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Are college graduates ready for the job market? Corporate firms don’t seem to think so. And this is the challenge that Bengaluru-based edtech startup Corizo Edutech aims to address with courses that boost the employability of candidates.

According to a report by recruitment automation firm HirePro, 70% of academic institutions believe their graduates are well-equipped for the corporate world, but only 16% of the companies surveyed believe so.

The gap between university curriculum and industry expectations seems to be widening every year, with traditional courses not offering adequate industry exposure and relevant job-ready skills to students.

“While formal education provides a foundation, it isn’t practical or industry-oriented enough to make students truly job-ready,” says Himanshu Singh, Co-founder, CMO, Corizo Edutech.

This realisation led Singh to start Corizo, an edtech startup, along with his former colleagues.

Founded by Sourav Kamboj, Himanshu Singh, Vivek Agarwal, and Hemant Ingle, who are all engineers by profession, in 2023, Corizo predominantly targets college students and young professionals with upskilling courses at “affordable” prices.

The online learning platform strives to provide students with practical knowledge through hands-on projects and connect them with industry experts, thus giving them an “upper hand” in the job market. It also offers internship programmes to give students real-world experiences and help them secure job placements.

“Students can enrol in industry-aligned courses, receive mentorship from top professionals, and have lifetime access to the course content, along with the regular updates, to stay aligned with industry trends and advancements,” says Singh.

Courses at Corizo

Corizo offers courses in computer science, data science, electronics, mechanical engineering, digital marketing, management, human resources, business and finance, and medicine (includes genetics engineering, nanotechnology, psychology).

It also provides tech courses in web development, artificial intelligence, machine learning, and graphic design.

The startup will soon offer courses in advanced drone tech with a drone pilot licence, robotics DIY, product management, content creation, and medical coding.

The courses are tailored to suit current industry needs. “Some domains are personalised to suit each learner, like the career advancement programme, for which  AI is used to suggest suitable content,” says Singh.

The courses on Corizo are available in three learning modules—self paced, mentor-led, and professional.

Self-paced courses range between two to three months, and students have access to content via the LMS (learning management system) portal.

An LMS portal is a software application that helps companies and organisations manage and deliver educational courses and training, learning and development programmes to users.

Corizo’s LMS system allows students to access course materials, track their progress, and engage with mentors and peers. Students receive assignments based on the topics covered, apart from weekly quizzes and competitions.

Mentor-led courses, which also span between two and three months, offer students the opportunity to interact with industry experts, experienced professionals, and senior people from companies such as ISRO, Ericsson, LTIMindtree, NIIT, Deloitte, and Infosys.

The professional courses spanning three to four months help students get placement-ready via mock interviews.

“Depending on their learning style, schedule, and need for guidance, students can choose from the three modules,” says Singh, adding that the courses are pocket friendly, ranging from Rs 4,000 to Rs 25,000.

 Additionally, students can opt for a Golden Pass for Rs 11,999, which gives them access to all courses available on Corizo’s platform.

Certifications and collaborations

Industry collaborations form an important part of Corizo’s go-to-market strategy.

The startup has tied up with companies such as Brakes India, Weboin, Orbo, Infogreen, Cyberensis Infosec, and AACP Infrastructure Systems for mentoring and internships.

Corizo’s courses come with aptitude tests in collaboration with TCY, an online platform that provides exam preparation resources and training. These mock tests are tailored for placement exams and exams conducted by HCL, Infosys, Ericsson, Wipro, IBM, TCS, Accenture, L&T, Deloitte, and Capgemini.

“The certificates are provided in collaboration with Wipro Dice ID (an identity verification solution), and adds credibility to the students’ qualifications,” says Singh.

The startup recently collaborated with Drona Aviation for a drone engineering programme—an eight-week course to provide students in-depth knowledge and hands-on experience in aerodynamics, drone technology, and drone programming.

Teaching, mentoring, and explanation on how to build a drone is offered by Corizo, while Drona Aviation provides DIY kits with all the parts required to build a drone.

Thanks to the market demand, the drone course has been a “hot-selling product” since its introduction in July this year, with 367 enrolments and 143 completions, says Singh.

Market and growth plans

According to Invest India, the Indian edtech sector, which is currently estimated at $7.5 billion, is projected to touch $29 billion by 2030, growing at a CAGR of 25.8%.

Upskilling is a big part of this market. A report by Great Learning says that 85% of Indians plan to invest in upskilling as they believe it’s necessary to future-proof their careers.

Corizo views MyCaptain and Teachnook as its direct competitors in the mentor-led upskilling space.

Commenting on the startup’s USP, Singh says at Corizo, students get one-on-one guidance, learn how to approach the job market, and get feedback on projects, in addition to the content available on the platform.

The edtech startup has so far catered to more than 70,000 students this year. About 80% of users are students, while 20% are working professionals, Singh points out. Most of the traction comes from Bengaluru, Mumbai, Pune and Chennai, he adds.

The bootstrapped company has offices in Bengaluru and Gurugram and plans to set up shop in Pune soon.

Corizo, which clocked a revenue of Rs 7 crore in FY24, aims to register Rs 15 crore to Rs 17 crore in FY25. In the next five years, it plans to reach a revenue of about Rs 120 crore and open offices in Hyderabad and Kochi.