Ideaz

A persistent challenge in engineering education is the disconnect between what students learn in classrooms and what industry demands. While universities emphasize theory, companies look for practical, hands-on expertise—especially in rapidly evolving fields like Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Data Science, and MLOps. This gap often leaves graduates underprepared for technical interviews, internships, and real-world roles.

SkillForge is an AI-powered platform designed to close this gap by creating personalized, career-relevant learning journeys for students. The platform leverages machine learning models to analyze academic records, project portfolios, GitHub activity, and career aspirations. Based on these insights, it builds a dynamic skill profile and recommends tailored micro-projects and modules that replicate real-world use cases—such as fraud detection models, chatbot deployment, or IoT-based data pipelines.

To ensure industry relevance, SkillForge co-develops modules with professionals and mentors. Students gain guidance through live mentorship, earn blockchain-secured verifiable credentials, and connect with internships or job opportunities via partner companies. Unlike conventional platforms offering generic courses, SkillForge adapts to each learner’s progress and evolving industry trends in real time.

Key Features of SkillForge:

• AI Career Coach: An NLP-driven chatbot for resume reviews, interview practice, and personalized feedback.

• Gamified Learning: Badges, leaderboards, and “forging levels” to motivate continuous progress.

• Skill-to-Industry Dashboard: Real-time mapping of skills with market demand to keep learners future-ready.

• Peer Collaboration Hub: A space for students to co-build projects and simulate real workplace teamwork.

• Employer Talent Pipeline: Companies access anonymized dashboards to spot emerging talent and skill trends.

This problem resonates with me personally. During technical interviews, I realized the inadequacy of classroom exposure, and I have seen peers struggle in internships due to limited practical skills. SkillForge is my vision to empower students with confidence, competence, and industry readiness. By aligning education with employability, SkillForge can transform how engineering graduates prepare for their careers.