Young engineering graduates should be ready to learn a new skill every six months as technology these days was dynamic, said A.N. Rao, senior vice-president and global head, Cognizant Academy. He was speaking at the fourth monthly lecture on ‘What Industry Wants’ jointly conducted by The Hindu and TalentSprint here on Saturday.
Mr. Rao said there was a gap between education and its practical application in the IT sector. “Skill sets have to be revamped every two years. Newer opportunities require young engineers to pick up new skills. Graduates should have both clarity and aspiration,” he added. Eight more lectures would be held as part of the lecture series. Among those who participated were Shantanu Paul, CEO of TalentSprint Pvt Ltd and Ravi, marketing head of The Hindu , Hyderabad.
According to Mr. Rao, engineering students of this age belong to ‘Generation A’ – automation, analytics, artificial intelligence and autonomy. “At a time when the fourth industrial revolution is taking place where everything is powered by the social, mobile analytics, cloud or cyber security, the students should aspire to make fundamental changes to business in a manner never seen before. Learning skills to this effect should be their goal,” Mr. Rao explained, adding that in India, technology has become a necessity.
“Isn’t it true that food delivery systems are faster than cooking. When even the smallest choices of people are guided by technology-driven solutions, students should prepare to not just be multi-skilled, but also be open to be re-skilled. You are constantly tested by the market and those who lag behind lose their value,” the expert said.
