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Job-oriented course graduates popular with corporates

A total of 116 engineering and management institutes have shut down in 2013 so far, as compared to 100 last year. Seats in existing institutes are also lying vacant. In Maharashtra out of the total 45,700 MBA seats available, only 12,800 have been filled in 2013. And the scene is no different when it comes to engineering colleges. In Tamil Nadu alone, it is estimated around 80,700 seats in engineering colleges have found no takers.

So what are the courses that are in demand and where do corporates prefer hiring from?

With fewer technical institutes seeking permission from the AICTE, several corporates have launched specialised high-end courses that address the requirements of targeted industries. And these are increasingly becoming popular.

"With faster turnaround time, companies do not have the liberty to provide long training and orientation processes for their fresh recruits," observes Puneet Aggarwal, HR head, eNT Data Management Solutions. "Today we expect the candidate to contribute from day one. And this is where organisations offering high-quality, specialised post graduate courses come into the picture. The courses are designed around corporate requirements with hands on experience, saving the employer time, effort and money."

Take the case of Stock Market Institute (SMI), an organisation incubated by JGI ventures in Bangalore. SMI is India′s first stock market institute where industry experts teach students all about the Stock Market, using live trading tools. Students are trained on live screens by creating their own DEMAT accounts.

The result, several of their students has been hired by companies like Goldman Sachs, Northern Trust, Deloitte, KPMG and E&Y, in their first year of operation.

Other players offering new and specialised job-oriented PG courses include Chennai-based JH Institute, an IT Training Division of I-Net, that provides comprehensive courses in PHP, SEO & SEM and Testing; and the likes of Sri Ramchandra Medical College and Research Institute (SRMCRI) which provides specialised course of `MD in Sports Medicine′.

"What we offer are job-oriented and totally practical set of offerings, aimed at providing real time learning to individuals," states B Deepak Kumar, program director and chief strategic officer, of SMI. "The idea is to provide real world career skills, so that the student can contribute from day one.′′ Industry players attribute relevant syllabi and courseware for their popularity.

"Shrinking of takers for formal courses is a clear indication that a course correction is required,′′ states Aggarwal. "The market requirement today is on quality and relevant courseware, which is lacking. With companies reducing their per year hires students are also realizing the futility of the expensive courses."

"And it is here that organisations like SMI and SRMCRI have an advantage. They provide career building courses, which address long term corporate requirements."