Industrial visits play a crucial role in the holistic development of students, bridging the gap between theoretical knowledge and real-world application. These excursions to industrial settings provide students with invaluable insights and practical exposure that are often not attainable within the confines of a classroom.
Here are four reasons why industrial visits are essential for student development:
Practical application of theoretical knowledge: Industrial visits offer students a unique opportunity to witness firsthand how the concepts and theories learned in the classroom are applied in real-world scenarios. Seeing the actual machinery, processes, and operations in action allows students to grasp the practical implications of their academic learning. This experience fosters a deeper understanding of the subject matter and enhances their problem-solving abilities. Apeejay Stya University student Gunjit Setia highlights how industrial visits offer students with practical learning experiences. “During industrial visits, we get an opportunity to learn about new technologies as well as interact with professionals. These enhance our understanding, critical thinking skills while helping us gain practical insights into the field.”
Furthermore, visiting industries exposes students to the latest advancements, technologies, and best practices in the field. Students witness how industries address challenges, optimise processes, and incorporate innovations to stay competitive. Such exposure nurtures their curiosity and encourages them to stay updated with the evolving trends in their respective disciplines, making them more adaptable and future-ready professionals.
Opportunity to interact with industry experts: Young learners get a chance to meet industry leaders who share their wisdom, learning, and experiences. These interactions are valuable to students in their career and help them in developing different qualities and skills, including management skills, leadership abilities, professionalism, time management, alongwith learning how the industry is working. Industry interaction is also helpful in updating the curriculum when there are significant changes in prevalent technologies; also, the faculty members get to know about the industry’s latest trends.
Sharing a similar opinion, Dr. Kulwant Kaur from School of Information Technology at Apeejay Institute of Management & Engineering Technical Campus, Jalandhar, says, “Industrial visits are an essential part of the academic curriculum with an objective to provide both undergraduate and postgraduate students a chance to learn practically through interactions with entrepreneurs and industry professionals. The industrial visits offer an opportunity to experience the real workstations, plants, machines, systems, assembly lines, and interact with highly trained and experienced personnel.”
Fostering career awareness: Through industrial visits, students get to learn about a variety of roles and job profiles within a particular industry. This exposure helps students gain clarity about different career paths and aids them in making informed decisions about their future academic and career choices. It can be a pivotal experience that ignites passion and ambition in students, guiding them towards a specific career path they may not have considered before. Gunjit, who is at present interning with Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology, further adds, “Industrial visits also help students to explore career paths, build valuable connections, and inspire further studies or research projects. Undoubtedly, industrial visits are invaluable for holistic development of students, enhancing their academic and career prospects.”
Development of soft skills and professionalism: Industrial visits provide a platform for students to interact with industry professionals and employees. Engaging in conversations with experts enhances their communication, interpersonal, and networking skills. Additionally, witnessing the work environment and observing employees’ conduct and professionalism cultivates a sense of responsibility and work ethics among students. These soft skills are essential in building their overall personality and preparing them for their future careers. Dr. Akanchha Singh, an Assistant Professor with Apeejay Stya University (ASU), Gurugram, explains how industrial visits expose students to the actual working environment in any organisation or industry. “Experiencing the application of theoretical concepts helps students bridge the gap between classroom learning and practical implementation,” she adds.
Moreover, Professor Dr Sunil Kumar Roy, Dean at School of Management Sciences mentioned that industrial visits allow students to observe the working processes while experiencing the transformation of theoretical knowledge to the real business world. “Interaction with the corporate professionals help students to get a clarity of thought and enrich their learning.”