Engineers not fit for jobs: minister

Partha Chatterjee at the symposium in Jadavpur University. Picture by Sayantan Ghosh Most of the engineers Bengal produces every year are unemployable because they study an outdated curriculum, state commerce and industries minister Partha Chatterjee said on Wednesday. This did not apply to graduates from IIT Kharagpur, Jadavpur University and Bengal Engineering and Science University, the minister added. He was speaking at the ninth university-industry council symposium of the Confederation of Indian Industry at Jadavpur University. The symposium was held in the city after five years. “We need experts from industry to suggest changes in the curriculum of engineering and polytechnic programmes. Only then will the syllabi become relevant. Representatives of industries should also suggest areas on which research should focus,” said Chatterjee. “Developing human resource is a pre-requisite for industrial growth and development. There is a huge talent pool in Bengal but what bothers me is that government statistics suggest that there is a 75 per cent mismatch in the talent pool.” Chatterjee did not specify the category of institutes that produces unemployable engineers. According to teachers at JU and Besu, most of the private engineering colleges that have come up in the past few years do not have adequate infrastructure. “The problem is serious. My attention was drawn to it by (Infosys chairman emeritus) Narayana Murthy, who is a good friend, and other IT giants,” said the minister, who is also in charge of the information technology department. The quality of engineers produced by reputable state-aided institutes like JU and Besu has declined over the years, said industry sources. “Engineering colleges must realise that the job scenario is changing fast. They need to overhaul their system to ensure employability of their students,” said a source. The communication skill of graduates from private engineering colleges is a major concern.“The engineers who come to us are very intelligent but their communication skill is very poor. It really affects their employability,” said Bikram Dasgupta, the chairman of Globsyn Group. Chatterjee also highlighted the “talent mismatch” in the state. “When the market needs 10 civil engineers, there may not be any available, though 30 electrical engineers may be sitting idle, having found no takers.” “The WBIDC is building industrial parks for sectors such as gems and jewellery, garments, polymer, rubber and foundry. Also in the pipeline are several steel projects in Shalboni and Raghunathpur. These would require specialists with sector-specific knowledge,” said Chatterjee. To ensure steady supply of specialists Chatterjee wants “a clause making it mandatory for those proposing to set up projects to declare the kind of skills they would need in employees”. “By the time, they are ready to commission the firm, we will have trained personnel waiting for them.” Chatterjee said he would get this proposal ratified by the recently formed core committee and get the sanction of chief minister Mamata Banerjee. The minister also suggested that companies allow students to work for them for a period so that “industry exposure” could be made a part of the curriculum. “This would make graduates ready for the industry.” Satish Chandra Tewari, principal secretary, higher education, who was also present at the session, said organisations like the CII could conduct studies in the districts to see what type of technical skills are in demand there and check the supply to help narrow the “skill gap”.