Enhancing Employability Skills and Placements in Technical Institutes: A Case Study

Abstract

Objective: Employability skills and placements are extremely important for any technical institute. Analysis of strengths, weakness, opportunities and challenges (SWOC) helps to make informed decisions on the inputs received from the stakeholders. The purpose of this paper is to identify the SWOC of training and placement cell of a technical institute, undertake initiatives based on the SWOC analysis and determine the impact of these initiatives. Methodology: IT tools like Google form were designed and employed to carry out the SWOC analysis. This Google form was sent to the students and responses were obtained from 1087 students. The students responses were grouped under strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and challenges and then segregated under five sub categories namely - institute and infrastructure; staff; teaching and learning; training / placement activities and mechanism or policies for improvement. Based on the SWOC analysis, certain initiatives were undertaken to overcome the weakness and to explore the opportunities. These initiatives have been mapped with the SWOC are analysed to determine the impact. To remain within the scope of this paper, data related initiatives undertaken and outcome of these initiatives is being carried out. The outcome of this study will help the Management, Principal and other senior faculty in developing appropriate strategies for enhancing the employability skills and placements.