The Hindu Business Line : IBM trains faculty members to improve student employability

Chennai, June 27 The global information technology giant IBM has taken up the task of empowering faculty members with the right resources to prepare students for 21st century skills.

IBM’s ‘Drona Programme’ — named after Dronacharya — is a collaboration between faculty members and industry partners. It will focus on faculty development to improve employability in the IT industry for the 21st century.

Faculty members have a very important role to play and have the longest window of opportunity to influence students, said Mr Anil Menon, Vice-President, Channel, Marketing and Ecosystems, IBM Software, IBM India Pvt Ltd. “Globally, this is the first time that IBM has introduced such a programme for faculty members.”

Great Mind Challenge

First, it was the IBM Great Mind Challenge that enabled students to get a hands-on experience of IBM software products. Now, for the Drona Programme, IBM has roped in leading independent software vendors (ISVs) to talk about their requirements to faculty members.

“It is part of our efforts to give back to the society and help faculty members prepare students with necessary skills required for the IT industry,” he recently told Business Line.

IBM also plans to bring together key players to build crucial business and technology skills.

The programme, launched in Chennai, will be taken to the remaining three metros, he said.

Mr Menon said it was a huge challenge for ISVs to get the right kind of people. Till now the focus was on teaching students, but now faculty members should also be brought into the system. While it is a social cause that IBM has taken up, it is also important that the company gets the right type of people.

Around 1.5 million skilled IT experts will be required by 2012 — a trend that is fuelling major opportunities for innovation and career growth for IT students, especially in India, China and Southeast Asia.

The aim of the Drona Programme was to demonstrate how IBM is collaborating with ISVs, universities and partners together to help drive IT, he said.

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