| |9 October 2017HIGHERReviewate value propositions mapping with the current environment. Today, most organizations are moving away from their traditional model of mass hir-ing, huge spends on incubation train-ing and maintaining a surplus bench strength. Today, organizations are now looking for talent who are capable to be accessible on a "Zero-day-deploy-ment" model. As this message flows out to career aspirants, they are look-ing for specific and short-term courses rather than yearlong comprehensive career programs that were in vogue even 5 years back. Most training orga-nizations have adapted to this new re-quirement and are offering the mod-el of "Flip classroom" which enables learners to spend more time on self-study than an Instructor led program. With better knowledge today's career aspirants are better informed about skills and technology that are required in the industry and therefore demand the same from training providers.The higher education architec-ture in the country mostly offers de-grees such as B. Tech, BE, MCA, M. Sc., with respect to IT Engineering from the technical perspective, but the practical and hands on aspects of technology and its application into our lives are often overlooked in univer-sity curriculums. Add to this, a com-plete lack of scenario based teaching, and inadequate infrastructure, espe-cially in public institutions explains the growing concern about a very high rate of skill gap among graduates. This leads to challenges in employ-ability and leads to a demand-supply gap in the sector. Educating students in the contemporary areas of informa-tion technology is indeed the need of the hour.Additional Training and Certifications: Providing the Competitive EdgeNew age careers in IT demand a fast paced, dynamic approach, progressive vision, and quick adaptability skills to-wards the advent of emerging technol-ogies. Going forward, disruptive tech innovations such as machine learn-ing, artificial intelligence, internet of things, cloud computing and cyber se-curity offer highly interesting avenues for aspirants in this sector. Demystify-ing the `next big opportunities' in the sector needs amplified levels of edu-cation, skilling (and re-skilling) and domain knowledge; and this is where IT certifications and training can play an increasingly important role in en-hancing IT students' career prospects. In today's dynamic work environ-ment, acquiring professional qualifica-tions and degrees is important, but to equip yourself with the right IT certi-fications can take your career to new heights altogether. These certifications could be a wide range of subjects such as data security, networking, virtual-ization, storage, project management, big data, mobility and cloud network administration, and so on. They en-hance your resume and tell employers that you have the right skills for the job. It is also a reflection of your com-mitment to continued education, and tells your employer that you have the competitive edge over your peers. In a nutshell, advanced lev-el training courses, online educa-tional programs, and certificates help you learn more and groom yourself into a valued profession-al with a well-rounded foundation of specifics. The Road AheadWith the horizon of Information and Communication Technology rapidly evolving with each passing day and In-dia Inc. moving towards a digitalized economy, not only students but poten-tial employees and even employers in the domain feel the need to constant-ly upgrade skills to stay relevant and in competition. To acquire skill sets based on your interest areas short-term courses and certifications are great options to prominently establish your competen-cy towards a special area of expertise. On the other hand, the subjectivity of classroom education (or virtual class-rooms even for that matter) cannot be underestimated, especially if you are opting for a long-term career in this field. Embracing a sustainable balance of both in a more comprehensive and time-specific manner can be the ide-al way out here for the new age IT education consumer.
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