Conversations with Educators – Part 7 - What do Companies look for in Graduates?

I am in a meeting with the director of training of a college in Chittorgarh. We were conducting some training sessions for students there. He shared with me some thought provoking observations.

Further Training right after college

He told me how most companies spend a lot of money to train the employee in the first and second year. This was done right after college. Many of the college graduates were not ready for the job with the theory-based approach of most colleges. Why was an additional two years of training needed? What were the students being thought at these colleges if they were not job ready for the technical vocational course they opted for?

Sometimes only the larger corporate entities could afford this training. Examples of training courses included use of industrial machinery and latest technology with regards to the job.

Why not get trained technically at college only?

The director of training had taken personal responsibility to ensure this training was done for his students in college itself. These students were sent from the university to various training centers all over India to get equipped with the required skills.

This revelation surprised me because I thought it was the responsibility of the college to do this, not a favor. A few institutes like this one in Chittorgarh, had taken up the responsibility to train students with technical competencies, while they were completing the course. But a majority did not.

The Infosys Corporate University

Infosys is an indian multinational company that provides business consulting, information technology, software engineering and outsourcing services. Since a majority of the graduates coming into the company, do not have all the required skills, Infosys has setup its own internal university and training program to fill this gap.

The Infosys Leadership and Managerial Institute, trains the employees in the above mentioned skills. Here are some of the service offered by them:-

a)         Global Business Finishing School – Focused on making every fresh entrant into Infosys ready for the job in quick time.

b)         Role Based Learning Programs – Training based on personal goals and aspirations of the employee.

c)          Campus Connect to share best practices of company with colleges and students and InStep, which is their global internship program to attract top IT, Talent from around the world to the company.

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