The Hindu Business Line : TN: Survey under way on job status of engg graduates

THE Tamil Nadu State Council for Higher Education, which is engaged in a survey of the levels of employment among the engineering graduates, hopes to conduct similar studies in other disciplines, particularly job-oriented and professional courses, according to sources.

The objective is to come out with a set of recommendations or guidelines to help the Government frame policies for such courses with a view to enhancing employment opportunities. The other areas of survey could include hotel management and biotechnology, and eventually a whole range of disciplines, they said.

However, they added that the level of response for the present survey was not satisfactory. This could prove a limitation to the findings if the response does not pick up in the coming weeks.

The survey expected to cover about 15,000 students has met with a response from about five to 20 per cent. Ideally, at least a 50 per cent response would help enhance the significance of the findings, they added. However, based on the responses received, the indications are that more than 50 per cent are employed, and of the balance, significant levels are self-employed.

The categories studied under the survey include new and traditional courses such as computer science, electrical and electronics, mechanical, civil and production engineers.

A large number of students in the traditional courses appear to be self-employed while those who had taken computer sciences are employed in firms. However, these were preliminary findings and a larger response would be needed to arrive at a final conclusion, they cautioned.

There is also an indication that with the spurt in the number of engineering colleges, the number of those opting to teach is on the increase. The council will look at ways to improve the quality of teaching professionals including enhancing the levels of PhD courses.

With the spurt in knowledge-based industries and new technologies emerging, the policy makers are concerned about developing human resource with appropriate skills and quality.

The surveys are aimed at arriving at strategies to enable creation of a qualified pool of human resources with maximum levels of employment opportunities.

The survey now covers the engineering graduates from colleges that have commenced in the last 10 years and are affiliated to the University of Madras.

It will study the employment status of students who graduated during 1992-96 to assess the State's potential in the field of engineering education and also to help the State Government in its future plans.

The council has urged all graduates covered under the scope of the study to send the details of their occupational status in the format provided.

Sources said that the study covers nine engineering colleges and about 15,000 students who had graduated during the time frame mentioned.

The council has sent out the formats to students whose addresses had been obtained from the colleges concerned.

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