JKC expects 'normal' recruitments

Andhra Pradesh’s Jawahar Knowledge Centre (JKC), a training and placement support institute for engineering and other graduates, expects a “normal” recruitment season this year.

In 2009-10, it had placed over 2,000 students, 1,964 of them engineering graduates, in various IT companies.

“Last year was immediately after the recession and the numbers were thin. We expect something like 4,000-5,000 this year. In a normal year, we used to get around 4-5,000. We may see similar numbers this year,” said a senior JKC official who did not wish to be quoted.

The JKC placement season starts around mid-February and remains hectic for the following two months. The state has 703 engineering colleges, of which 503 have registered for JKC programme this year.

Last year, Infosys was the biggest recruiter from JKCs, taking 503 students, followed by Mahindra Satyam which recruited 431 and CSC 333. In all, 28 IT companies recruited through the centre.

This year, around 85,000 students have registered for the programme, which began in 2004. It provides soft skills and English language courses for second- and third-year students. For the final year students, the centre offers technical qualification in programming languages as well as certifications from Oracle, IBM and Microsoft.

Nearly 80 percent of its registered students are engineering or MCA (Master’s in Computer Applications) graduates, and two-thirds of the total come from a rural background. The official said the only reason for JKC not attracting students from non-professional courses on a similar scale is that they do not look for a job after graduation but go for higher education.

The JKC holds a workshop with corporate houses in August to know the skills required in the industry, and modifies its programme accordingly. The official said that even after a student finishes the course, it would continue to provide them information through emails on job offers and skill requirements.