A course that promised ample job opportunities after graduation until a few years back, is losing its relevance in the industry. So, the government in consultation with the industry has decided to introduce vocational curriculum in engineering courses to improve employability of students. HRD minister Kapil Sibal recently said, “We will have industry set the syllabi for the students so that when they complete their course, employability is not a problem.” While much has been said about the relevance of vocational training today, not many are convinced with the way engineering curriculum is framed.
A student from DCE tells us that there is no dearth of options for students from the top 10 engineering colleges. “But for those who are not from the ‘brands’, getting a good job is a challenge. Some vocational training will help them find a job. In fact there are many companies, which are now collaborating with education partners to train people,” says Piyush, a DCE student. Companies these days collaborate with top B-schools and technical graduates get their management degrees through distance learning from the best B-schools in the country while they work.
Meeting the industry demand with little exposure is another problem many students are facing. Richa Nathani, a B.Tech student tells us, “Our syllabus is technical, but the industry demands some prior exposure. There are so many subjects that are not even related to the practical field. They will have to do away with some theoretical subjects and give it all a more practical approach.”
Talking about vocational training, many engineering students also feel there’s a serious lack of trained staff in these colleges. For instance, a student from Lovely Professional University says the first challenge is to train the trainers. “The biggest issue that these institutes face is the lack of trainers. This is driven both by the low salary paid to trainers and also the general unavailability of well-qualified trainers. We have some really good vocational training courses in our college but the faculty is not that good. A major problem is that our university has hired its own students to teach who are not too skilled. They are just 2 to 3 years older to us and know little about the industry,” says Mohit Madan, a student from LPU.
According to some students, the problem lies both in the industry and the course. “The kind of syllabus we have at the engineering level is nothing great. A passout from Class 12 can do the same job with his knowledge. Even if you know basic Java and C++, you’re set for the industry. The students choose to take up engineering just because the industry demands so. The industry demands a basic graduate degree with an average score for those who wish to join the industry. We are not focusing on talent here, but certificates,” says Sahib Singh Jaspal, who works with an IT firm in Noida.
Planning to go to the US for her Masters, Rhea Kakkar (name changed on request), a passout from IIT says, “In the US, they concentrate on the basic knowledge and in every semester you have to submit a project which gives you an insight into the industry. A student gets knowledge from various fields and is paid well by the industry. India should learn from the West.”