One man's 'magic' is another man's engineering. 'Supernatural' is a null word. - Robert A. Heinlein
An ocean is not an entity of its own without the rivers, streams and many more water bodies together constituting them to form the greatest aquatic ecosystem which is home to everything marine. The IT sector known to man as an ocean of technology has been constituted to have a structure similar as previously stated, with a number of attributions to it like Software, Technology, Civil, Mechanical, Telecommunication, and so on. It provides the base of operations to everything worldwide. It is also the threshold for businesses to flourish and is an interlinked web where everything affects everyone.
IT is also a hub that focuses strongly on generating talent from all initial starts from the bottom. There is opportunity for software graduates. IT service engineers, architects, quality specialists, technology specialists, IT support. Other than these, the industry also needs people who understand other aspects like airline industry, airline structure, support and such. These are the various aspects of engineers for support and scope.
Broken curriculum design and partnering with training providers are methods to reconcile to give an overall framework and pipeline of graduates to meet these requirements to recollect candidates and provide hands on training to make them job ready. The employees at various IT firms lecture at various colleges with a purpose of contributing to the same.
There has been effort put by education system for restructuring their curriculum. There are constant efforts to link with the industry. The reality differs from what usually is received. It takes over eight to nine months to make people job ready. After listening to queries of most institutions NIIT has developed a program called "boot-camp" where graduates are put for 3 month where there is full time investment in making them job ready, market and industry ready. There is a lot of effort put in once they are recruited. The education system has various drawbacks that fall short making them job ready. There is a need to instill trust regarding an engineering graduate’s performance. This also involves trust of performance heads where they should be confident to pick them and put them in the right assignments. The trust factor that is being spoken of is completely lacking. By imbibing practices that provide them realistic exposure during their education, most of the task of providing job market graduates is accomplished.
Practical projects, industry curriculum, education institutions should try and engage with the industry to deal with sharing exposure and they should focus on overall regiment. Technology is an aspect of the same. Institutions have a desirable need to create a stimulating environment during the learning process. Practical exposure given is limited and it does not help in skill building. Creating a stimulated environment with customers, project groups and people who run the industries and play a role has a larger impact on the mind of an engineering student as to what would they do after the college phase of life. This helps in them making feel like they are actually working in an IT or corporate environment. This method of learning is far more impactful and effective. This involves learning while one works on it.
Update to Stay Abreast of the Trends
In today's world, IT technology upgrading goes without saying, that changes are unpredictable. There is a lot of technical awareness about the latest technology. In the IT services, the industry specific knowledge has become very critical. A computer engineer is expected to have some understanding of some of the ongoing software trends and IT industry exposure. Currently such factors lack in the curriculum. Emphasis on this puts a lot of weight on the Curriculum Vitae of an aspiring graduate as well as on an institution's rank. While engineers are known to go for design, in today's environment, customers ask for value that means engineers need to be creative and ability to come out with a solution. Such are the latest needs of the IT.
The industry currently is undergoing changes rapidly and these changes are inevitable and adapting to these has become a task and education institutions should develop ways and framework that engages interaction with the industry and changes or upgrades their curriculum constantly. This has to be at the same pace at what the industry is running. Establishment and focus of this should be imbibed. The need of the hour is the framework of institutions that help them run with the industry and recruitments. By imbibing these practices, half the battle of producing capable and job ready graduates is won.
-As told to Waheeb Ulla.
Deepa Mukherjee:
She is the Head of Training & Development & Professional Coach, NIIT Technologies Ltd. She has a number of accolades to her credit in the field of IT that include Chairman's Award at NIIT Technologies - 2010, Excellence Award at NIIT - 2004, Excellence Award at NIIT - 1998 amongst many others.
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