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IT firms gear up to avoid facing talent crunch
By siliconindia
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Monday, 10 December 2007, 20:30 IST
New Delhi: With NASSCOM, the apex body of the domestic software industry, forecasting a huge talent crunch resulting in a shortage of skilled manpower in the next few years, the country's top IT firms are enhancing their interaction with colleges and universities to ensure that the graduates who pass out from these institutions match the industry's requirements.
Country's leading IT organizations such as Tata Consultancy Services, Infosys Technologies, Satyam Computer and HCL are already working with engineering colleges and many others are planning to collaborate with the academia to churn out professionals with the right skills.
"One of the major challenges being faced by the Indian IT industry is the lack of qualified talent. Both the engineering colleges and the IT industry are realizng the need to scale up students to meet growing demand," Somnath Baishya, Head - Global Entry Level Hiring & Campus Relations, Infosys, told PTI.
India produces over 3.65 lakh engineering graduates and 30 lakh other graduates every year, out of which hardly 20 percent are suited for industry needs, Baishya stated.
Industry estimates suggest that if issues around human resource development are not addressed, supply of skilled manpower will fall short of requirements by almost 22 percent by 2009.
"There is a gap between what is taught and what is required. The syllabus of engineering programme is outdated and students are not taught how to apply theory to practical problems," Kiran Karnik, President, NASSCOM, said recently.
To bridge the industry-academia gap, Hyderabad based Satyam is expanding its 'Campus Link' programme to various educational institutions. The programme will provide soft skills and industry-specific training to students. Similarly, TCS organizes student and faculty development workshops as part of its Academia Interface Programme (AIP).
