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2014
IJMIE Volume 4, Issue 10 ISSN: 2249-0558
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A STUDY AND ANALYSIS OF TRAINING AND

PLACEMENT CELLS IN ENGINEERING COLLEGES

Shamala S. Angadi*
Gomatesh M. Ravanavar**

ABSTRACT

Training and Placement Cell (TPC) is an integral part of any institution. The entire world
was suffering from global recession in the recent years. Almost the whole nation was affected by
global recession. In such difficult situation it is very important for every institution to have best
training and placement cell for their institution so that they train the students in all the aspect to
make them fit to take up challenges in the real life. The functioning of different training and
placement cells in the different technical institutions have been studied and analyzed. Certain
best practices adopted by few TPCs were listed out. The study was descriptive and data was
collected through survey method by using set of structured questionnaire from Training and
Placement Officers (TPOs) and the final year students. Thirty six engineering colleges in Mysore
region under VTU, Karnataka were visited to collect the data after conducting the pilot survey.
Collected data was processed and analyzed with the help of graphs and charts.

Key words

Training and placement cell, Employability skill, Functions of TPC, Functions of TPO

*
PG Scholar, Bahubali College of Engineering, Shravanabelgola-573135
**
Professor and Dean (Academic), Bahubali College of Engineering, Shravanabelgola-573135
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1. Introduction

Training is an organized activity aimed at imparting information and/or instructions to

improve the recipient‟s performance or to help him or her attain a required level of knowledge or
skill.

Placement is a decisive factor which contains determination of the job to which an

acceptable applicant is to be assigned and his/her assignment to the job. i.e. proper matching of
the applicant with the job. Objective of placement is to fit the new employee to the job demand.
Placement cells are the most important part of the institutions that shape one‟s personality. The
students should have an equal voice in these cells as they are meant for them. The good the
placements, the better the college hold, true in the present competitive scenario.

In the present scenario, most of the engineering colleges are facing challenge to arrange
maximum number of placement drives in their colleges and number of placements of their
students. While very few colleges were able to attract more companies for the campus drive at
their colleges and such colleges have advantages over other colleges. This kind of disparity is
due to many reasons. Hence there was a need to understand the functioning of the TPCs in the
engineering colleges. This study was conducted in 36 engineering colleges in Mysore region
under VTU, Karnataka.

1.1 Functions of TPC

Generally the TPC of any institutes will have to perform following functions.

To prepare Brochures of their department.

To assist in the development and maintenance of a database of appropriate employer and
commercial/industrial links.
Prepare the pre final year and final year student‟s data base with all relevant information
such as Personal details, Academic details, Achievements, Skill set etc.
Shortlist the eligible students list separately viz. 60% and above, 65% and above, 75%
and above, passed exam in single attempt etc.

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Inform the students to prepare their Resume and maintains a separate file for resumes of
the students.
A list of companies / organizations with brief profile, address, contact details of
concerned HR person etc. to be maintained.
A register to record calls made to the companies / organizations should be maintained on
daily basis.
To invite prospective companies to campus for recruitment.
Conduct regular soft skill and hard skill programmes to the students.
Conduct personality development programmes and career guidance programmes to the
students.
Arranging field trips and industrial visits to the students.
Providing information regarding higher education
Conducting entrepreneurship development programmes etc.

2. Literature Review

Training and Placement Cell is an integral part of institution. The institute has to provide
the complete infrastructure for effective functioning of the cell. The cell is sensitized to function
all through the year towards generating placement and training opportunities for the students.

There are many training centers in India who have expertise man power and provide
different soft skill and hard skill trainings to the students during vacation and also during regular
college hours. Some of the professional training centers like careerPrime, MeritTrac, JV Global,
Black & White, Globarena Technologies Pvt. Limited (GTPL) etc... will train the students to
acquire the skills needed by the industry.

Sripala and Praveen (2011) mention the importance of the technical institutions to
enhance the capabilities of engineering graduates by developing talent, creating knowledge
through institutional solutions such as creating digital resources and creative technology
solutions for class room learning.

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3. Objective & Methodology

The main objective of the study was to analyze the functions of training and placement
cells of different private technical institutions. The study conducted was descriptive in nature.
The data was collected through the survey method from both students and TPOs in the
engineering colleges. The study was made to understand the present working status and
functioning of the Training and Placement Cells. The private technical institutions in Mysore
region under VTU, Karnataka were selected for study with an assumption that every institution
has established the training placement cell in their respective institutions. The survey was
conducted through structured questionnaire. Two sets of questionnaire were formulated. One
questionnaire is for the students and another for the TPOs. The questionnaire was consisting of
37 questions for the students and 51 questions for the TPOs about the present working status of
the TPCs.

4. Results and Analysis

The numbers of colleges visited were 36 while only twenty-eight training and placement
officers and three hundred and sixty eight students responded to the questionnaire. The data
collected was reviewed and then analyzed using graphs and charts to meet the objective of the
project work. The analyses of present working models of the TPCs according to the responses
obtained from the TPOs of the engineering colleges are briefly explained as follows.

4.1 Information from TPOs

The questions were asked to the TPOs under the category of governance (27 questions),
staff working for TPC (5 questions) and career development / training programme (18
questions). The analyses of present working models of TPCs are explained here.

4.1.1Governance: The number of TPOs agrees for the different practices being followed in TPC
were listed as;

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All the TPOs agree that TPC provides guidance to the students who want to pursue
Higher Education (G11), TPOs should be given flexible working hours (G19) and
empower students for placement activities (G24).
About 90% of the TPOs agree that management is aware about the importance of
TPC (G16), they have an organized and planned placement process (G2), They have
well defined vision and mission statements for the TPC, TPC is well connected with
expert training providers (G8) and full time TPOs are needed for TPC (G18).
About 50% of the TPOs agree that they don‟t have placement brochure for the TPC
(G3), MOU with any industries (G25) , incubation centre in the campus (G26),
training on competitive exams (G21), separate „Event of calendar‟ for TPC (G23),
Specific yearly budget for the TPC (G4), students take employability test (G9) and
TPC has established centre of excellence (G15).
All the above mentioned statements are shown in Figure 4.1.

Figure 4.1: Present Governance Practices in TPC

4.1.2 Rank: Three factors were mentioned in the questionnaire to rank according to their
perceptions to TPOs. The outcomes were;

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About 85% of the TPOs agree that placement has effect on college admissions is high
(Figure 4.2).
About 75% of the TPOs agree that high priority is given by the college management to
the TPC activities (Figure 4.3).
About 60% of the TPOs say that high priority is given by the students TPC activities
(Figure4.4).

Figure 4.2: Placement has effect on college admissions

Figure 4.3: Priority is given by the college management/higher authority to the TPC
activities

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Figure 4.4: Priority is given by the students to TPC activities

4.1.3 Staff Working: Number of staff working in the TPC was given by TPOs as;

About 55% of the TPOs agree that their colleges have full time TPOs and office attender
/helper working in TPC.
Only 45% of the TPOs agree that they have full time office Asst. / FDC / SDC working
in TPC.
Only 38% of the TPOs agree that they have full time Asst. TPO.
All the above mentioned statements are shown in Figure 4.5

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Figure 4.5: Staff working in TPC

4.1.4 Career Development / Training Program: The outcomes for the present practices
regarding career development and training programme being arranged for the students showed
as;

About 80% of the TPOs say that the number of student attended workshops program
arranged by TPC (B1) is high.
About 50% of the TPOs say that the students found serious about their career (B2) are
high.
About 35% of the TPOs say that the number of students deputed for industrial training
every year (B10) is low.
About 21% of the TPOs say the number of placement drives arranged by the alumni (B6)
is low and equal percent of TPOs say it is moderate while only two percent it is high.
All the above mentioned statements are shown in Figure 4.6.

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Figure 4.6: Career Developments / Training Programme by TPC

4.2 Information from Students

The questions were asked to the students under the category governance (17 questions),
facilities (10 questions) and career development / training programme (10 questions) to
understand the present working of TPCs. The analyses of present working models of TPCs are
explained here as perceived by the students.

4.2.1 Governance: The numbers of students agree for the different practices being followed in
TPC were listed as;

About 50% of the students agree that the TPC has, complete database of all present
students (G14), vision and mission statements are well defined and displayed (G1),
college has appointed an academic advisor to support and monitor students (G6),
conducts soft skill and hard skill training after college hours / holidays (G8), well planned
procedure and polices (G2), arrange the training activities in vacation (G11).

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About 50% of the students agree that the TPC do not provide exposure through fieldtrips,
industry based projects etc (G12). and any of the Employability Assessment Tests such as
AMCAT, NACTech etc.(G7a).
All the above mentioned statements are shown in the Figure 4.7

Figure 4.7: Present Governance Practices in TPC

4.2.2 Facilities: The students mention the different facilities provided by the TPC as;

About 50% of the students agree that the TPC has fully equipped seminar hall facility
(F7) and online test facilities (F3), separate internet facility (F1), separate cabins to
conduct GD and mock interviews (F6) and fully equipped office facility (F5).
About 65% of the students say that TPC does not have separate library facility (F2) and
the collection of motivation videos (F4).
About 40% of the students say that their TPC does not have their own software to
preserve and update students database (F8).
All the above mentioned statements are shown in the Figure 4.8.

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Figure 4.8: Facilities in TPC

4.2.3 Career Development / Training Program: The outcomes for the present practices
regarding career development and training programme being arranged for the students showed
as;

Only about 40 % of the students show their satisfaction towards the numbers of training
given to the students to expand their career opportunities (C1).
About 30% of the students show no dissatisfaction nor satisfaction with number of
campus drives provided (C4), inter college competition conducted (C7), encouragement
to the students to take voluntary services for TPC activities (C9), awareness given on
recent trends, working knowledge and skills required in the world of employment for the
national / international labor market (C2).
About 40% of the students show their dissatisfaction towards arrangement of
apprenticeship program (C5) and provision of internship program (C6).
All the above mentioned statements depicted in the Figure 4.9.

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Figure 4.9: Career development / training program

5. Best Practices adopted by few institutions in their TPCs

Few institutions have adopted the following best practices to run their TPCs effectively.

Arranging of Industry institution interaction programs

Conducting sessions from the placed students
Nomination of faculty and student coordinators to work in TPC with coordination.
Arranging Motivational talks from resource persons from different fields
Arranging and allotting for live projects to the students
Using Templates for all TPC office works to enhance productivity

6. Conclusion

The data was collected from the 33 private technical institutions from Mysore region
under VTU, Karnataka for both TPOs and students to understand the present working status of
the TPCs. The study and analysis was done through the graphs. The nature of working of the
TPC in the institutions, facilities provided to the students during training and placement, priority
is given by the college management and students to the TPC activities and staff working for the
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TPC are analyzed. The training given by TPC in the aptitude, soft skills, hard skill apprenticeship
training and entrepreneur awareness program to the students are also analyzed. This study will
help the college management / higher authorities to take further necessary actions as per the
perceptions given by the TPOs and the students regarding the functioning of the TPC.

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