CHENNAI: Finding that it was communication skills that come in the way of a candidate securing a job, more than the lack of technical skills, Arshan Vakil and Tahem Veer Varma, two graduates of University of Pennyslyvania, US, started Kings Learning about three months ago in Bangalore. They were in the city recently to launch their second centre at Vels University. Being roomies at UPenn, they grew together as entrepreneurs, with Kings. “The job scenario now is tough — people find it difficult to land jobs. English language skills should not be a reason to lose out on a job,” they chorus. The duo is keen to expand in South India first, as “with a lot of educational institutions, the audience here is receptive.”
Kings offers customised packages for engineering students, nursing aspirants, working professionals and those teaching English as a Foreign Language among others. “These courses work for anyone who is interested,” says Arshan. The premium package comes at `10,000 and spans about four weeks with 8-10 hours of work to be put in each week. The packages go up to 360 hours and there is also a placement test at the end of it for you to assess your level and see for yourself the progress you have made.
Kings provides training for IELTS but aren’t keen to get into coaching for more serious exams like GMAT or GRE. With the market flooded with English language training centres, it is imperative that we ask the young entrepreneurs what sets them apart. “It is a very fragmented market. We strive on quality; our faculty are trained by Kings College London, UK, and there needn’t be any doubts with respect to quality. We keep our classes small — at the most there are about 20 students and our classes aren’t lecture-based, the sessions are interactive with group activities, role playing and more.”
Their future plans include opening up a centre every four months. Details at www.kingslearning.in.
— shilpa.vasudevan@newindianexpress.com