A core committee comprising 10 college principals has been set up at the University of Madras to facilitate and monitor industry recruitments of students.
The core committee, representing five principals from Chennai city colleges and five from colleges in rural areas, will be involved in improving the industry-institute interface and in establishing links with recruiters to improve the placement record of the University and its constituent colleges.
“The main objective of setting up the committee is to enhance placements and the employability of students, as the recruitment of students is not that substantial,” said University of Madras Vice-Chancellor G. Thiruvasagam, who would be chairing the committee.
“Until last year one job-fair was held every year but they had a poor student turn-out. From this academic year we have one company recruiting every month, and so far more 600 students have been placed. With the establishment of this committee we expect that at least 3,000 students will be hired by various sectors, by the end of March 2011,” said University Students Advisory Bureau director N. Raja Hussain.
The members would meet every month and discuss strategies to improve placements in the University and its constituent colleges particularly the ones in the outskirts of Chennai.
The constitution and responsibilities of the committee was charted in the two-day orientation programme for academic administrators of colleges held recently.
The university has also proposed to screen students who can attend the University job fair. “The committee would identify experts who will visit colleges to shortlist students. The selected students in turn would attend placements at the University. This would greatly benefit colleges that lack infrastructure to invite the industry for interviews,” said Prof. Thiruvasagam.
“The committee will also conduct two-day pre-placement training programmes for colleges, especially in rural areas to mentor and groom students to face interviews. These measures are also an attempt to create awareness about the job fair in the colleges under the University,” said Marlene Morais, committee member and principal of Guru Nanak College.
