Amid global economic uncertainty and a slowdown in hiring by IT services companies, engineering colleges in the city were able to match last year’s campus placement numbers as of October 31 by changing their approach.Measures included inviting more companies, leveraging the alumni network, leveraging startups and companies in the neighborhood, and using MSMEs to teach students to solve industry problems to improve their employability.Anna University’s four campuses saw no decline in admissions paying Rs 20 lakh per annum and above, but some city-based colleges reported a 25% drop.For the first time, recruiters were active on campus. Sanjay Kishan R, a computer science student from College of Engineering, Guindy, has bagged a place at RtBrick India, a networking software company, with a salary of Rs 20 lakh per annum. This company visited Anna University for the first time. “We are seeing more companies compared to last year. Top MNCs including Amazon and Apple have visited our campus,” said Sanjay Kishan.Sakthibala from the same college in mechanical engineering was hired by Yamaha Motors at Rs 7.5 lakh per annum. More than 40% of his party mates also got jobs. “Basic engineering works provide job security and sustainable growth even in these uncertain times,” he said.“Despite the delay in the arrival of mass recruiters this year, the overall placement percentage is higher compared to last year as Global Capability Centers (GCCs) and product companies hired in large numbers this year,” said Abhay Meghanathan, Vice Chairman, Rajalakshmi Group of Institutes. As of October 31, the college employed 497 graduates, which is three less than last year. Located near an industrial estate in Thandalam, the college has also received inquiries from major engineering companies in industrial areas for placement. “We are working closely with them to impart the skills to the students in the eighth semester,” he added.Anna University campuses invited more than 500 companies, which is 100 more than last year. “Larger companies with expansion plans are hiring in large numbers, while mid-tier companies are holding back. We plan to reach out to more companies in December,” said K. Shanmuga Sundaram, director of Anna University’s Center for University-Industry Collaboration. “TCS is going to do massive recruitment in December and 1,800 UG and PG students from our campuses have registered for campus placements,” he added.The university also plans to host exclusive recruitment sessions for startups to improve job offers. “We plan to invite established startups to visit our campuses for this special promotion,” Shanmuga Sundaram said.Colleges like Tambaram’s Sri Sairam College of Engineering have tied up with Ambattur Industrial Estate Manufacturers Association (AIEMA) and Tirumudivakkam Industrial Estate Manufacturers Association (TIEMA) and made it mandatory for faculty and students to do internships with MSMEs in their neighbourhood. “MSMEs help us in designing the curriculum, training our students and faculty. It helps our students in campus placement interviews,” said Sai Prakash Leo Muthu, Chairman, Sri Sairam College of Engineering.RMK College of Engineering said it has introduced skill-specific training to give students an edge in overcoming the slump in regular campus enrolment. “For example, computer science students will be trained in cloud computing, cyber security and full stack development,” said RM Kishore, vice-chairman of RMK’s College of Engineering.SRM Easwari College of Engineering challenged students to tackle industry challenges faced by GCC countries and IT product companies. “This increases their chances of getting a job. We have tie-ups with 73 companies in Chennai, Bengaluru and Hyderabad,” said P Deiva Sundari, principal, SRM Easwari College of Engineering.
