Supply Chain, AI, robotics- Pearson India's top picks for 2018

Pearson India, the world's learning company, today unveiled findings of its recent study for top 5 professional programs in India which match the specific industry needs for 2018. The study reveals top preferred professional programs that can help learners towards upgrading and enhancing the skills to meet industry requirements.

"India is one of the fastest emerging economies today and the need to remain up-to-date with globally-applicable knowledge and skill sets has become imperative. The professional programs will help learners gain industry specific-knowledge and develop ideas to resolve the prevailing/future challenges. At Pearson, we have developed an efficacy-driven approach to help working professionals upgrade their skills and progress in their careers," said Varun Dhamija, Vice President-Pearson Professional Programs (PPP), Pearson India.

According to a recent research conducted by KPMG, along with insights from Google search, the online education industry will be a $1.96 billion industry by 2021. Hence, choosing the right professional course becomes the most crucial decision especially with so many available options.

As per the study findings, here is the list of top 5 preferred professional programs that will play a positive role for working professionals in 2018:

1. Supply Chain Management- The environment for companies has changed a lot with a better regulatory environment - with the clearance of GST- and a greater demand of faster reach of products across the country, with the acceleration of ecommerce. There is thus a strong demand for a new age supply chain professional. The specific skills in demand are analytics, design, technology, dynamics and end-to-end supply chain management. There are opportunities both for existing supply chain professionals to upgrade themselves and new professionals to enter the field.

2. Artificial Intelligence- Artificial Intelligence is the top trending technology right now and is making its presence and importance felt across the globe. In India, the top job demand for AI are in Bangalore (34 percent of the jobs), Delhi/NCR (18 percent of the jobs), followed by Mumbai and Pune (16 percent of the jobs). There is wider demand for professionals who can work on the Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning side. On the niche side professionals who can apply AI and ML skills to robots and on the animation side are in demand too.

3. Robotics- While robotics is a new field, it that has gained popularity as a career choice, especially among engineering students. The industry has gathered pace after the advancement in Information Technology and computer industry. With the 9 percent of average yearly growth of the robotics industry, the career opportunities for trained robotics professionals are expected to rise. The interesting modules of the course will provide a platform to solve fundamental problems by applying mathematical concepts and design smarter robots.

Demand for Robotics is more widespread across India with Bangalore having 16 percent of the jobs, Chennai at 7 percent, Hyderabad and Secunderabad at 6 percent. Delhi/NCR at 12 percent and Mumbai/Pune at 10 percent are the other big cities of demand for Robotics.

4. Digital Marketing- Corporates are now embracing the digital change and have started to explore the new and exciting mode of communication with customers that involves Digital Marketing. According to a study conducted by Bullhorn, 64 percent of recruiters have reported a shortage of skilled candidates for available marketing roles. Hence, today the professionals need to be well acquainted with the changes shaping the business environment and opt for training that prepares them for this scenario.

The digital marketing course will equip the participants with the relevant skills that the industry now needs such as new techniques in market research, metrics to gauge and guide ongoing customer-centric efforts and leverage the power of social media.

5. General Management- In an era of continuous changes, professionals need to equip themselves with new skills and resources needed to manage their enterprises. General Management is an academic program that allows professionals to keep their skills sharp and learn about new trends and technologies in their given industries. Professionals who aim to prepare for a general management role and wish to understand the recent developments in business models, management theory and practices should opt for this program.