IT sector requires 4 lakh professionals

Chennai, Mar 2 (UNI) The IT sector required four lakh IT professionals every year, but only 20 per cent of the more than two lakh, engineers who passed out, were employable, according to the Computer Society of India (CSI).

Addressing a press conference here in connection with the forthcoming CSI National Student Symposium on ''Preparing IT professionals for 2010-a Road Map'', Mr Adhivarahan, Chairman, Chennai Chapter, CSI said about 80 per cent of the engineers could not be employed due to lack of communication skills.

Citing a study, he said the IT industries in the country needed four lakh professionals every year. But India could produce only 2.20 lakh professionals. Of them, only about 40,000, constituting 20 per cent could be employable, he said.

Others, though technically qualified and were good in programming, were not preferred by the IT companies as they were week in english language and not good in communication skills, he said.

He said a good knowledge of english language and communication skill were necessary as most of the IT companies dealt with companies in the US and European countries.

To enlighten the students to pursue the path of a career laid out before them and provide guidance in the field of IT, self-financing Rajalakshmi Engineering College, along with CSI, is organising the symposium at Tidel Park Auditorium from March 8 to 10, Ms Thangam Meganathan, Chairperson, Rajalakshmi Engineering college said.

She added about 500 first year students, from various colleges, across the country would participate in the symposium and interact with Industry experts and IT policy makers like Mr C Chandramouli, IT Secretary, Tamil Nadu government and Mr S Lakshmi Narayanan, President Cognizant Technology.

The three-day symposium would comprise paper presentations, debate, quiz, panel discussion, case study and series of guest lectures by eminent personalities.

IT for the nation, IT for society, industry, health care, manufacturing sector and banking are among the subjects, the participants would debate, Ms Meganathan said.

UNI