Placement Of Industry Freshers: Impact Due To COVID-19

The coronavirus outbreak continues to not only paralyze people’s lives but is also having other much greater and far-reaching adverse impacts on some. One of the most adversely affected segments is the student community.  

Firstly, the students who were set to complete their courses in 2020 and were getting ready to join the country’s workforce are currently awaiting clarity on their final examination and completion of course Furthermore, the future of these students has been severely affected due to the uncertainties assailing the job market courtesy COVID-19.  

According to All India Survey on Higher Education 2018-19, over 23 million students are enrolled in undergraduate-level programmes across universities and colleges in India. A section of these students, pursuing the last year of the programme, will graduate in August 2020 as per University Grants Commission (UGC) guidelines for central universities, while states are still determining their own exam schedules. 

These students are expectedly worried about their career and future as the job market has come to a complete standstill with organizations applying a hiring freeze to cope up with the unprecedented situation and realigning their business processes. However, we must remember that pessimism never yields positive results. For positive results, optimistic, forward-looking, and solution-seeking outlook is needed. Some universities and education institutions are employing beneficial solutions for their students. Let us look at some of them. 

Online Internships & Training Programs: Many education institutions have started online internships and training programs. After internal brainstorming, education institutions prepared a list of research topics related to issues for which the industry is looking for answers. Students can choose internship projects according to their interests. They have been assigned a faculty mentor and an industry expert who guides them in their research. These internships are interactive, learning-centric and user-friendly. It is the need of the hour to maintain continuity in education and also to contribute to the thought leadership. 

Some of the leading organizations under whom many students have done their internships this year are Joint Plant Committee (Ministry of Steel, GoI), APERA (Asia Pacific Real Estate Association) Singapore, Excelltize software, Vastu Housing Finance, Thite Valuer, Reliant Surveyors Dubai, Prestige Estates, Allied Builders (Seychelles), JLL, Kaishar Interiors, Rider Levett Bucknall – Dubai, Ahluwalia Contracts, Uniworld, etc. Most of these internships were conducted for specialized undergraduate and postgraduate programs for students aspiring to work in the real estate, construction, and infrastructure sectors. Other sectors are expected to follow suit soon.   

Virtual Interviews and Online Onboarding: Those companies still hiring, have been utilizing their HR tech solutions to conduct virtual interviews.  

Online Platform for placement activities: Institutes have switched to online platforms for managing all placement-related activities. Online Assessment Program during Campus Placement Training has proved to be a unique and innovative way of engaging and training students. It provides for instant solutions, even as it keeps the students updated on the situation. Customized formats serve special needs of institutes and students. Online formats for assessment are proving to be good test experience, these online platforms use Artificial Intelligence to help make informed decisions.  

Institutes which have adapted quickly to current situations and are providing creative solutions to their students are proving to be the real beacons of the education industry. We must remember that the country shall progress only when our students progress. 

Ashwani Awasthi

Guest Author The author is Managing Director - South Asia, RICS School of Built Environment