By Sanjay Jorapur, President – HR, HFCL Group
“In the recent years India has undergone a massive economic transformation given its tech expertise and need for self-reliance however, we have witnessed that getting skilled talent onboard has been one of the biggest challenges. India is one of the fastest growing economies in the world and there is huge demand for tech talent, however despite the huge demand, there exists a huge skill gap in the industry. This is mainly because technology developments have outpaced academic curriculums, and it has become imperative for engineering colleges to focus on keeping pace with the industry by investing in resources such as accomplished teaching staff and latest computing and research facilities to impart both conceptual and practical/application oriented skill-based training to meet the fast changing technologies across sectors. The technology industry requires an evolved set of skills from the engineers, and demands a blend of technical expertise, business expertise, adaptability and critical thinking.
Many engineering graduates struggle with unemployment due to difficulties in keeping up with the field’s constant demand for learning and innovation. With emerging business trends in the telecom and technology space, I believe that professionals today are required to have an overall understanding of global mega trends related to 5G/ 6G, Wi-Fi 7, Cloud network management and analytics, Semiconductor-grade precision manufacturing and Generative AI models and its applications in the respective fields. The next generation of young engineers will also have to possess business acumen and a prompt sense of passion for learning to upskill as per industry expectations at a rapid pace.
Companies require both experienced minds and freshers to meet the fast changing business dynamics as both the set of professionals bring in a certain level of energy and experience to solve complex business problems. In order to bridge the existing skill deficit and dearth of skilled engineering talent in the industry, tech companies today are taking the onus and investing heavily in the skill development of their workforce. At HFCL, we hire both – experienced professionals for on-going time-bound technology programs and projects and fresh graduates to build a foundation within the company. We provide extensive, on-the-job training to all our engineering talent for about 6-12 months during the GET (Graduate Engineering Trainee) period. We organize bootcamps on cutting-edge technologies such as 5G/ 6G, Wi-Fi 7, Cloud Network Management Systems, Semiconductor-grade precision manufacturing that upskill them on the latest 5G and communications technology and get them job ready. Furthermore, we are deeply committed to fostering an inclusive environment for our women tech talent. As a testament to our dedication, one out of every three engineers working on these cutting-edge technologies is a woman, reflecting our unwavering commitment to diversity and empowerment.”