Industry News

EMC & Junior achievement team up to impact employability among engineering / technical graduates

Posted On : 2008-09-09 10:34:18( TIMEZONE : IST )

First Phase of BridgeIT India Program To Be Launched at Four Bangalore colleges

NEW DELHI, India - September 09, 2008 - EMC, the world leader in information infrastructure solutions, today announced that its India Center of Excellence and Junior Achievement (JA) India, a not-for-profit organization, launched the first phase of the BridgeIT India Program in partnership with four Bangalore colleges. The BridgeIT India Program seeks to bridge the skills gap between engineering/ technical graduates and the needs of IT employers in India.

The BridgeIT India Program is a joint initiative between EMC and Junior Achievement India, and seeks to increase the employability of Indian engineering students by providing them with an operational understanding of what to expect at an IT organization, and how to contribute from the first day on the job. The program also saves employers from having to create lengthy and expensive orientation programs for new hires. The program involves volunteers from EMC India Center of Excellence engaging with engineering students aspiring for a career in the Indian IT industry.

In the first phase of the program, agreements have been reached with four engineering/ technical colleges that are striving to establish themselves as leading technology institutions in Bangalore. They include:

Nitte Meenakshi Institute of Technology, Yelahanka
Garden City College, KR Puram
Global Academy of Technology, Rajarajeshwari Nagar
SJB Institute of Technology, Kengeri.

Announcing the launch of the first phase of the program, Mr. Sarv Saravanan, Vice President and Managing Director, EMC India Center of Excellence, said, "Currently, only a fraction of the engineering and technical graduates in India are employable in the IT industry. Given the critical need for industry-ready technical graduates, we believe that the BridgeIT India Program will make a real and measurable impact to positively influence the lives of students before they enter the workforce. We are initially reaching out to 4 colleges in Bangalore and will expand this exponentially in the coming months."

Mr. Venkat Matoory, Executive Director, JA India said, "The BridgeIT India program emerged through a close partnership between JA India and the EMC India Center of Excellence. Students across India will benefit from this winning combination of JA India's reach among the Indian educational community and EMC's expertise in product development and services, and we look forward to establishing this program across India."

Dr. H.C. Nagaraj, Principal, Nitte Meenakshi Institute of Technology, Yelahanka said, "We are extremely delighted to be a part of the BridgeIT India Program. It is heartening to see a company such as EMC and a Non Governmental Organization like JA India coming together to consciously help engineering / technical students with the latest skills and knowledge required for ensuring a smooth transition into the IT industry. We wholeheartedly support this initiative as we believe it will add tremendous value to the lives of our students."

Dr. Joseph V.G., Chairman, Garden City College, KR Puram, said, "We have tied up with BridgeIT at a very significant period in the evolution of the IT industry. Keeping in mind that a mere degree is no longer sufficient to become successfully employable in today's highly competitive IT industry, students need to be aptly prepared to effectively take on the challenges of the corporate world. We are confident BridgeIT India Program will help us achieve the same."

Mr. Narendra Viswanath, Principal, Global Academy of Technology, Rajarajeshwari Nagar, said, "BridgeIT is a remarkable initiative that aims to instill confidence among students and impart the necessary training for transforming today's students into industry ready professionals. Our students will be thrilled to actively participate in this free of cost program."

Dr. Puttaraju, Principal, SJB Institute of Technology, Kengeri, said, "BridgeIT India Program is one of the best things to happen to engineering/ technical students who plan to embrace the IT industry. This initiative promises to change the way how students perceive the corporate world and the way it functions and provides insights and vital practical knowledge and understanding to become a successful IT professional."