Specialised institutes focus more on career demands

In an attempt to improve the employability component among the individuals in Uttar Pradesh, specialised training institutes are thriving in the state.

With educational and training institutions like Making India Employable (MIE), Elements Akademia and Institute of Computer and Finance Executives (ICFe) setting up bases in the state, the gap between the skill demands of the industry and job seeking individuals are likely to reduce.

According to industry experts, the main fissure occurs when students, even after receiving training, are unable to deliver productivity at their places of work. This forces most of them to leave their jobs and search for other career perspectives.

The problem arises when a person has acquired technical know how about a particular job, but still apprehensions cloud his employability quotient.

“Today the biggest issue faced by all students as well as institutes is of employability. Not many institutes have done a complete mapping of the industry requirements and created courses that meet industry expectations. So the skill sets that a student acquire is either at variance with industry demands or not in keeping with the latest industry and global norms,” Santosh Mangal, managing director, Nexgen Edusolutions Pvt Ltd, told Business Standard.

The situations have become more intense given the recent economic downturn and with various companies cutting the pay package of employees, while some even laying off their staff.

On the other hand, the cost component in education sector is on a high as well.

The median cost of acquiring a degree in management will fetch over Rs 10 lakh for an individual from an average college, which is at times difficult to manage for the middle-class families.

According to the chief executive officer of a reputed training institute, by providing training opportunities the vocational training institutes break the myth that only a good MBA or engineering or doctorate degree can help them make a profitable career.

The training institutes offer courses in finance, retail, customer service, employability skills, sales, marketing, computerised accounting, direct taxes, indirect taxes, banking, insurance and investment, besides covering modules dedicated to soft skill development like English and personality development programme.

According to Sunita Dixit, counselor at a reputed private intermediate college in Lucknow, a student well equipped with some professional or vocational training will be a brighter candidate to get jobs across verticals.

Elements Akademia, an institute aimed at grooming the youths to make them employable, is an initiative of a few IIM alumni. The institute intends to make over 10,000 Indian employable by 2010.

It has a six-month comprehensive part-time course encompassing business communication, managerial effectiveness, basic IT knowledge and other specialised domain knowledge in insurance, inventory, management, accounting, among others.

In an attempt to provide better training facilities to the students, many institutes have roped in renowned education institutions from across the world. For instance, MIE has joined hands with Britain-based London Chamber of Commerce and Industry-International Qualifications (LCCI-IQ). Under the agreement, LCCI will give its certification to MIE’s students. It will give them a chance to be a part of any university which comes under the ambit of LCCI, thus giving the students a chance to diversify in foreign lands as well.

The institutes are also working towards making their curriculum more industry-specific.

For this purpose, ICFe have joined hands with the Indian Institute of Management-Lucknow (IIML). Under the understanding reached, IIM-L will review the course curriculum, interact with leading professionals from the sector to understand their requirements and then present their comments for updating the courses.