A stark paradox is unfolding in India's workforce. While women's enrolment in higher education is rising sharply, their readiness for the job market remains critically low, creating a major bottleneck in the nation's talent pipeline. The latest 'Her Path, Her Power' report by TeamLease Degree Apprenticeship (TLDA) reveals that only 34–37% of graduating women are considered employable, with engineering recording a particularly alarming rate of just 22%.
The Employability Chasm: From Healthcare Highs to Engineering Lows
The disconnect between academic degrees and practical job skills is most pronounced in technical fields. Engineering has the lowest female employability rate at a mere 22%, highlighting deep systemic gaps in preparing women for core technical roles. In contrast, the IT and software sector shows a 36% employability rate for women graduates, while Banking, Financial Services and Insurance (BFSI) stands at around 40%.
Retail and sales perform better at 42%. The clear leader is healthcare, where 55–60% of women are job-ready, thanks to structured training and clear skill alignment in the sector. This wide disparity underscores a sector-specific challenge in translating education into employment.
Beyond Employability: Pay Gaps and Shrinking Representation
The challenges for women in the Indian workforce extend far beyond initial employability. The report details a persistent gender pay gap, with women earning 20-35% less than male counterparts for similar roles. This discrepancy worsens in leadership positions, reaching up to 28%.
Representation also dwindles sharply with seniority. Women hold about 31% of entry-level corporate positions, but this figure falls to approximately 17% at the executive level and 20% on corporate boards. This is compounded by India's Female Labour Force Participation Rate (FLFPR), which at 31.7% is well below the global average of 50%. In urban areas, the FLFPR is even more concerning at about 22%, despite rising educational attainment among women.
Furthermore, women remain concentrated in lower-paying sectors. A telling example is healthcare: despite an increasing number of female MBBS graduates, women constitute only about 17% of allopathic doctors.
Apprenticeships Emerge as a Key Solution Amid Uneven Adoption
In response to this widening skills gap, apprenticeships are gaining recognition as a practical game-changer. Data indicates that nearly 98% of apprentices transition into formal employment, with many retained by their training employer. For women, these programs offer structured entry points, paid learning, and crucial real-world experience, helping overcome barriers like career breaks or a lack of confidence.
Female participation in apprenticeships has grown impressively, with a 58% increase in enrolment over three years. Sectors like IT, retail, and automotive are driving this growth. Hyderabad leads among cities, with 42% women apprentices in 2024, followed by Mumbai and Bengaluru.
However, adoption is uneven. Over 38% of companies still report having no women apprentices at all, pointing to significant untapped potential in corporate hiring strategies. Sectors like BFSI, healthcare, and logistics also remain underutilised in terms of apprenticeship opportunities for women.
The report, based on data from the AISHE 2023 report and TLDA's analysis, paints a clear picture: India must bridge the gap between educating women and employing them effectively to harness their full economic potential, especially as they constitute 48% of the population but contribute only 18% to GDP.
