Denied Internship, Krishna Students Lose Out in Job Race

VIJAYAWADA: The students in the Krishna district seem to be at a great disadvantage  vis-a-vis the students elsewhere in the state in the matter of securing jobs, especially in industries. This is because they lack industrial exposure in the absence of industrial internship as part of their courses.

Several students pursuing different courses say they are ready for industrial internship, but add that there are not enough opportunities in the region. They say that going to other places for internship will put a strain on their pockets and that they cannot afford the same. They hope things will change if the proposed industrial development happens in the region.

Lately, most of the companies, which are recruiting students through the campus interviews, are giving 70 per cent weightage to the students’ industrial exposure and technical skills, and only 30 per cent weightage to their academic qualifications/achievements.

“Internship is a unique opportunity for the students to learn the basics of the job requirements and thus improve the chances of their getting the chosen jobs. The significance of internship is that it facilitates the smooth transition between the theoretical learning and practical application of the same. However, the present education system does not have the kind of compulsory professional training through such internships. This acts as a stumbling block in the students’ further progress after their graduation,” says V Vijaya Maruti Babu, In-charge of the Placement Cell of the VR Siddhartha Institute of Engineering and Technology.

Experts opine that internship is an added advantage for the students seeking jobs.

Those with industrial exposure through internship have an added advantage over others who do not have such exposure and the former will most likely be the first choice of the potential employers, they add.

“Every year we recruit students for jobs in our firm. The students who have gained hands-on experience through internship are given priority compared to others who lack such practical knowledge about the work. Even we are offering internship for the IT and engineering students in our firm free of cost. But there is a big mismatch between the large number of students and the limited number of companies/ industries, which is forcing the students to work as interns at other places,” says D Rama Krishna, CEO of Efftronics System Private Limited.

Though the college managements have made project work compulsory for the students as part of their academics, due to the lack of proper guidance, some students are found to be resorting to unethical means like purchasing projects and submitting the same.

Such practices may help the students to complete the course but will not equip them with necessary job skills.

Those serious about gaining hands-on experiance for better job prospects normally join VTPS, BEL in Machilipatnam, Efftronics in Vijayawada or do a certificate course being offered by Telecom Department in the city. Since the opportunities for the internship are limited in the city, those with reasonable financial resources go to places like Vishakhapatnam, Hyderabad and Bangalore for internships.

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