The technical graduates should take advantage of the various schemes floated under ECI-AICTE joint initiatives to get exposure of the industry, says Dr P R Swarup, Member Secretary, Construction Industry Development Council, Engineering Council of India (ECI), in a conversation with Dipen Pradhan of Elets News Network (ENN).
How the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between Engineering Council of India (ECI) and All India Council of Technical Education (AICTE) will help technical graduates?
Engineering Council of India (ECI) has entered into a MoU with All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) for providing “internship” to students in all disciplines of engineering and management. The MoU is supposed to enhance industry exposure of the engineering graduates and make them employable.
This step is taken to bridge the skill gap between industry requirement and academia which is one of the major causes of increasing unemployability among engineering and management students in the nation. ECI shall be facilitating hands on training/internship for these graduates in their respective engineering stream through its member associations. From academic session 2017-18, AICTE made internships mandatory for engineering and management students to obtain their degrees.
How has been the response for National Proficiency Evaluation Test (NPET)?
The fine-tuning on the scheme is underway and will be announced shortly. From initial discussions with various universities the step is being welcomed by academia also.
Under the 7th Pay Commission, it has been made mandatory for engineering teachers to complete an internship or work with the industries. How do you see it contributing to teachinglearning experience?
It is a standard practice in all advanced countries for teachers to take sabbatical for working in the industry. Similarly, officials from different industries are also invited by the universities to share their experiences along with latest industry requirements and practices. Innovations in every field are making it more important to produce graduates who are industry ready and at the same time self employable.
What are the plans of ECI to encourage entrepreneurship among technical graduates?
We in association with our member organisations are trying to develop plans for promoting the entrepreneurship programs. We do realise that small and medium enterprises employ 60–80 per cent of graduates not only in India but also in developed countries. With India’s large young population, regional economic autonomy may also be required which can be achieved only by inculcating entrepreneurial skills among youth.
One of our first initiatives was coorganising the 1st Chhatra Vishwakarma Awards 2017 to felicitate students and institutions for their innovative ideas.
“AICTE has made the internship component mandatory for graduating engineers and management students, keeping in mind the skills gap present between the industry requirement and the academia which is a major cause of increasing unemployability in the nation.”
We in association with our member organisations are trying to develop plans for promoting the?
We are in touch with our member associations in various streams of engineering to evolve plans for development of entrepreneurship specific to those fields.
Mention the development and promotion of hybrid career opportunities in areas like Drone Technology, Aquifer Recharging¸ and Arbitral Assistants?
Drone Technology – To learn the operational systems to use the unmanned flying vehicles, known as Drones and to use these for multiple purposes like hydrography, Natural Disaster Predictions & management, Manage Biodiversity etc.
Aquifer Recharging – To set up water conservation units through charging of Aquifers.
Arbitral Assistants – To facilitate/ assist the Arbitrators in ODR, IT savvy young professionals.
What message do you have for the technical graduates set to take up career soon?
The technical graduates should take advantage of the various schemes floated under ECI-AICTE joint initiatives to get exposure of the industry. They should get themselves mentally prepared for hand-on training which is definitely going to help them in choosing their career path ahead.
