New Training Officer Seeks Advice on Preparing Engineering Students for Corporate Success

I am taking over as Training and Placement Officer at a small engineering college, and there is a huge responsibility on me to get the students placed. I want to start my reign by concentrating mainly on training and making students ready for the corporate world.

I am completely new to this job and need to thoroughly plan my training schedule. I would appreciate it if people with experience in this field could help me identify the areas to focus on and provide some ready-made techniques.

The students at my institute are very weak.

Regards.

Dear Jaya, there are three aspects you need to concentrate on:

Develop Communication Skills

- Ensure that the students develop their communication skills. You have to conduct certain speaking activities on a regular basis. Schedule two classes per week for every student to provide them with an opportunity to speak on a platform. This should be an ongoing activity for all students.

Focus on Employability Skills for 3rd-Year Students

- Teach them how to write a resume, enhance their group discussion capabilities, and improve their presentation skills for interviews, etc.

Campus-to-Corporate Skills

- Work on campus-to-corporate skills such as team building, teamwork, team leadership, and good interpersonal skills. Additionally, emphasize overall skills like developing a positive attitude, motivation, and communication skills regularly.

To start, consider inviting some soft skills trainers within your budget. They can help you kickstart the activities and guide you on how to begin. If needed, feel free to reach out to me.

Thanks

Aside from what Mr. KS Rao has rightly suggested (communication, resume writing, group discussion, and mock interviews), please also focus on preparing your students for aptitude tests, as that is the first step in any recruitment process.