Those who have taken a break in their career know the challenges involved in returning to it. The skill sets acquired are rendered obsolete as younger workforce joins the company.
Keeping in mind those people who wish to rebuild their career, the Indian Institute of Management, Tiruchi, has launched a postgraduate programme in human resource management (PGPHRM). It is a three-year, part-time course allowing a student the flexibility of taking up to five years to complete it. The course is open to entrepreneurs as well. It is similar to the two-year PG course in business management offered by IIM-Tiruchi.
Anyone with three years’ work experience can apply. “The second batch of business management students have an average of seven years’ experience,” says Prafulla Agnihotri, director, IIM-Tiruchi.
The students will attend the same number of contact classes as a regular PG programme and do a project with an industry of their choice. The 29-month course is spread over nine terms and the course fee of Rs.10 lakh is to be paid in nine instalments.
Who can applyThose who have the Common Admissions Test or GMAT score are exempted from IIM’s written test. Candidates for the HRM course, however, must take a written test to assess their aptitude for the course. Students with below 50 per cent attendance would have to repeat the course. The challenge is the project that the candidate must submit as a course requirement. “The student can choose to take up a project from the company he is working in or from outside,” says V. Vijaya, chairperson of PGPHRM.
“Chennai was chosen for the programme as it is now considered the hub for software and content development and has a good industrial base, with a requirement for HR,” says Dr. Agnihotri.