Bridging the Education–Employment Gap under NEP 2020: AI Literacy, Communication Competence, and Work-Integrated Learning for Graduate Employability

Abstract India's expansion of higher education has created unprecedented opportunities for young people, yet the movement from educational qualification to meaningful employment remains uneven. The central challenge is no longer simply access to degrees but the relationship between credentials, capabilities, workplace experience, and employment outcomes. This conceptual paper examines how the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 can contribute to narrowing this education–employment gap through the integrated development of AI literacy, communication competence, and work-integrated learning. Drawing on recent policy evidence from NITI Aayog, the International Labour Organization, and contemporary scholarship on artificial intelligence and work-integrated learning, the paper argues that employability should not be treated as an additional soft-skills component appended to an academic curriculum. Rather, it should emerge from a coherent educational architecture connecting disciplinary knowledge with communication, digital and AI capabilities, authentic workplace exposure, critical thinking, and demonstrable competence. The paper proposes an integrated framework in which AI literacy and communication competence function as enabling capabilities, while work-integrated learning provides the context in which those capabilities are tested and developed. It concludes by suggesting institutional measures through which Indian higher education can move from credential-centred education towards competency-, experience-, and outcome-oriented graduate preparation.