BTech & beyond

In order to improve employability prospects, engineering graduates need to identify their path based on interest, aptitude and goals and pursue value-added programmes in emerging sectors, says Dr TP Sethumadhavan

Recent findings of ASSOCHAM and NASSCOM reveals that employability among engineering graduates are getting reduced substantially. Average employability rate is only 17 — 20 per cent. Moreover, the report highlights that huge gap exists between available and required skills among engineering graduates. In order to improve employability, they require value-added programmes in emerging sectors like advanced IT, Automation, robotics, machine learning, analytics, cloud services, artificial intelligence, retail management, operations management, digitalisation, logistics, accounting, banking, food technology, energy, environmental engineering, planning and architecture.

crack competitive exams

After completing BTech programme, meritorious students can find job through campus placements. Of the total recruitment from the campuses, IT companies used to recruit 80 per cent of the students. Campus recruitment requires thorough finishing programmes.

Students aspiring for bank jobs can apply for bank officers’ test.  Six months preparation will help students to crack the bank officers’ test. BTech graduates can apply for post graduate diploma in banking and management so as to work as officer trainee in new generation banks.

Kerala Administrative Service (KAS) is an emerging opportunity for Kerala engineering graduates. Selection is through a three-tier system, that is, preliminary, main examination and interview. Kerala State Public Service Commission will conduct these examinations by June 2018.

Civil Services examination is an opportunity for ambitious students to become senior civil service officers through entering different cadres like IAS, IPS, IFS, IRS, and others. One-year homework will be required to succeed in the examination. Proficiency in General knowledge, communication, English and others enables them to attain success within the shortest time possible.

BTech graduates can prepare for Staff selection Commission (SSC) examinations to get into Government of India Service Cadres. Ministry of space conducts examination through Babha Atomic research centre and recruits BTech graduates for one to two-year post graduate programmes. This facilitates them to become scientific officers in institutions coming under Ministry of Space, Science and Technology.

BTech graduates can apply for appropriate positions in Techno parks and Cyber parks in the country. Army, Navy and Air force offer appropriate defence engineering posts. Opportunities also exist in engineering consultancy services in industry and services sectors. Pilot training is also an attractive sector. Engineers can work in retail, airline and logistic sectors. 

Higher education

Students interested in higher education can choose to pursue their  higher education within the country or abroad in engineering or non engineering streams like management, accounting or other services sector courses. For acquiring higher education in Engineering, MTech or MS will be some of the best options. Thorough homework will facilitate them to crack GATE so as to get admission to MTech in IIT, NITs or other premium institutions in India.

If the student desires to take MS from abroad in the engineering stream, one-year homework is required. Select the country of choice and area of interest. Based on this, they can write proficiency tests. United States require GRE and TOEFL scores. Countries like Australia, EU, UK and Canada requires IELTS with minimum 7/9 band. Singapore requires IELTS/ TOEFL. Based on the test scores, future project, biodata and academic merit students will get assistant ship, scholarships/ fellowships. Students can opt for integrated PhD programmes abroad. Students can join for one-year MS or two-year research based MS programmes.

Management education from IIMs and other institutes will enable students to get better careers. But the selection will be through CAT. GMAT will facilitate students to get admission in foreign business schools including Ivy League institutions. Students can join for one-year professional management or two-year research-oriented management programmes. If the student is interested to work in academics, 18-24 months research programmes are mandatory.

Skill development programmes are acquiring momentum across the globe. BTech students can apply for six months to one-year skill development programmes within the country or abroad. They can also apply for Canada immigration and can work in Canada under skilled worker category. Prime minister research fund announced in the budget will facilitate 1000 BTech graduates from NITs and IITs to get fellowships to acquire PhD and employment. 50 lakh youths will be given training by 2020 as part of skill development.

School of Planning and Architecture, Bhopal, and National Institute for Construction management and research, Pune, offers value-added post-graduate programme for BArch, BTech Civil and other allied graduates.

Environmental engineering, food technology, automobile engineering, e-commerce, connectivity driven sectors, transport engineering, art & design, block chain technology,  renewable energy engineering, analytics, artificial intelligence and sound/ media engineering are emerging as some of the potential areas for higher education abroad. After Brexit issue, UK will offer better opportunities for engineering graduates. Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics graduates will get better opportunities in Australia, United States and Canada.

Accounting, banking and insurance sectors need professionals with knowledge in accounting, actuarial science, financial analysis, etc. Data science will be an emerging sector for higher education for engineering graduates.

Entrepreneurship

Students ambitious of starting their own venture can become entrepreneurs and can associate with MSME sectors. Innovative students can start start-ups. There are ample opportunities for innovation in information technology, food technology, engineering services, e commerce, digitalisation and Biotechnology. Now there are no services available in India without ICT or online. The number of internet users in India is likely to more than double to 730 million by 2020 of which more than 75 percent of new users would come from rural areas. Interestingly 75 percent of new users are expected to consume data in local languages. Power of innovation is changing day by day. We will have to think of next generation IT solution for 2020. By 2020 consumer, expectations and innovations will change.

In order to improve employability, engineering graduates need to identify their path based on interest, aptitude and goals. In the era of competitive examinations, thorough preparation is required to crack competitive examinations. Never try to be idle after completing the under graduate programme. Try to plan well in advance and look for better pastures after completing the BTech programmes.

Study abroad programmes will facilitate students to get better careers abroad. Government of India's make in India, Skill India, digital India and start up India stand up India along with increasing foreign direct investment will facilitate to get attractive jobs within the manufacturing, infrastructure and services sectors. Agri analytics is an emerging sector. ICRISAT signed an MOU with Microsoft to promote agri analytics. Tech Mahindra is in the process of recruiting 1000 agri analytics experts. Inter disciplinary research is an emerging area in engineering sectors.

Engineering graduates can do graduate and doctoral programmes within the country or abroad and can work in academic, research or industrial sectors. It is a fact that of the total engineers in the world, 16 percent are Indian Engineers. It may reach 20 percent by 2020. Need of the hour is to acquire appropriate knowledge and skill based on industry demand.

The writer is director, UL Education and founder of www.nextedu.in