Ramesh is exuberant. Two years ago he was just another sales person at a large electronics showroom; today he is a network administrator at HP. “I was just a below average student and did not score much in my exams. I joined as a salesperson at a showroom and it was then that some one mentioned about technical courses that are available. I joined eMind to learn hardware and networking and today, a year later, I work at HP,“ says Ramesh. He is not the only one who has found a bright future for himself. Manish Mittal, who was recently placed in Microland and Lavanya, who is now with Wipro, too have found a good career for themselves.

“It is easy for the high scoring students to get a good job and settle but those below average end up in low paying jobs. I want to reach out to people like these and help them create a good future for themselves,” says Vikas Bhagat, Founder and CEO of eMind Technologies. A B.E. in Electronics & Communication, Bhagat had spent close to 13 years managing Jetking at Jayanogar. What started in 2007 with a select few students, eMind today coaches close to 300 students in its two centers in Banglore has become today an institution with two centers in Bangalore.
“As per a recent study by Ernst and Young, requirements for hardware and networking professionals in the Indian electronics and hardware market is expected to touch 12 lakh by 2010. At eMind I believe in developing professionals of such cadre,” says Bhagat. In most technical institutes, students are made to believe that if they are able to complete a hardware/networking certification from Microsoft or Cisco they are job ready, but it is not so.

Every time he meets an HR professional from MNCs he finds them speak of the lack of strong foundation even in several top rankers, explains Bhagat. Hence, at eMinds, the focus is on teaching everything from basics in order to get the foundation strong. The institute offers two types of courses — ECHNP (eMind Certified Hardware & Networking Professional, for students from non-technical background such as 10, 10+2, B.A., B.Com, or any graduate) and MNA (Master in Network Administration, for those from technical background such as Diploma/BE/ MCA/MSc). In both the courses the students are initially taught the basics, and only when they prove their proficiency they are taken to the next level. Especially the students who come from a non-technical background are taught basics like working on a circuit board and more.

Though there are several technical institutes in the city, Bhagat points out that the course and the teaching methodology is what sets eMind apart from others. “At eMind we aim at not only providing technical expertise but also make them job ready so that they are easily absorbed in organizations soon after they complete the course,” he explains. Equipped with state-of–the-art training center (at Koramangla and JP Nagar) and about 45 instructors (some of them with 14 plus years of training experience), eMind has its unique training methodology. The technical course is divided into four modules and after completion of each module the students have to pass an examination without which they cannot proceed to the next module. At the same time, students are also taught communication and soft skills and taken through extensive sessions for personality development. The teaching method at eMind is based on Smartclass, a unique training system that combines creative learning and training techniques (CLTT) from the U.S., focused on audio-visual learning. The training consists of 65 percent practical lessons and 35 percent theory lessons, which include video lessons for better understanding of demonstrations and field trips to get a real world exposure. “At eMind we do not compromise on the quality of training and ensure that every student is benefited from all the programs,” says Bhagat. Additionally, he also ensures that the family of the student is involved in his/her progress. Though unconventional in today’s time, Bhagat sends a report card every month to inform the parents about the progress of their wards.
Shyam is a BSc graduate who has come all the way from Kerala to get trained at eMind. “My cousin, who had earlier undergone hardware and networking training here had recommended me to join eMind. I thoroughly enjoy my lessons and like the fact that even with so many others in my batch, I still get the personal attention from the instructors,” he says.