JOB PLACEMENTS TO BE DELAYED FOR ENGG STUDENTS

Don’t be surprised if your campus recruitment scheduled for sixth semester gets cancelled. Many engineering colleges are contemplating shifting placements to the eighth semester. The move is in response to letters recommending this from the National Association of Software and Service Companies (NASSCOM) to Visvesvaraya Technological University (VTU) and affiliated engineering colleges.

NASSCOM president Som Mittal told Bangalore Mirror, “We have written to 1,000 odd colleges across the country. Even other industry bodies like CII and FICCI are likely to follow suit.

“According to the new schedule, the companies flocking to campuses from April to June will re-visit them in February next” he said. Citing the reasons, Mittal said, “For the last few years, the IT industry has been the largest recruiter with over two million students. Given the increasing rate of growth and high demand for engineers, the recruitment process till now commenced from sixth semester itself and even the fifth semester in some colleges. This has resulted in students having a job offer on hand even though they still have over one year left to complete studies. Though this does give an assurance to passing out students, it also brings in a certain degree of complacency among students and in some manner impacts the education process. It also inhibits student from taking up post-graduate studies which has its own cascading impact on the quality of research.”

INDUSTRY AGREES
From the industry perspective as well, this move bodes well. Companies have to make an estimate of their requirements almost 18 to 24 months prior to their need. This worked well in the past with some degree of certainty of growth but is increasingly difficult given the current economic environment. In many cases, it has also led to joining dates of students getting staggered and deferred, Mittal said, adding, “We have discussed this amongst our member companies and the consensus is that the campus recruitment process should be rescheduled to the middle of the eighth semester or may be even towards the end of the eighth semester. We would like to implement this from the 2009-10 academic session onwards.”

BREEDING COMPLACENCY
VTU registrar A Balaji said, “It is a good move. We have numerous examples where students after getting offer letters in sixth semester stop attending classes subsequently. There are also examples where they have also failed in the coming exams. But, the more shocking development is that many students display arrogance which is perceptible in the campus. We know they are the best talent but they should never forget they are students of this university.”

M S Ramaiah Institute of Technology placement officer M Vijayadev said, “During last year, scores of 25 per cent to 30 per cent students dropped considerably after getting offer letters.” Acharya College principal Prabhu Kumar concurred. “After getting placements, these students tend to take college life very casually. Students who would score 80 per cent in pre-placements would score below 60. They start bunking classes and also show less respect for teachers as their jobs are secured,” he said.

COLLEGES TO COMPLY
MSRIT principal K Rajanikant said, “Following the NASSCOM suggestion, companies like TCS have not visited our campus for sixth semester students and have announced that they will come only next year.” Reva college principal Rana Pratap Reddy said, “Students are only 50 per cent trained by sixth semester. Hence, it is a good move.”

MAKES SENSE
Former VTU vice-chancellor K Balaveera Reddy explained the genesis of the current issue.“A few decades earlier, campus placements used to take place only in the eighth semester. However, with the IT boom, companies were vying with each other for the best brains from best colleges. Hence, they used to flock to colleges during the fifth or sixth semesters.”

From the students’ point of view, the eighth semester is always a better bet as there are only four theory subjects and one project work in that semester, while they have six theory subjects (except in first semester where there are five subjects) in other years.