Queries on jobs grew 45% in Q4 last year, says Anandan
Google on Tuesday introduced a new search experience aimed at making it easier and quicker for jobseekers to find relevant employment opportunities.
Towards this end, the technology major has tied up with popular job listing websites and online classifieds such as QuikrJobs, Shine.com, Aasaanjobs, Freshersworld, Headhonchos, IBM Talent Management Solutions, LinkedIn, Quezx, T-Jobs, TimesJobs and Wisdomjobs.
“In Q4 last year, we saw more than a 45% increase in the number of job search queries, and this number is continuously growing,” Rajan Anandan, vice president India and southeast Asia, said, adding that more than 50% of searches were done through mobile phones.
‘SMEs to benefit’
He added that companies, especially SMEs, are often unable to make their listings discoverable “This new job search experience powered by our partners and our open platform approach attempts to bridge this gap.”
When users search with queries such as ‘jobs near me’ and ‘jobs for freshers’ on Google, they will see a special module with job listings.
Clicking on any job in this listing opens an at-a-glance view that gives information such as job title, location and whether it is full-time or part-time. From here, users can proceed to the job listing page on the partner website and apply.
“This search experience also... enables jobseekers to refine their search; and, with the ability to save jobs, users can now collect relevant listings and conveniently revisit them whenever they need to,” Google said in a statement.
101 management schools apply to shut shop as business is bad
Data with the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), the apex body of technical and management institutes, shows that a total of 101 management institutes wrote to it seeking voluntary closure
Battling vacant seats and a dip in campus placements, more than 100 business schools offering MBA degrees and postgraduate diplomas in business administration applied for closure in 2017-18, according to officials familiar with the development.
Data with the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), the apex body of technical and management institutes, shows that a total of 101 management institutes wrote to it seeking voluntary closure. The largest number of them were from Uttar Pradesh (37), followed by 10 each from Karnataka and Maharashtra. Most of these requests are likely to be accepted, the officials said. In 2016-17, 76 management institutes closed down and in 2015-16, 66 did, according data provided by AICTE. Both were not-so-good years for the Indian economy.
“There is a reduction in demand for some of the specialisations, especially marketing. There is also an increase in number of deemed and state private universities,” said a senior AICTE official.
“At the same time, some institutes are unable to fulfil the norms and standards set by regulators with the revenue generated through fee structures prescribed by state governments,” added the official who asked not to be named.
If all 101 institutes are allowed to close, roughly 10,000 seats could be extinguished. Apart from these, certain institutions have applied for closure of their management courses, which could affect another 11,000 seats. There are over 3,000 management institutes recognised by AICTE offering MBA and postgraduate diploma courses across the country.
In 2017, job offers for fresh management graduates in India hit a five-year low, according to AICTE. In 2016-17, just 47% of nearly 150,000 MBA graduates managed to get campus placements -- a dip of 4 percentage points over the previous year. The drop in placements for postgraduate diploma holders was 12 percentage points.
R Subrahmanyam, the secretary (higher education) in the Human Resource Development (HRD) ministry said the government did not see the closure of management institutes as a problem. “We want to emphasize on good quality education and not just focus on numbers. It is good if substandard institutions are voluntarily shutting down. At the same time, we have taken several steps to improve quality such as mentorship for accreditation, curriculum reform, teacher training, induction programme for students and industry association among others,” he said.
Management studies in India were largely restricted to the Indian Institutes of Managements (IIMs) and some top private institutes a decade back. The demand for management graduates soared as the economy grew, leading to a spurt in new private and government-backed institutes. But in the absence of competent faculty and industry training facilities, experts say most B-schools began churning out graduates who were far from being job-ready.
“There is a serious problem with placements across various streams, and management too is affected,” said SS Mantha, former AICTE chairman.
“The employment scene across the disciplines has undergone a subtle change. For instance, entry level jobs are being boxed out due to AI and automation. At the same time, jobs that require higher-order skills are created but are small in number. Hence the supply demand equation is skewed. So naturally institutes that are unable to sustain will close down,” he added.
Will Artificial Intelligence lead to overall less number of jobs in India? Here is what Bibek Debroy has to say
Referring to employment situation in India, Debroy
said that India is still going to be relatively more endowed with labour
and the country is not going to be aged at least till 2035.
Artificial intelligence will not lead to a scenario where there are
overall less number of jobs in the country, Economic Advisory Council to
the Prime Minister (EAC-PM) chairman Bibek Debroy said today. Debroy’s
comments came in the backdrop of several experts, including former RBI Governor Raghuram Rajan,
expressing fears that artificial intelligence (AI) would take up jobs —
both high skilled and unskilled. Speaking at a Brookings India seminar
on ‘Manufacturing Jobs: Implications for Productivity & Inequality’,
Debroy said, “There will always be some job loss, that does not mean
that there will be overall less jobs.”
There is no need to be worried about AI, instead India “should be
more concerned about human development and skill development”, he said.
Last month, Rajan had said that with advances in machine learning, AI
and robotics, this was going to change still further, as they take up
the jobs, ranging from those in unskilled sweatshops to high-skilled
professions like medicine. “What jobs will humans be able to do in 10-15
years that are immune from threat? Jobs that require high intelligence
and creativity; jobs that require human empathy and jobs where human
working for us bolster our status in some way,” he had said.
Referring to employment situation in India, Debroy said that India is
still going to be relatively more endowed with labour and the country
is not going to be aged at least till 2035. Noting that share of
manufacturing in India’s overall GDP has remained stable over the last
25 years, he said, “We would have better employment data in the end of
2018 or beginning of 2019.”
Speaking at the same event, former Planning Commission chairman
Montek Singh Ahluwalia said that India’s domestic development debate is
hijacked by the West and the whole push for inequality versus growth
debate is example of that. Ahluwalia also pointed out that the kind of
skill development which the government is promoting would actually won’t
create employment. “We need to learn from Singapore, Thailand and
Indonesia,” he added.
CHANDIGARH: At a time when there is a big question mark on the employability of engineering graduates, All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) chairman Anil Sahasrabudhe
has said that colleges and universities should emphasize more on
startups. “There are lots of opportunities for students starting their
own entrepreneurial journey,” Sahasrabudhe said, adding that engineering
graduates should focus more on startups rather than looking for jobs in
large industries and corporations. He was talking on the sidelines of a
symposium in Panjab University on Monday.
“The types of jobs are changing and
there are new emerging areas in which we need to train our faculty to
further teach students. More emphasis should be on startups and there
are lots of opportunities for students starting their own
entrepreneurial journey. We are encouraging startups in colleges and
universities. They can develop their own way of funding through alumni,
their college as well as industry. The department of science and
technology and NITI Aayog can fund only limited number,” said Sahasrabudhe.
On the means to tackle low
employability in engineering graduates, he said, “The curriculum itself
is outdated in many colleges and universities. It needs to be updated so
that our students learn what is required by the industry. In case the
faculty is not trained to teach that syllabus, we will train them
through massive open online courses (MOOC) so that they are able to
learn these course content at their respective locations.”
The AICTE chairman state that the
connect between the students and faculty was missing and that was the
reason behind agitations in colleges and universities. Elaborating on a
three-week module where one faculty member would mentor a group of 25
students in the higher educational institutions, he said that the
programme was meant to connect students with the faculty and strengthen
the bond. Sahasrabudhe is of the opinion that after implementing this
programme, the students would refrain from “agitating” in educational
insitutions.
“A group of 25 students will be
associated with one faculty member under the programme and the students
will interact with faculty members, hold discussions, exercise, go to
picnic and movies together. The faculty member will automatically become
a guardian for the students. Instead of agitating and creating problems
in the colege/university, they will go to that faculty member and
resolve the issue. The connect between the students and faculty is
missing today. All agitations in the colleges and universities can be
overcome by addressing the issue in this way,” he added.
Soon researchers in any college or institution and research organisations can check, reserve and have easy access to even expensive research equipment and facilities anywhere in India, thanks to the efforts by the Centre for Nano Science and Engineering (CeNSE) at the Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru.
The centre is in the process of collating information about scientific and research equipment and facilities available at academic institutions and research organisations across the country.
Online reservation
The portal — Indian Science, Technology and Engineering Facilities Map (I-STEM) — will soon become operational. The government green signalled the project last month.
The institutions and organisations that have the equipment and facilities will provide access to researchers for both academic and non-academic work through an online reservation system.
‘Many benefits’
“This initiative will have many benefits. It will provide access to researchers to any equipment or facility that has been procured using public funds, the equipment will be better utilised and it will avoid duplication of expensive equipment as much as possible,” says Dr. Sanjeev Kumar Shrivastava of CeNSE and one of the two researchers who came up with this idea. “Sharing expensive equipment can bring down the cost of doing research in India.”
Putting to rest the fear that this initiative may come in the way of premier institutions which are just coming up from procuring essential equipment, Prof. Navakanta Bhat, chairman of CeNSE and the principal investigator of the I-STEM project, says: “Each institute will need certain equipment that is absolutely necessary and essential for regular use. It is not at all the intent of this initiative to stop such institutes from procuring equipment but to ensure that each instrument is better used.”
“We are trying to replicate the Indian Nanoelectronic Users Programme (INUP) model at CeNSE and IIT Bombay that has been in operation since 2008 to provide access to sophisticated device fabrication and analytical equipment to any academic researcher in the country. I-STEM is inspired by our positive experience with INUP,” says Dr. S.A. Shivashankar, visiting professor at CeNSE and the other person who is the brain behind this initiative.
The idea of starting a national network was shared with Dr. R. Chidambaram, former Principal Scientific Adviser.
The proposal was formally sent to the government in November last year.
Five ways artificial intelligence will shape the future of universities
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is transforming many human activities ranging from daily chores to highly sophisticated tasks. But unlike many other industries, the higher education sector has yet to be really influenced by AI.
Uber has disrupted the taxi sector, Airbnb has disrupted the hotel industry and Amazon disrupted first the bookselling sector, then the whole retail industry. It is only a matter of time then until the higher education sector undergoes a significant transformation.
Within a few short years, universities may well have changed beyond all recognition. Here are five ways that AI will help to change and shape the future of universities and higher education for the better.
1. Personalised learning
Universities are already using AI algorithms to personalise learning and deliver content that is suited to the students needs and pace of learning – and this is only likely to continue. This idea is built on research that shows different people have different aptitudes, skills and orientations to learn when exposed to the same content and learning environments.
Offering personalised, adaptive learning platforms recognises the diversity that is part of any learning ecosystem. This will be a significant change for universities, as it moves away from the traditional model of “one module guide for all”.
It will see educators equipped with data sets to analyse and understand the needs of individuals. And work can be automatically adapted to the style and pace of learning for each particular student.
As educational AI develops, students will be able to study where they want, when they want and using whatever platform they want. This is likely to mean that tablets and mobile phones will become the main delivery methods.
Universities are already using AI-enabled smart building concepts to redesign learning spaces. Modern “smart” classroom spaces are now generally equipped with circular tables, laptops, flat screen monitors, multiple projectors, and whiteboards to encourage and support collaborative and engaged active learning.
This helps educators move away from a traditional classroom set-up, to a more interactive style of working, to encourage deeper learning approaches. And this will start to include more hybrid methods of learning – such as both face-to-face and online interactions.
3. Welcome to the smart campus
The Internet of Things also has the potential to transform universities into smarter places to work and learn. At its core, the technology is simple, it’s all about connecting devices over the internet and letting them talk to us, as well as each other.
Smart classrooms will also enhance the learning experience of the students. A classroom connected to the Internet of Things equipped can adapt to the personalised settings to prepare the classroom for different faculty members. Monitoring attendance and invigilating exams will also be automated and made much more robust.
This development in technology will also enable smart campuses to adopt advanced systems to automatically monitor and control every facility. Universities will be able to monitor parking spaces, building alarms, room usage, heating and lighting all very easily.
Say goodbye to traditional learning environments.Pexels.
4. Great customer service
Universities are also using AI to streamline their processes, resulting in cost savings and better service levels – and this is something that is set to continue. A good example of this is Deakin University in Australia, which has partnered with IBM to be the first university worldwide to implement Watson. Watson is a supercomputer developed by IBM that combines AI and sophisticated analytical software to answer users’ questions.
Watson’s main functionality is to replicate a human’s ability to answer questions. This functionality uses 90 servers with a combined data store of more than 200m pages of information and processed against six million logic rules.
Deakin’s aim is to create a 24/7 online student advisory service, that will improve the student experience. Integrated with their single interface platform and online personal hub, DeakinSync enables students to ask questions and receive instant online answers.
5. Monitoring performance
Another dimension of using AI innovations in universities will be the use of block chains. This will revolutionise how universities operate, as higher education institutions use this technology to automate recognition and the transfer of credits, potentially opening up learning opportunities across universities.
Universities can also use block chains to register and record the intellectual property rights arising from scholarly research. Copyright could be notarised at the date of publication and later reuse can be tracked for impact assessments. This will transform the way universities operate and help to demonstrate the true impact that academic research can have.
India's Hiring Increases from 33% to 45% in five Years: Report
The finding of Wheebox states that employability amongst the fresh talent has increased significantly in the past 5 years.
A joint initiative of Wheebox, a Talent Assessment Company, PeopleStrong, a HR Tech Company and Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) was launched by Principal Adviser and Of NitiAayog along with secretaries of Dept. Of Industrial Policy, Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises(MSME), Ministry of Labour and Employment(MoLE), Ministry Of Rural Development (MoRD), Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE), Chairman-AICTE and Founder & CEO, of Wheebox in Delhi today.
The comprehensive talent demand and supply report are Backed by renowned partners like Pearson, United Nations Development Programme, AICTE, AIU and various state governments, the fifth edition of India Skills Report, captures insights and trends from the largest employability test that was spread out to 5200 Universities and Professional Institutions in India. The test reached out to more than 5 lakh students across 29 states and 7 Union Territories on the talent supply side, along with India hiring intent – a primary research survey on the talent demand side that reached out to over 120+ employers across 12 major industry verticals for talent demand.
The finding of Wheebox states that employability amongst the fresh talent has increased significantly in the past 5 years. While in 2014, the percentage of the employable population was a paltry 33 per cent, it has achieved a 5.6 per cent increase to rest at a respectable 45.60 per cent this year. While this might not be the most positive news today, but the change that has happened over years looks tremendous. The key domains where the increase in employability has been very significant is Engineering, Pharma, MCA and other focused professional courses. It has been found by Wheebox, that focused vocational courses are creating more job-ready candidates than generic courses. Also, the courses where practical experience and internships, have been included in the formal course content are faring better. Another important aspect that has emerged from the supply side, came in the form of a reduction in employability amongst MBA courses. There is no such visible evidence It seems that with the exponential increase in the number of MBA colleges the quality of talent is seen to be declining, which needs government attention.
From the demand side, there is a positive indication as companies show a revival in their hiring intent. As per the India Hiring Intent survey, organisations across sectors expect 10-15 per cent increase in hiring intent from last year to this year. While Retail, Banking, Financial Services and Insurance sectors are anticipating an increase in the pace of hiring. Sectors like ITES, Software, Hardware and IT also foresee a moderate change in hiring numbers.
This year the Wheebox report has laid special focus on future jobs and the impact of automation to understand how they see jobs evolving in response to technology and innovation. The results are astounding: 69 per cent of the respondents clearly foresee the impact of automation. Adding to this, 24 per cent employers indicate Analytics and 15 per cent foresee Artificial Intelligence as the emerging jobs.
Another interesting insight from the Wheebox report is that close to 80 per cent of candidates assessed are keen to explore internship opportunities and they believe that internship will help them in being employable, whereas 85 per cent of the candidates feel that they are not fully equipped with information or guidance to take a conscious, thought-out career decision.
Nirmal Singh, Founder, and CEO of Wheebox, said India Skills Report findings this year has seen an improvement in employability which is a good sign for the economy. The Govt. efforts towards skill development especially in higher and vocational training institutions are paving the way for quality hires. Moreover, the efforts from the government & institutions are showing a positive trend. He further added, new career opportunity like AI, Robotics, and data analytics are indicating an upward trend for these sectors.
Pankaj Bansal, Co-founder, and CEO of PeopleStrong, said “We as a country are undergoing a phase of upward transition as we embrace the impact of digitization and automation in our lives. A lot of effort is needed both at the talent supply side and the demand side to ensure we complete this phase with flying colors. What is reassuring is that our analytics show we are definitely on the right track“.
Students say these circulars look so real
that even colleges fail to recognise if it is fake or real.
Mumbai: In a first, the
University of Mumbai (MU) has asked all its affiliated engineering students and
colleges to confirm with the varsity if they receive any notice with a MU
letterhead.
The varsity has received several complaints
from the students and colleges about receiving fake notices and circulars with
a MU letterhead, which has lead to confusion among them. These fake notices,
which have reached the students, are mostly related to examination timetable,
viva presentation dates, examination or academic fees, syllabus and schedule,
etc. Students say these circulars look so real that even colleges fail to
recognise if it is fake or real.
“Now recently we got a circular in a PDF
format which was being circulated in WhatsApp group which had the dates of
presentation and some fees. In the beginning we were all upset about the
circular but we decided to follow it as it was from MU. Later is when we
realised it is fake when an original circular was issued in the MU website,”
said Mangesh Sakaria, a student from Vidyavihar-based engineering college.
Aishwarya Patil, another student from a Bandra-based college said she received
one circular that stated a change in the syllabus. “Like a week before the
examination, some of us received a circular which said there is a revise in the
syllabus. We were shocked as it had MU letterhead but later when our college
confronted the varsity it was found that the circular was fake and no change
was made by the university,” the student said.
According to MU sources, these lookalike circular
is either being made by the students itself or any MU staff/teachers. “We have
been receiving phone calls from colleges to confirm these which we too are
unaware about. In any case, if there is any change in notice or dates, we
upload it with clear letterhead and sign in the end in the MU official website.
We never send to any student personally,” a senior official said. The official
have asked to confirm it with the varsity if they receive any such notices or
circulars before believing it or acting on it.
Bennett University begins AI research project with tie-ups
NEW DELHI: Bennett University launched an artificial intelligence (AI) initiative in association with 50 zonal partners to set up research groups across the country.
The project was inaugurated by All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) chairman Anil Sahsrabudhe at the Bennett University campus on Tuesday.
The zonal partners will be doubled to 100 with AICTE support.
Each zonal partner will work in the area of deep learning to create useful products and innovations. Each will act as a hub for 10 more institutions, thus adding up to a total of 1,000. “We understand the challenges and the opportunities in enabling professionals, students and institutions to do cutting-edge research,” said Deepak Garg, director of the initiative and head of computer science engineering at Bennett University.
Bennett University is committed to a new era of quality education and research in the country, said the vice chancellor RS Shevgaonkar.
“Skilling, research and entrepreneurship in this initiative is central to the philosophy of our working,” he said. “Bennett invites all likeminded people who wish to see India leading in AI technologies to join the initiative.” The programme is backed by the Royal Academy of Engineering’s Newton-Bhabha Fund.
Bennett University, in partnership with researchers from University College, London and the UK’s Brunel University, has been granted funding by the Royal Academy of Engineering for the project on “making deep learning and artificial intelligence skills mainstream in India to fulfill trilateral needs of entrepreneurship, industry academia partnership and application-inspired engineering research,” ET reported last month.
The Newton-Bhabha Fund programmes have strengthened existing research and innovation partnerships and developed new relationships with policy makers, government agencies, research organisations, higher education institutions, companies and enterprises of the UK and India.
The project under the industry academia partnership programme will encourage large-scale adoption and training in AI, machine learning and deep-learning technologies in engineering institutions in India.
