skills
Negotiation Skills	02	Learning negotiating skills	Demonstrating negotiation skills
Employability Skills Component Ⅱ	Hours 20	About the Topic	Learning Outcomes
Cover Letter	01	Drafting, structure and content of cover letter	Able to write a cover letter
Resume Writing	02	Basic information, career objectives, skills, achievements, references etc	Writing resume
Interview Skills	03	Being presentable, pre-post and in interviewing behaviors	Facing interviews effectively and presenting skills
Group Discussion	02	Knowing, discussing and summing up the topic	Able to face group discussion and create a positive response
Grooming and Personal Hygiene	01	Physical fitness, dressing sense, being presentable	Maintaining courtesy, etiquette and hygiene
Body Language	01	Knowing non-verbal communication	Identifying, and adopting positive body language
Time Management and Punctuality	02	Time management matrix Identifying Urgent and not very urgent tasks	Realizing the importance of punctuality and managing time effectively
Presentation Skill	02	Delivering effective presentations, conveying ideas and convincing	Learning Oral and ICT presentation skills
Professional Goal Setting	01	Direction, motivation and accountability	Able to set a professional goal
Efficiency	01	Reach the goal with limited resources and prioritize	Time is absolutely a limited resource how to extract the maximum out of all limited resources
Planning and organizational skills	02	Process: Goals, Strategies, Results and Implementations	Planning and organizing for oneself in personal and professional life
Professional Ethics	01	Ethical organizational behaviour	Understanding professional ethics
Leadership skills	01	Leadership and its styles	Making of Leader
Following directions	01	Collaborating with skilled people to achieve the best	Learns to Be in team- team player – follower
Finishing School Design - Functional and Spoken English
Communication Skills – Functional English Component Ⅲ	Hours 20	About the Topic	Learning Outcomes
Introducing Self and Others	02	Art of self-introduction and introducing others	Will know to Introduce self and others on formal and informal occasions
Let's Name It	03	Naming words	Identifying and classifying nouns and pronouns
Describing People	02	Different kinds of descriptions in different kinds of situations	Able to use language to describe people, places and events
Role, Camera, Action	04	Use of verbs and kinds of verbs	Will know to use the right verbs in effective communication
Everyday English	04	Day-to-day conversation	Will know the usage of words according to tense
Right Word, Right Place	02	Use of prepositions	Will know how to use prepositions
Let's Connect	02	Use of connectors	Will be able to use conjunction,
Building Blocks	01	Expanding and adding to vocabulary for effective expression and communication	Will be able to understand the usage of words and sentence structure
Communication Skills – Functional English Component Ⅳ	Hours 20	About the Topic	Learning Outcomes
First Step	02	Effective exchange sending and receiving. verbal and non-verbal communication	Will learn effective communication, how to speak well and exchange ideas and information
Framing it right	02	Different kind/types of sentences	Will know how to Frame the right sentence
Developing a paragraph	02	Preparing applications, assignments, reports etc	Will learn sequence
Hello	02	Receiving and making phone calls	Will leans well to answer telephone calls
Lets pair up	02	Talking to partners Do's and Don'ts	Will develop interpersonal Skills
Essential Building Blocks	01	Use of online digital dictionaries and other tools to improve language skills	Will use language more accurately and effectively
Speak and contribute	02	Developing proficiency in language, tone, pitch, intonation etc.	Will learn to speak about self and other topics, correct pronunciations
Effective Communication	03	Email writing and use of digital platforms	Will learn effective use of ICT for communication
Let's Discuss in Group	02	Being part of a group learning behavioural and attitudinal responses	Will develop interactive skills
From the Reporter's Desk	02	Preparing, delivering, and writing report	Will sharpen reporting skills

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Figure 2.  Core Competencies summarized from literature survey & FS module ^[7].

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3.6.   Formulating the tool EEMS (Employability Enhancement Measuring Scale)

To know the impact of FS training and to measure the enhanced employability skills of the students, we drew on the theoretical concepts from Table 1. Below is the consolidated list of what students were expected to achieve by the end of the training (Figure 3).

Figure 3.  Listing of ends expected accomplishment/outcomes of the training.

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4.   Study setting

The study is conducted on tribal students of Shri M. R. Desai Arts and E.E.L.K. Commerce College, Chikhli. The study is situated in Chikhli in the southern part of the state of Gujarat located at 20.75 degrees North and 73.07 east, and has an elevation of 19 meters. It is about 27 km southeast of the city of Navsari, 28 km north of the city of Valsad, and 10 km east of the city of railway junction Bilimora. Chikhli is on the Indian National Highway 8, from where the highway reaches Dang district Ahwa via Whagai and Vansda and to Saputatra (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chikhli, _Gujarat).

5.   Methodology and population/samples

Since participating in the training was voluntary, students who wanted to participate were taken into the sample. Out of 1500 students enrolled at the school, 213 final-year BA (52 Male + 114 Female) and BCom (18 Male + 29 Female) students agreed to participate. Among 213 students, 70 (32.9%) were male and 143 (67.1%) were female. The students rated their capability on a five-point Likert scale (Lacking "1", Average "2", Good "3", Very Good "4", and Excellent "5") concerning affirmative questions. The scientific literature emphasizes the importance of valid measures for the construct the employability ^[42]. Work integration social enterprises advocate for training in employability ^[43]. Various existing sequences of questionaries ^[44] contribute to the assessment of employability demands. Before the training, the Employability Enhancement Measuring Scale (EEMS), which includes 20 items, was applied to these students. With this scale, students' exposure to FS was measured. The data obtained from this scale were named Pre-training. After the training was completed, the same scale was reapplied to the same students and the obtained data was named as post-training. Whether there was a difference between the scores given to the scale before and after the training was examined by the Paired Samples t-test, both based on an item and based on total values. Furthermore, it was examined whether gender affected Pre and Post scores.

The selected sample students came from the Dang region. They are enrolled at Shri M R Desai Arts and EELK Commerce College Chikhli, which is located in Navsari District. One of the most reputed and oldest institutions, established 50 years ago, was founded to address the educational requirements of tribal communities, aiming at their social and economic advancement. Dang, situated in the southeastern part of Gujarat, Western India, serves as the backdrop for this study. Administered from its headquarters in Ahwa, Dang spans an area of 1,764 km² with a population of 228,291 (2011 census). According to the Planning Commission, dang ranks among India's most economically disadvantaged districts, with 94% of its populace belonging to scheduled tribes. The district boasts a population density of 128 inhabitants per square kilometer and experienced a growth rate of 21, 44 % between 2001 and 2011. Notably, Dang exhibits a sex ratio of 1007 females per 1000 males, while Scheduled Castes and Scheduled tribes account for 0.43% and 94.65% of the population, respectively.

6.   Hypothesis and data analysis

Statistical analyses were performed with the SPSS 24 package program. There are 70 male and 143 female participants in the study. The maximum number of beneficiaries trained were the tribal females. The same scale form was applied to the participants before and after the training, and whether the training affected the scores given to the scale was tested with the Paired Sample t-test. Our hypotheses are:

H1: There is a statistically significant difference between the scores given to each statement before the training (Pre-training) and the scores given after the training (Post-training).

H2: There is a statistically significant difference between the total scores given before the training (Pre-training) and the total scores given after the training (Post-training).

In order to test hypothesis H1, the Paired Samples T-Test was conducted to determine whether the scores given to each statement differed before and after the training. The results obtained are given in Table 2.

Table 2.  Paired samples t-test result for each item (for H1).

Pairs	Post Mean	Pre Mean	Difference Mean	Std. Deviation	Std. Error Mean	T Stat.	P value (Sig.)	Decision
POST1 - PRE1	3.23	1.62	1.601	1.093	0.075	21.385	0.000	Support
POST2 - PRE2	3.32	1.51	1.817	1.064	0.073	24.929	0.000	Support
POST3 - PRE3	3.34	2.00	1.338	1.090	0.075	17.923	0.000	Support
POST4 - PRE4	3.18	1.91	1.268	1.027	0.070	18.008	0.000	Support
POST5 - PRE5	3.34	2.00	1.338	0.905	0.062	21.576	0.000	Support
POST6 - PRE6	3.11	2.10	1.005	1.012	0.069	14.493	0.000	Support
POST7 - PRE7	3.75	2.18	1.568	1.065	0.073	21.497	0.000	Support
POST8 - PRE8	3.22	2.08	1.136	0.983	0.067	16.860	0.000	Support
POST9 - PRE9	3.25	2.00	1.254	1.001	0.069	18.281	0.000	Support
POST10 - PRE10	3.18	2.10	1.080	0.961	0.066	16.405	0.000	Support
POST11 - PRE11	3.14	1.93	1.207	0.988	0.068	17.825	0.000	Support
POST12 - PRE12	3.16	2.07	1.099	0.969	0.066	16.552	0.000	Support
POST13 - PRE13	3.30	2.00	1.300	0.983	0.067	19.312	0.000	Support
POST14 - PRE14	3.26	2.00	1.258	0.934	0.064	19.668	0.000	Support
POST15 - PRE15	3.00	2.00	1.005	1.188	0.081	12.347	0.000	Support
POST16 - PRE16	3.26	1.90	1.366	0.999	0.068	19.966	0.000	Support
POST17 - PRE17	3.16	1.29	1.878	1.101	0.075	24.901	0.000	Support
POST18 - PRE18	3.32	1.76	1.563	1.146	0.079	19.911	0.000	Support
POST19 - PRE19	3.26	1.90	1.357	1.187	0.081	16.677	0.000	Support
POST20 - PRE20	3.29	2.00	1.286	0.935	0.064	20.069	0.000	Support

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In the analysis process, the difference values were obtained by subtracting Pre values from all items Post values. The paired Samples t-test performs operations on these difference values and reveals whether there is a difference between the previous values and the following values. If the mean of the difference values obtained is significantly different from 0 (zero), it is found that the operation has a significant effect on the measurements. In the first column of Table 2, the post and pre values of which expressions are compared are given. The value in the second column shows the values obtained from the mean of the differences. The fact that these values are positive indicates that the values obtained from the Post-Pre mathematical process have a positive mean value. Since these values are positive for all expressions, it can be said that the post values are greater than the pre values. To determine whether these positive differences are significant, if the t-statistic values obtained as a result of the test are greater than 1.96 at the 0.05 significance level, or the calculated p Value (Sig) values are less than 0.05, the difference is statistically significant. Accordingly, there is a significant difference at the 0.05 significance level between the Pre and post-values of all expressions. Education has been effective, and Statistically significant differences in students' pre- and post-scores indicate that the training is effective in enhancing the employability skills and the job readiness of the tribal.

In Table 3, some descriptive statistics values of the total score (TPRE) given by each student to 20 statements before the education and the total scores given after the education (TPOST) are given. Accordingly, a TPOST Mean: 65.08 and TPRE Mean: 38.35 were obtained. Difference Mean between TPOST and TPRE: 26,723 calculated. Since this difference is positive, it can be said that TPOST values are greater than TPRE values. The difference is also statistically significant as the T value is greater than 1.96 or the P value is less than 0.05.

Table 3.  Paired samples t-test result for total scores (for H2).

Pairs	TPost Mean	TPre Mean	Difference Mean	Std. Deviation	Std. Error Mean	T Stat.	P value (Sig.)	Decision
TPOST - TPRE	65.08	38.35	26.723	10.050	0.689	38.809	0.000	Support

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Whether there is a significant difference between the mean scores given to each item according to gender and the mean score given to the total Pre and post-values is an issue that should be considered in terms of the effectiveness of this FS training. Therefore, the following hypothesis was tested.

H3: There is a significant difference between the mean scores of the participants PRE and POST the training according to their gender.

H4: There is a significant difference between the mean scores given to the TPRE values by gender.

H5: There is a significant difference between the mean scores given to the TPOST values by gender.

The obtained data is reflected in Table 4. For the 1st, 10th, and 14th statements (items), there were significant gender differences in the mean scores before the training (PRE), with p-values of 0.011, 0.010, and 0.029, respectively. Notably, male participants consistently scored higher than female participants in items where significant differences were observed. After the training, the significant gender difference appeared only for the 2nd statement (item), with a p-value of 0.010, suggesting that male participants continued to score significantly higher than female participants for this statement. The analysis suggests that before the training, there were significant gender differences in the mean scores for specific statements. However, after the training, most of these differences disappeared, indicating that the FS training might have had a levelling effect on gender differences in the mean scores.

Table 4.  Independent samples T-test results (for H3).

Items	Mean Male	Mean Female	Std. Dev. Male	Std. Dev. Female	P (Sig.)	Items	Mean Male	Mean Female	Std. Dev. Male	Std. Dev. Female	P (Sig.)
POST1	3.47	3.10	1.018	0.894	0.011*	PRE1	1.71	1.58	0.663	0.644	0.159
POST2	3.40	3.29	0.907	0.983	0.419	PRE2	1.63	1.45	0.487	0.499	0.013*
POST3	3.46	3.29	0.793	0.939	0.193	PRE3	2.01	2.00	0.625	0.581	0.870
POST4	3.33	3.10	1.032	0.984	0.127	PRE4	1.94	1.90	0.234	0.307	0.253
POST5	3.44	3.29	0.862	0.924	0.238	PRE5	2.00	2.00	0.000	0.000	-
POST6	3.27	3.03	1.006	0.956	0.088	PRE6	2.11	2.10	0.320	0.298	0.714
POST7	3.83	3.71	0.992	0.997	0.428	PRE7	2.20	2.17	0.403	0.381	0.657
POST8	3.16	3.24	0.862	0.951	0.516	PRE8	2.09	2.08	0.282	0.267	0.825
POST9	3.21	3.27	0.961	1.022	0.690	PRE9	2.00	2.00	0.000	0.000	0.962
POST10	3.41	3.06	0.909	0.944	0.010*	PRE10	2.10	2.10	0.302	0.298	0.725
POST11	3.29	3.07	0.870	0.976	0.118	PRE11	1.94	1.93	0.234	0.256	0.962
POST12	3.27	3.11	0.833	0.987	0.245	PRE12	2.06	2.07	0.289	0.328	0.725
POST13	3.29	3.31	0.935	1.009	0.879	PRE13	2.00	2.00	0.000	0.000	-
POST14	3.46	3.16	0.829	0.969	0.029*	PRE14	2.00	2.00	0.000	0.000	-
POST15	3.03	2.99	1.154	1.190	0.836	PRE15	1.97	2.01	0.168	0.237	0.782
POST16	3.24	3.27	0.788	0.973	0.823	PRE16	1.87	1.91	0.378	0.374	0.180
POST17	3.20	3.15	0.894	1.021	0.711	PRE17	1.33	1.27	0.473	0.443	0.492
POST18	3.33	3.31	1.059	0.996	0.926	PRE18	1.77	1.75	0.516	0.496	0.343
POST19	3.33	3.22	0.944	1.135	0.505	PRE19	1.87	1.92	0.563	0.384	0.752
POST20	3.44	3.21	0.942	0.926	0.088	PRE20	2.00	2.00	0.000	0.000	0.498

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Hypothesis H4 states that there is a significant difference between the mean scores to the TPRE values by gender. However, the results are presented in Table 5. The P-value of 0.068 indicates that the difference in mean scores between male and female participants is not statistically significant at the typical significance level of 0.05. Therefore, the null hypothesis can not be rejected, suggesting that there is no significant difference between the mean scores given to the TPRE values by gender for FS training.

Table 5.  Independent samples T-test results (for H4).

Items	Mean Male	Mean Female	Std. Dev. Male	Std. Dev. Female	P (Sig.)
TPRE	38.61	38.22	1.516	1.522	0.068

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The objective of Hypothesis H5 was to investigate whether there exists a statistically significant difference between the mean scores assigned to the TPOST values based on gender for the FS training. The results are reflected in Table 6. The analysis conducted for hypothesis H5 suggests that there is no statistically significant difference between the mean scores assigned to TPOST values based on gender for FS training. This conclusion is supported by the P-value (0.080), which exceeds the conventional threshold of significance (0.05). Therefore, the null hypothesis is rejected, indicating that the observed difference in mean scores between males and females for TPOST values is likely due to be random variation than a genuine difference resulting from gender.

Table 6.  Independent samples T-test results (for H5).

Items	Mean Male	Mean Female	Std. Dev. Male	Std. Dev. Female	P (Sig.)
TPOST	66.86	64.20	10.257	9.756	0.080

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In this study, the Maximum beneficiaries trained were the tribal females. Training the tribal population and the females make the training more meaningful, as it reflects the contribution of training to gender equity, and it also adds to human development. When the females are trained for job readiness, they will be better employed and that will contribute to their personal and societal economic growth. By being self–sufficient and economically independent, the females will pave the way towards progressive growth and development. Through training, females were equipped with skills for job readiness that would bring their economic empowerment leading to women's empowerment.

SDG 4 aims to provide quality education and learning opportunities, focusing on inclusivity and skill development. We conducted this study through an FS program, which targets underprivileged individuals, making them employment-ready and contributing to inclusive growth. The study aligns with SDG 4 targets, including participation rates in education training (4.3.1) and eliminating gender disparities in education (4.5) ^[45]. SDG 8 is indicated to promote decent work and economic growth, encapsulated in its comprehensive title: "Foster sustained, inclusive, and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment, and decent work for all." A specific target, 8.b, urges the development of a global youth employment strategy, with indicator 8.b.1 assessing the existence of a developed and operationalized national strategy for youth employment. Notably, the target aim was to be completed by 2020. According to 2019 data, an impressive 98% of surveyed countries reported having a youth employment strategy in place or plans to develop one soon. The case study underscores progress toward the goal by emphasizing the role of youth training programs, which align with the broader objective to achieve full and productive employment and decent work for all ^[45].

SDG 10 has ten targets to be achieved by 2019, which are measured by various indicators. The first seven targets focus on reducing income inequalities, promoting inclusion, ensuring equal opportunities, adopting policies for equality, regulating financial markets, enhancing representation for developing countries, and managing migration responsibly. Target 10.1 aims to sustain income growth for the bottom 40% of the population at a rate higher than the national average, aligning with the goal of "shared prosperity" and complementing SDG 1. Despite global growth in income for the poor from 2012 to 2017, many countries witness the bottom 40% receiving less than 25% of the overall income ^[46]. Employment enhancement training programs like FS can significantly benefit the youth interior tribal regions of south Gujarat by facilitating job opportunities. Job readiness training contributes to reduced income inequalities, promotes social, economic, and political inclusion, ensures equal opportunities, and leads to economic security for tribal youth, gradually reducing poverty and enhancing overall social security.

SDG 16 comprises ten outcome targets, focusing on reducing violence, protecting children, promoting the rule of law, and combating corruption. Additionally, there are two means of implementation targets related to preventing violence and promoting non-discriminatory laws. Imparting employment-oriented skills training to tribal students can contribute to their employment and, consequently, uplift the social and economic status of the community. This aligns with the targets and indicators of SDG 16, promoting peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development ^[47].

7.   Limitation of the study

It should be noted that there was no involvement of employers in the training program. Employers were likely to be part of the training program as they could come either for guest lectures, workshops, or seminars or they could come and share their expectations with the trainers as well as the trainees. The sample size was 213. The experiment was done in one institution as a pilot project. It can be done in other colleges and a comparative study of the effectiveness of training can be measured, as this training program is launched by the state government simultaneously in more than 300 urban, rural, tribal, and colleges now. With the same education system, students from other regions, cities, or countries can be trained and the results can be compared.

8.   Conclusions

The analysis process involved subtracting pre-values from post-values to determine the effect of the operation on measurements, revealing positive mean difference values across all expressions and confirming the FS training efficacy in enhancing employability skills among tribal participants. Although significant gender differences in mean scores were observed before training, most disparities disappeared post-training, suggesting a leveling effect. Hypotheses H4 and H5 aimed to identify gender-based differences in TPRE and TPOST values, respectively, but statistical analyses revealed non-significant differences, indicating that gender did not significantly influence mean scores in the FS training context.

SDG 4 emphasizes quality education and inclusivity, and the study, conducted through a Finishing School program, aligns with targets related to education participation rates and gender disparities elimination. SDG 8 focuses on decent work and economic growth, with a specific target urging a global youth employment strategy, showcasing progress through youth training programs like Finishing School. SDG 10 aims to reduce income inequalities, promote inclusion, and ensure equal opportunities, with employment enhancement programs contributing to these goals. SDG 16 targets outcomes, such as reducing violence and corruption, and providing employment-oriented skills training aligns with these objectives, uplifting tribal communities.

The research concludes that the Finishing School training in South Gujarat, India, aimed to inclusively benefit tribal students, particularly economically weaker and marginalized groups. Feedback, through questionnaires, expressed gratitude towards the training and highlighted its positive impact. The study underscores the emergence of training programs like FS across Higher Education Institutions to enhance graduate employability skills, aligning with governmental efforts for positive outcomes. Despite existing gaps between the employment market, Higher Education Institutions and policymakers, initiatives like the National Education Policy in India aim to bridge these disparities. The research suggests that strategy-led training programs, when effectively implemented, can have favorable results. Furthermore, India's National Education Policies emphasize research excellence, with the establishment of bodies like the National Research Foundation, to prioritize employability enhancement skills in university visions and strategic planning.

Use of AI tools declaration

The authors declare that they have not used Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools in the creation of this article.

Acknowledgements

The authors are thankful to the Department of Higher Education, Government of Gujarat for their financial support. The authors are also thankful to the Shri M R Desai Arts & EELK Commerce College, Chikhli, for providing facilities and library services to conduct the program.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that there are no conflicts of interest.

Ethics declaration

The research data collection was approved by the Institute of Shri M R Desai Arts & EELK Commerce College, Chikhli, Gujarat, India.