Placements in engineering colleges hit lockdown hurdle

The Covid-19 crisis is likely to hit the campus placements at engineering colleges scheduled to begin from June 2020 for 2020-21 academic year.

According to industry experts and engineering colleges, Tier-2 and Tier-3 colleges will be the most affected. Further, though the companies will continue to hire top talents, the mass recruiting companies will delay their visits.

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Students in 6th semester need to attend placements that are scheduled to be held in June.

“We feel the placement process will be delayed by two to three months for the coming academic year,” says a senior official of Visvesvaraya Technological University (VTU).

Read: Coronavirus India update: State-wise total number of confirmed cases, deaths

Some exceptions

Prof M N Guruvenkatesh, vice president of placements and skill development centre at Dayananda Sagar Institutions in Bengaluru, said, “The hiring will go down at least by 20% for the next year. Though production-based companies continue to hire, the mass recruiters, the service-based companies, may cut down recruitments.”

As per the details available from the engineering colleges in the state, service-based companies used to hire 200 to 300 students at one go at basic level. Due to the Covid-19 crisis and nationwide lockdown, mass recruiting companies may restrict the numbers.

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Prof K N Subramanya, principal of R V College of Engineering, said, “Even colleges are not ready, if companies come forward to hire in June, as we have to complete the examinations. This crisis has resulted in economic downtrend, we have to wait for the economy to pick up.”

As estimated by the placement officers, the campus recruitments may be delayed by two or three months and instead of June, they may take it up in August.

“Placement trend in last season was excellent and this won’t be the same this time. We are hoping to get a good response from companies after the crisis is over,” said the placement officer from one of the top engineering colleges in Bengaluru.

The arts and design institutes too are facing the heat. The placements scheduled in February and March.

Dr Vijaya Kumar, Principal, Vogue Institute of Art and Design, Bengaluru said, “Early start to campus placements in the month of February has helped our institute this year. But the ones scheduled for March have come to a standstill. Students should know that the impact on the industry is short term. The Chinese textile and apparel sector has started working. In two months, other countries will also start trade. Fashion and apparel design professionals will have better
future.”