An oft-repeated grouse by the industry that only 25 per cent of the graduates are employable continues to be a niggling worry for institutions. Realising that it is essential to effectively measure the employability level of students to show the institutions where they stood to take remedial measures or improve, Aspiring Minds, an employability measurement firm, administers the AMCAT. It also introduced the National Employability Award in 2012.
The AMCAT – Aspiring Minds Computer Adaptive Testing – for engineering stream was administered to final-year students of 3,000 colleges across India. The top 10 per cent – 21 colleges – have qualified to receive the National Employability Award 2013 at the national level, and another top 10 per cent from each State – 24 colleges – have qualified to receive the award at the State levels.
The only college from Tamil Nadu to find a place in the national list is Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, Ettimadai.
There are only two colleges from Tamil Nadu that found a place in the State list.
Of the two, Sri Shakthi Institute of Engineering and Technology from Coimbatore is one.
Said to be the country’s largest employability test, the awardees are decided on the basis of the performance of the students in AMCAT. According to Himanshu Aggarwal, Chief Executive Officer of Aspiring Minds, “the test is one of the most scientific tools to determine employability across various parameters. By conferring the award, we wish to acknowledge the efforts of engineering institutions in creating an employable talent pool. It is also to help companies choose the right individual rather than the best individual”.
Pointing out the factors that have made their university campuses – in Coimbatore and Kollam – find places in the top 10 per cent in the country, C. Parameswaran, Director, Directorate of Corporate and Industry Relations, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, Ettimadai, says it starts with the input quality.
“There are several value additions that they receive in their respective departments, and the 240-hour three-credit programme offered by the Directorate of Corporate and Industry Relations that trains them beyond academics. This effectively equips them to become employees or employers,” he says.
T. Dheepan, Managing Trustee of Sri Shakthi Institute of Engineering and Technology, too says that special training modules to enhance the numerical and verbal skills of the students has placed their students in good stead.
“The AMCAT is different in that it does not restrict itself to limited parameters. It tests the students on technical aspects, general knowledge, verbal skills and also the speech output. Companies are recognising the AMCAT score as a benchmark for selecting students during placements,” he says.
The outcome of the test is not only a recognition of quality, but also an indication where the institution and the students stood vis-à-vis the national and State standards. Since a detailed analysis report is given to the students individually, they are able to know where they stood academically and also which industry they would suit best.
