NAC A golden opportunity

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NAC - A golden opportunity
- for educated unemployed Youths in Manipur -

By: Nillababu Oinam *

The 7th NEC Sectoral Summit on IT & IteS, Kohima held during 31st July and 1st August 2007, chaired by Shri Mani Shankar Aiyar, Union Minister of RD, DONER & Chairman NEC, resolved many issues related to the development of IT & Telecommunication in N.E Region.

The main focus was given on the enhancement of employability of educated youths of the region in IT & IT enabled Services. The Ministry of DONER is supporting the NASSCOM Assessment of Competence Test in IT Skills (N.A.C) for 20,000 Graduate/Undergraduate youths of the Region.

The N.E states helps NASSCOM towards identification and registration of the students and examination centres for timely completion of the programme during October – December 2007. The date of NAC test for Manipur is 30th November 2007.

The Department of Science & Technology & IT, Department of Higher Education, Manipur join hands and is taking up several steps so that at least 1600 students may enjoy this opportunity. Several rounds of discussion were held even in presence of NASSCOM officials at Imphal very recently.

The Government of Manipur is likely to declare the test centres within the shortest possible time.

Job prospects in IteS-BPO industry:

The IteS-BPO industry is growing at an overwhelming pace and giving a major fillip to the Indian economy. India has established its leadership position globally in the offshoring market and now the availability of skilled manpower is one of the key barriers to the fast growth of the industry.

India’s economic growth will be greatly accelerated if the Indian IT & IteS industries sustain their leadership with the appropriately skilled Onshore Human Resource.

2008 IT-ITes industry needs around 5,00,000 fresh talent
By 2012 the ITeS Industry needs 2.7 million people (NASSCOM McKinsey Report). The employability chart is given.
The NAC is expected to support larger share of recruitment in the years ahead

The ITES-BPO export services employment is expected to touch 2.7 million by 2012.

What is NAC ?

NASSCOM join hands with ITeS-BPO industry to create a National Assessment & Certification Programme (Phase-I) – the NASSCOM Assessment of Competence (NAC).

to continuously assess the candidates on key skills through a national standard assessment.
to make it easier for firms to screen candidates and also
to provide training need analysis to candidates.
then be tied into training to help more candidates become competent to work in the industry.
IteS-BPO industry has to appoint NAC certificate holders only

Benefits of NAC

To create a nation wide robust mechanism of assessing and developing talent which can help sell India better to the international investor community
To scale up the availability of the skill base
For greater awareness for employability through IT-ITeS among energetic young and youth, graduating from college/educational institutions
To define an assessment mechanism for individuals to assess his/her training needs
Create jobs/growth opportunities
No need to go through the same recruitment process at different companies
Ability to identify his/her strengths and weaknesses
Ability to self-assess the training needs
Opportunity to get certify on a national level assessment.

NASSCOM has done a skill gap analysis and come up with the core areas that need to be addressed like Speaking, Listening, Analytical and quantitative reasoning, Writing (multiple choice), Writing (Essays).

Way forward

Launch of NAC across various states of India has begun since last quarter of 2006 and will cover about 60% of the region within this financial year.
NAC becomes a national assessment and will be conducted at all the states at least twice a year.
Only NAC certified candidates would be preferred by ITES-BPO organizations for recruitment.
NAC assessment will be supported by NAC training program that will be conducted by various training vendors all across India.

Training needs

The IT and ITES industry has a huge need for recruiting fresh graduates in all fields with the right employment skills.
The target of NASSCOM for NAC in Manipur is 1000. However, the Government of Manipur initiated action to increase the target to 1600.
They must be ready to face NAC Test
In the present scenario only 15-18% of the graduates are employable
This requires training with tailor-made syllabus to suit the test

Who will provide the NAC training?

The following Companies/Institutes are providing

24X7 Learning
Dale Carnegie
NIIT
DOEACC Centres
Oinam Ibohal Polytechnic.
Manipur University.

In Manipur there is shortage of institutes to provide such training to 1600 students in the first instance. To meet the immediate requirement in the state, the Oinam Ibohal Polytechnic has tied up with 24X7 to deliver the course through e-Learning, which is the most convenient and easy means of learning through internet.

The first batch of SkillBridge course was launched on the 22nd September 2007 at the Auditorium of Oinam Ibohal Polytechnic by Shri P. Sharat Chandra, IAS, Principal Secretary (Higher & Technical Education), Govt. of Manipur and Shri B.B Sharma, IAS, Secretary (Tourism), Government of Manipur as Chief Guest & President respectively.

The next batch of one month SkillBridge course is to be started from 1st October 2007. The Departments of Science & Technology and Higher Education may jointly sponsor one week crash course on NAC in some selected institutes in Manipur very soon.

What is 24X7?

24x7 Learning is a leading consulting, technology services and outsourcing company committed to deliver learning solutions to enable organizations be successful globally by upgrading their workforce to compete in the global markets.

Achievements of 24X7

In five years of its existence:

24x7 Learning has emerged as the largest e-Learning implementation company in India with learners dispersed in more than 25 countries in the world.
24x7 Learning has trained over 460,000 employees.
24x7 Learning serves 7 of top 10 IT outsourcing companies in India.
24x7 Learning customers include 6 of top 10 BPO/ITES companies in India.

About Skillbridge

24x7 Learning is acutely aware of the skill gap between what is required by the corporate segment and that produced by our formal education system.

SkillBridge, an employability enhancement program, helps bridge these skill gaps of students by giving them relevant IT and behavioural skills training. SkillBridge program has been designed to help the student acquire the latest I.T and behavioural skills that are critical for successful recruitment but not taught in the formal college syllabus.

These also include preparing themselves for interviews, polish spoken English to build confidence and verbal, logical and mathematical reasoning skills that have become mandatory these days to get through any interview. Upon successful completion of the training program there shall be a skills assessment TEST, the results of which shall directly be forwarded to the Recruitment Managers amongst corporate partners.

Why Skillbridge?

SkillBridge’s I.T training program provides a fast, easy, inexpensive, and highly effective method for computer learning. Placement: Students undergoing SkillBridge training shall be supported to industry visits so as to make them understand of the various processes within the industry. SkillBridge training program is backed up and supported by corporate. Every student who have undergone the said training program successfully, shall be supported career counselling and with campus placement.

Behavioural Skills: In today’s highly competitive business environment, one of the key ways to succeed is to be able to communicate & present the trainee successfully. SkillBridge training program can help them achieve this through a portfolio of specialist training courses delivered on-line.

At the end of the program the candidate shall realize his true potential and shall find that there is a complete transformation in his behaviour. The objective of the behavioural training program is to make the candidate confident enough so that he can overcome his nerve and present himself with confidence.

The Road Ahead

Manipur is having many educated and talented youths. Many persons are expending lakhs of Rupees thinking to get a Government job. Most of them could not get the employment due to want of several factors. Moreover, the age of white-collar job is almost over. The time is changed.

This is the age of IT. As Shri P. Sharat Chandra, IAS pointed out on the Launching Function of SkillBridge at Oinam Ibohal Polytechnic, due to development of communications and Internet, the Earth has become a Global Village. Our youths in Manipur are facing acute problems; those are to be converted into challenges.

In this changing scenario, we need to change our thinking in conventional ways only. There are many alternatives. ITeS-BPO Sector is the largest sector where job potential is highest. There is no any need to worry about expending several lakhs of Rupees to get a job in this sector.

However, all the graduate/undergraduate persons may not fit for direct absorption to this Sector. It is highly competitive. Thus, tailor-made training courses like NAC Training Programme conducted by various Institutes are becoming a must to enhance employability in IT Industry.

Literate uneducated youths of the state must avoid homesick, go diasporas for survival of Manipuris and must be ready to accept such golden opportunities and must not miss it to avoid any frustration.

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* Nillababu Oinam (Principal, Oinam Ibohal Polytechnic) wrote this article for The Sangai Express . This information was webcasted on October 30th, 2007 .

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