TCS to train graduates as engineers
The Economic Times — December 29, 2006

Tata Consultancy Services, India's largest software exporter, has launched a new recruitment programme to take in science graduates and train them as software engineers for TCS. The move comes amidst concerns among industry players of a serious talent shortage in the coming years.

S Ramadorai, CEO & MD, TCS, told reporters in Chennai on Thursday that IT industry was expected to grow to $80 billion by 2010 and manpower requirement would touch 2.3 million people by that time (against 1.3 million employed at present). There might be a shortfall of five lakh people by 2010, he said.

Its initiative, 'TCS Ignite', aims to address this issue by looking beyond engineering colleges for talent. For the pilot phase, the IT major has recruited 500 science graduates from across 125 colleges, who would undergo a seven-month training programme. This is against the 45-day programme that a fresher with an engineering degree would take. (While BSc graduates spend three years at college, BE graduates spend four). A further 2000 fresh science graduates are expected to be on board by June 2007, Ramadorai said.

Industry players say, even at present IT companies employ people without a degree in engineering. However, this initiative is a formal attempt to assimilate science graduates into IT sector using a training programme designed specifically to address their needs.

Ramadorai said it was also 'inclusive'. In the pilot batch, nearly 60 per cent of the candidates were from non-metro cities, and are typically first-generation college graduates. More than 60 per cent are women.

TCS officials said the candidates would be on the rolls of the company from day one, receive a stipend during the training programme, and after that, their salaries would be on par with engineering graduates. They would be placed in any of the businesses - software, BPO, consulting - that TCS is into.

Ravi Viswanthan, VP and head, Chennai operations, TCS, said "This specialised learning program will provide a platform for bright science graduates to prepare themselves for a long and successful career with TCS."

Designed as an intensive seven-month transformation programme, the curriculum will include formal lectures, projects, assignments, quizzes and interactive sessions. The candidates would undergo courses in the principles of software development. These will be complemented by soft-skill development in presentation, communication, teamwork and leadership skills as well as work-life balance activities like music appreciation, the company said.