Exploring the Role of Incubation Centers and Start-Ups in Bridging the Skill Gap: An Empirical Study of Collaborative Skill Development Ecosystems

Exploring the Role of Incubation Centers and Start-Ups in Bridging the Skill Gap: An Empirical Study of Collaborative Skill Development Ecosystems Dr. Shrinivas A Sirdeshpande Professor, CSE AIML, AMC Engineering College, Bengaluru Abstract Entrepreneurship is the key to sustainability, growth and future for any nation. It is the need of an hour for developing economies like India. "The increasing gap between academic learning and industry skill requirements" has been identified as one of the critical challenges faced by emerging economies. The present study aims to understand the role played by incubation centers and start-ups in bridging the gap between academic learning and industry requirements through collaborative skill development ecosystems. An empirical research methodology was followed to collect primary data of 220 respondents through structured questionnaire from student entrepreneurs, start-up entrepreneurs, and incubation managers of various incubation centers. The present study aims to understand how incubation centers, start-ups, and their entrepreneurial ventures can play a vital role in promoting essential employability skills such as innovation capability, problem-solving skills, digital literacy, and entrepreneurial skills among students. The study reveals that incubation centers play a vital role in promoting practical skill acquisition and employability skills among students. Keywords: Entrepreneurship, Incubation, Skill Gap, Start-ups, Employability, Innovation Ecosystem