OUTR school to make students ‘industry-ready’
Bhubaneswar: Odisha University of Technology and Research (OUTR) here has opened a new school to make students aware about necessary real-world job skills.
Students will receive training in industry etiquette, aptitude, teamwork, resume writing, interview techniques, communication skills, participating in group discussions, and other areas at the ‘Finishing School to Enhance Employability Skills’. They will be taught about developing professionalism in workplace, official sources said.
Bibhuti Bhusan Biswal, vice-chancellor of OUTR, said many students are not prepared for the industry after completing their courses. “Certain level of job readiness is required for passed-out students. Finishing schools address the issue through their innovatively designed training programmes,” he added.
Many private organisations provide these skills by charging a hefty amount from the graduates. “We decided to provide the programme at our university to BTech and MTech students. When they leave the campus to face any interview or work in any sector, the soft skills they learn will help them immensely,” said Biswal.
He said they have roped in experts from different industries. “We have appointed six professors-of-practice to provide training to our students. Any student of our university can attend the classes. The school, inaugurated on April 2, will begin classes from Monday onwards. This year, we will conduct 20 hours of classes per batch. From next year, we will make it 32 hours per batch,” he added.
He said the experts, with two-three decades of experience in different industries, have knowledge about the nuances of interviews, requirements for different jobs and communication skills. “If they train the students on campus, our students will become industry-ready soon after completing their courses,” he added.
The VC said attending the finishing school classes is optional. “If needed, we can bring interviewers from different companies to train the students. We have around 1,400-1,500 students in a year. Soft skill trainers will be invited for the training sessions,” he added.
Students will receive training in industry etiquette, aptitude, teamwork, resume writing, interview techniques, communication skills, participating in group discussions, and other areas at the ‘Finishing School to Enhance Employability Skills’. They will be taught about developing professionalism in workplace, official sources said.
Bibhuti Bhusan Biswal, vice-chancellor of OUTR, said many students are not prepared for the industry after completing their courses. “Certain level of job readiness is required for passed-out students. Finishing schools address the issue through their innovatively designed training programmes,” he added.
Many private organisations provide these skills by charging a hefty amount from the graduates. “We decided to provide the programme at our university to BTech and MTech students. When they leave the campus to face any interview or work in any sector, the soft skills they learn will help them immensely,” said Biswal.
He said they have roped in experts from different industries. “We have appointed six professors-of-practice to provide training to our students. Any student of our university can attend the classes. The school, inaugurated on April 2, will begin classes from Monday onwards. This year, we will conduct 20 hours of classes per batch. From next year, we will make it 32 hours per batch,” he added.
He said the experts, with two-three decades of experience in different industries, have knowledge about the nuances of interviews, requirements for different jobs and communication skills. “If they train the students on campus, our students will become industry-ready soon after completing their courses,” he added.
The VC said attending the finishing school classes is optional. “If needed, we can bring interviewers from different companies to train the students. We have around 1,400-1,500 students in a year. Soft skill trainers will be invited for the training sessions,” he added.
