Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan announced 1 lakh internship opportunities on the portal, which has gained momentum.
talking to
education timeAnil Sahasrabuddhe, President, AICTE says, “In 2019, which was the initial phase of the portal, there was less onboarding of students and involvement of companies, which affected the internship placement performance. With not much progress in employers supporting the portal, AICTE was focusing on tapping them. This year, we mapped out several MNCs who are willing to offer Pre-Placement Offers (PPOs) to competent interns. Sahasrabuddhe said that AICTE is collaborating with several industries, training institutes, government bodies and ministries in India and abroad.
Tapping, mapping more employers
“A Memorandum of Understanding with the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) will offer a paid stipend ranging from Rs 5000 to Rs 35000. Many projects are run from rural to urban areas, from interior villages to metro cities, says Sahasrabuddhe, with job roles ranging from customer relations to insurance, roads to architecture. AICTE’s MoU with the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) is another achievement that will open up opportunities for graduates from non-technical streams.
To increase the traction of the portal more than 15 lakh internships have been added by Salesforce, RSB Transmission, Cisco, Infosys, Indian Knowledge System Division, Mahatma Gandhi National Council for Rural Education (MGNCRE), Zieglar Aerospace etc.
Expansion of Internship Mandate
AICTE has expanded its reach by offering a number of internships for students pursuing certificate courses. MNCs have multiple departments that are involved in customer relationship management and specialized equipment procurement that demands candidates with soft skills. “There is a demand for skilled workforce in all allied sectors. This field offers internships for students of commerce and arts streams. Though this number is limited now, it will increase further in the times to come,” says Sahasrabuddhe.
Many students with problem solving techniques and critical analysis from different streams studying in open universities are also getting internship offers.
add to academic credentials
Students are allowed to intern in enterprises working in innovation, entrepreneurship, NGOs, project work, seminar and institutional training.
Sahasrabuddhe says, “A minimum of 14-20 credits of internship are given for B.Tech programs and 10-14 credits for three-year diploma courses. Internships are assessed by an assigned faculty supervisor, who suddenly visits the site. The tour is done on the basis of ability to answer questions asked by the intern.