The document outlines an assignment to understand challenges with the traditional path from education to employment. It involves interviewing stakeholders, creating an empathy map, and defining a problem statement. The empathy map identifies issues such as the education system not adequately preparing students for real-world challenges, a lack of skills like collaboration being taught, and students undergoing emotional stress during career transitions. The problem statement focuses on finding a way to make the school-to-work transition more productive for both employees and employers.

1. DESIGN THINKIG ACTION LAB
ASSIGNMENT
Kameswaran Subbaraman
5th August 2013

2. Design Challenge Brief
• Go to school, get your degree, get a
job. Does this traditional path from
education to employment make sense today
for the hundreds of millions of learners
around the world? -

3. • Interview Stakeholders1
• Create Empathy Map2
• Define Problem
statement3
Assignment Overview

4. Empathy Map --Say
• Say1. Industry can partner with Educational institures to help prepare students
for real life challenges.
2. Academic Brilliance does not always translate to job performance
3. A Radical way to resolve would be to just hire for skills and ignore
educational qualification
4. A practical way approach would be to equip students with real life skills in
partnership with educational institutes
5. Transition is traumatic for students
6. Students undergo emotional upheaval
7. Education environment is overl y protective
8. Education curriculum does NOT include emotional elements
9. Quality of teaching staff is also an impediment
10. Students do not follow the code of ethics rigourously
11. Students are NOT prepared to take ownership
12. Students need to acquire collaboration, team work and communication
skills

5. Empathy Map --Feel
• Say
1. Students’ transition needs in an ever changing world are not adequately
addressed.
2. Parents have a role – as they seemingly goad their wards towards
lucrative career rather than pursuing their talents
3. Industry can contribute by bridging the gap between academia and real
world problem solving.
4. Feels

6. Empathy Map --Think
• Say
1. The current Educational system is flawed and does not address real life
challenges
2. Industry can do something about it by participating with educational
institutions and imparting job skills
3. Educational system can include some real life problem solving as part of
the curriculum
4. Students take ownership of their skill enhancement aspectin addition to
routine learning
5. Parents can also contribute by not goading students towards streams that
yield high salary and rather let students choose their area of
specialization

7. Empathy Map --Insights
• Say1. Education system as antiquated– still largely follows a “sage on the stage”
approach .
2. Education system inadequately prepares students for the real life
challenges, leaving a gaping hole
3. This leaves a huge emotional pressure on students when they start their
careers
4. Skill development, collaboration and problem solving need to be
imparted to students
5. Industry can also participate with educational institutions in their
community and contribute to skill development and be a “Guide by the
side” .

8. Problem Statement
• As a consummate HR Professional whose role
not only includes hiring students just out of
college but also ensuring that they have an
environment to thrive on and achieve their
dreams, every day, She, needs a way to
ensure that the transition from school to
work is productive to both employees and
employers