look beyond IT - Coimbatore Students get advice

It is not information technology alone that will be the engine of growth and students can choose from sectors such as insurance, retail and manufacturing that would need huge manpower, according to Mr P.M. Jagadheesan, President of the Coimbatore Management Association (CMA) and General Manager-HRD, Lakshmi Mills, Coimbatore.

Speaking at a function `Genex '06' held to mark the inauguration of Management Association and Business Line Club at the SNS College of Technology (SNSCT) here, he said that with the economy witnessing a boom and business competition hotting up, industries looked for readymade managers from institutions as they did not have the time to groom them. He advised students to use the two years in college during the management course to mould themselves into managers to become globally employable.

He urged students to not focus on IT jobs alone as other sectors such as retail management, insurance, infrastructure and manufacturing were also thriving. He estimated that 15 lakh workers at various levels — unskilled, skilled and managerial — would be needed in core industrial sectors in Tamil Nadu alone in the next two years.

On how companies rewarded quality and talent, he said many companies have introduced variable pay schemes even at the General Manager level. Performance and pay have thus become interlinked, he pointed out and advised students to nurture the right attitude and skill. The students could also develop into entrepreneurs.

Mr Jagadheesan said that a major problem faced by all managers today was the prevailing high attrition rate. Industries have career development systems to deal with this issue. The changing work culture also emphasised the need for a flexible work culture.

Mr D. Rajkumar, Senior Regional Manager - Circulation, The Hindu, Coimbatore, said newspapers played a vital role in bringing industry to the institutions and students should make optimum use of newspapers to update themselves about happenings around them.

Among those present were Dr S.N. Subbramanian, Director-cum-Secretary, SNSCT, Dr S. Rajalaksmi, Correspondent, SNSCT and Prof V.P. Arunachalam, Principal, SNSCT.

Courtesy : The Hindu