[The "on the bench" system is illegal in the U.S. Clearly it still goes on.]

http://www.the-week.com/99aug29/life7.htm

What's future proof? Destination US What to look for before enrolling

Byting the bait Education: The dollar sign flashing in their eyes, youth are lining up in front of computer training institutes. But how good is the training? K. Sunil Thomas/Delhi, Lalita Iyer/Hyderabad, Dnyanesh V. Jathar/Mumbai, Chetan Krishnaswamy/Bangalore and Maria E. Kallukaren/Kochi.

 

Meghna Kumar opted for a bachelor's degree through correspondence from Delhi University so that she could hang out at the Connaught Place centre of the National Institute of Information Technology (NIIT). "It's so fab here," she gushed as jeans-clad youth milled around, trendy backpacks slung over their shoulders.

Leading the hi-tech pack: A class in progress at NIIT, Hyderabad

Her father had balked at the idea of paying more than half a lakh rupees for the course, but Meghna had her way in the end. And what is she planning to do? "I don't know," she hesitated, "I just thought that since computers are an upcoming field, I might as well learn it!"

"Going to computer institutes has become a lifestyle thing!" said IT consultant Sameer Kochar. The hi-tech equipment, courses with high funda names and the computer jargon give an institute a vibrant and futuristic look. Unlike the grey, musty classroom atmosphere in most colleges, computer institutes project an image of being in sync with the youth. The teachers, known as coordinators and counsellors, are mostly in the 20-30 age group and often toppers from previous batches. Some of the top institutes stage rock concerts, parties and other cultural events to drive home the image. "If you aren't doing a computer course, you aren't in," said a 16- year-old Delhi student, Reema Kashyap.

No doubt, computers have redefined jobs and lifestyles. Panting after a five-figure salary, a job abroad and a hep lifestyle, the youth look upon computer courses as the easiest way to success in life. Doing a computer course has become as natural for kids as typing had been for their parents. However, being computer literate and being a computer professional are two different things. "It is this lack of clarity that institutes cash in on," said Radha Madhav, director, NIIT, Kochi.

Each month 250 new institutes come up in India, adding to the 68,000 computer students who pass out every year. No harm done, since India will still have a shortfall of two million computer literates over ten years. While the National Association of Software and Support Companies (NASSCOM) counts only 4,600 computer institutes in the country, Varun Prasad, president of the Mumbai-based National Association of Computer Trainers (NACT), says the number could be as high as 12,500! Mumbai, Bangalore and Hyderabad alone have more than a thousand institutes each.

The franchisee system makes it very easy for practically anybody to set up an institute: all one needs is good communication skills in English and a local language, and some office space in a central location. And no, an IT background is not necessary.

No one wants to be known as a computer trainer, says Vijay Mukhi (right) of NASSCOM.
Those who ultimately turn to teaching do so for want of better prospects.

It's boom time for the institutes. "The nationwide turnover of the IT training industry in India could be to the tune of Rs 2,000 crore." said Prasad. The fee can be as high as Rs 2 lakh, an H1 visa to the US often acting as the bait for the most expensive courses. A six-month Certificate of Proficiency in System Management course at Aptech will cost you Rs 11,000, and the three-year Advanced Diploma in Software Engineering more than Rs 50,000. Those opting for the three-year GNIIT programme at NIIT pay Rs 60,000, and TataInfotech's career course titled ÔFOCUS' costs Rs 52,000. The institutes claim that the fees are reasonable considering the investments and in comparison with B.Tech courses in private colleges which charge several lakh rupees lumpsum or in instalments. "Education is business for us," said Ratnamala Rao, NIIT regional manager for career education in Hyderabad.

Education having become a business, stories abound of institutes taking students for a ride. In Maharashtra some students recently petitioned Datta Rane, minister for technical education, against an institute in Goregaon. Rane got a cheating case registered against the owner who had taken Rs 5,000 each from the students for a diploma course and left them in the lurch. Over the years 183 institutes in the state have been closed down. "They did not have an adequate number of computers or qualified teachers," said Rane.

It is not uncommon to find one institute charging more at one centre than at another centre for the same course. For instance, a GNIIT course costs almost Rs 7,000 more in Mumbai than in a small town. It is also not unusual for institutes to charge fees on the basis of the student's ability to pay. There have also been cases of courses being suddenly extended, compelling the hapless students to pay more fees.

In Hyderabad, ten cheating cases were registered against computer institutes in the last two years. Among the complainants were Rahul Rao and Mahesh Reddy (names changed), who joined an institute that promised them placement in the US within three months of completing the course. Rahul, who comes from a lower middle class family, was charged Rs 40,000; Mahesh, whose father is a businessman, had to pay Rs 75,000 for the same course. The owner of the institute, who boasted of a tie-up with Arusa Inc. and Deep Sai Consultants in the US had agreed to a refund if they did not get a visa and call letter within 75 days. With no sign of a job weeks after the deadline, 18 students went to the police. The institute was closed down and Rahul got back Rs 15,000 and Mahesh Rs 35,000.

We do recruit from private institutes, but feel they lack practical focus, says Mini Khanna
(right) of Patni Computer Services.

The mounting number of complaints led software companies in Hyderabad to set up the Hyderabad Software Export Association (HYSEA) in July 1998. The HYSEA checks out an institute and every alternate month publishes a list of companies which are genuine and fulfil infrastructural, software and faculty requirements. It has also defined the content of 21 courses, and after completing them the students can appear for exams conducted by the Andhra Pradesh government's Board of Technical Education. A confident A. Mallikarjuna Rao, secretary of HYSEA, said: "Already 25 to 30 per cent of these fly-by-night operators have shut down."

Nevertheless there is a growing feeling that most of these courses have no depth. Once the initial glamour wears off, students are faced with an insipid study programme and uninspiring teachers.

Raman Tuli, at his father's insistence, did "a software engineering" course at a reputed centre in Delhi. He shelled out Rs 36,000, and his father even bought him a computer. Today Raman works at the house-keeping section of Hotel Inter-Continental. What happened? "Bekaar course tha (It was a useless course)," Raman replied. "Bad teachers, poor syllabus. It was just a place to have fun."

Hari Govind, 25, who got a good job immediately after doing the GNIIT course at Trichur, Kerala, is today an associate software engineer at BaaN Infosystems in Hyderabad. "GNIIT gives you a good base on everything, that's all; nothing in depth," said Hari, who frequently goes abroad on projects. According to him institutes in India never bother to find out about a person's background during counselling sessions. "Instead of promising heaven, they should tell the candidates what to expect once the course gets over," he said.

As Vijay Mukhi, a member of the executive council of NASSCOM, said, "The institutes are weaving a web of dreams." Mukhi, who runs his own training institute, the Vijay Mukhi Computer Training Institute, was highly critical of teachers. "No one wants to be known as a computer trainer." Those who ultimately turn to teaching do so for want of better prospects. "Quality is bound to suffer," said Mukhi.

Mukhi has a point. R. Harjeet (name changed) for instance, gave up his engineering job to venture into teaching software. Following training at a reputed institute in Mumbai, he temporarily took up a teaching job there at a meagre salary. Harjeet had submitted his academic certificates at the time of enrollment. "Now they are coercing me to either continue working for them or pay Rs 40,000 for my certificates," he said. On the other hand T. Ranjeeth, also an engineer who turned to computers and now teaches part time at an institute, treats his job as a way of updating his resources. "The moment I get a good break, I will stop teaching," he said.

Hi-tech proliferation: Computer institutes in Hyderabad

Most institutes insist they maintain certain standards while selecting teachers. At TULEC, a division of Tata Infotech, the aspirants have to go through a technical test, a mock classroom session and an interview before they are recruited. "They then have to get through the National Training Centre for Certification before they're allowed to take classes," said Ramesh Oblappa, area manager of TULEC Computer Education, Bangalore. In the face of the growing criticism about the quality of courses, major institutes have begun to revise their student selection procedures. NIIT, for instance, held a national entrance exam for the GNIIT programme. SQL Star in Hyderabad insists that candidates have a minimum knowledge of computers before joining. "We are not in the rat-race," said Ramlal, vice-president, education and consulting, at SQL Star. "That's why we don't have franchisees."

Given the rapid scale at which India is computerising, there is no doubt that the demand for computer professionals exceeds supply. The prime minister's IT Task Force has set a $50 billion target for software exports by 2008, which translates into a demand for over one million trained IT professionals.

Although the job market is heavily loaded in favour of IITians, B.Techs and MCAs, the door is always open for institute-trained students with aptitude and good scores to back them up.

"Generally recruiters and consultants who handle placements for software posts abroad don't go for private institute products, they prefer IITians any day," said career guidance counsellor Praveen Malhotra of Delhi. Companies like Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), which hires 3,000 candidates every year, and the Mumbai-based Patni Computer Services (PCS) take in engineering graduates and train them on the job. Similarly those with a B.Tech are readily recruited because companies feel that with their technical base they can be groomed into good computer professionals.

"We do recruit from private institutes but feel they lack practical focus," said Mini Khanna, manager, marketing support of PCS. G.S. Bindra, director of Software Algorithms, said, "It takes at least six months for trainees from computer institutes to become full-fledged programmers."

TMI Network, one of the largest recruitment agencies in Hyderabad, also prefers engineers, MCAs or MSc. (computer science) degree holders with a minimum of two years' IT project experience.

Asked Sameer Kochar: "How many students are taken in their software development section?" Less than 30 per cent of software professionals at NIIT Ltd, NIIT's software development division, are NIITians. Rajendra Singh Pawar, vice-chairman and managing director of NIIT, recently admitted that this was due to the hesitation of NIIT factory managers.

As far as the Indian software export industry is concerned, a NASSCOM report says that less than 2 per cent of the professionals come from training centres. So where does all this leave the thousands of privately trained students?

"Why do you focus only on exports which is just an emerging market," asked Radha Madhav. "What about related areas like management and information systems? How many IITians and B.Techs can technical colleges supply? We fill the gap." In the last few months NIIT, Kochi, claims to have supplied 45 professionals to software companies and at least 100 more in related areas.

Adding to the confusion is the lack of government accreditation for these courses. Examinations like Department of Electronics Accredited Computer Courses (DoEACC), the MCA degree and the courses offered by technology and engineering institutes are considered the only touchstones. "The diploma courses conducted by private training institutes are not covered by us," said K.S. Sharma, additional secretary in the Department of Education. The department receives thousands of letters every month on whether a particular course is recognised or not.

Most agree that a regulatory authority is a must. Said Sudha Raju, general manager, NIIT Bangalore: "Their research level should be of very high quality. For instance, it would seem absurd if somebody teaches D-base at a time when its relevance is low."

The Prime Minister's IT Task Force recommended the setting up of an Institute of Computer Professionals of India. NASSCOM later prepared a draft and sent it to the cabinet for approval. If set up, the body should standardise courses and exam procedures for private institutes. However, short-term courses have been left out in the draft. A decision on who should run the body, the All India Council for Technical Education or the Department of Electronics, has yet to be taken. Till then chances are the ripoff will continue.

 

Destination US For many youth a computer course is their passport to the US. However, it's not a bed of roses for many of the computer professionals being sent abroad on projects. After they complete the project and until they get their next one they are kept 'on the bench'. In other words they are temporarily jobless. A person who could be earning close to $75,000 per annum, then has to survive on a bare minimum of $250 a week. The US Immigration and Nationalised Services is lobbying to pass a no-bench law. This means the employees' pay will remain the same even when they are not working on a project. However, this could mean that fewer companies will hire new personnel. As it is there is a lull at the US consulate in India during the American holiday season because companies don't want to hire employees who have to be paid at that time. According to IT consultant Sameer Kochar, institutes often resort to dishonest means to get their students jobs abroad. For instance, teachers stand in for their students during Ôphone interviews' by US software companies. Even the two years' work experience that companies ask for is fudged. To enable companies to verify a candidate's documents, the Andhra Pradesh government has set up an on-line verification system (OLIVE) at Osmania University. Thus the US consulates can doublecheck certificates before they hire software professionals. LI, KST

 

What's future proof?
So which course can assure you of a good job in the computer industry? Seems like nothing short of a B.Tech from the RECs or IITs, or at least an MCA. ERP solutions like SAP are hot right now, but there's every likelihood that they may not be when you start looking for a job.

But wait. There could be one course that industry watchers are swearing on. COM or Component Object Model is guaranteed to be Ôfuture proof' for at least the next five years. Originally from Microsoft, it is the foundation upon which higher level services can be built. However, there's a hefty course fee. At the Advanced Technology Lab it is Rs 225,000. You can learn it at NIIT for Rs 4,500 but you have to learn C++ and VC++ first.

"Computers are all about specialisation, so identify what you want to be," said career guidance counsellor Praveen Malhotra.

To be an operator, all you need is precision and speed, besides basic knowledge of MS Office and Windows. For a graphic designer proficiency in CorelDraw, Photoshop and Excel is a must.

To maintain accounts in small offices all you need is Tally software. Bigger offices might need versions of Oracle. "While a software programmer needs knowledge of the languages and a little bit of hardware, a software developer should be well-versed with C++, Visual C ++, Unix, Corba and SQL, depending on the platform," said Malhotra.

Web page designing and e-commerce call for knowledge of HTML and Java. A lot of institutes offer animation and multimedia courses, though they have only very limited job potential in India. "Besides, multimedia cannot be done in a short-term course. If someone offers that, just skip it," said Malhotra. Web page designing options have declined in the country recently. A surplus of designers has led to lower pay, from Rs 1,500 per page to Rs 250 in some cases.
KST

What to look for before enrolling Ask for a list of students who have passed out from the institute and get their opinion. Talk to three personnel managers Talk to three placement consultants Talk to other colleges/institutes Don't be dazzled/ put off by appearances Don't be rushed into deciding Check whether the faculty is experienced