Top 15 Highest Paying Jobs in Computer Science in India [2024]

Updated on 03 March, 2024

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Highest Paying Jobs in Computer Science in India

Computer Science is a fast-evolving domain that is now an integral part of our modern world. In fact, Computer Science and computing/software technologies touch almost every aspect of our lives – from the devices we use daily to the cars we drive and technology companies use for business operations. Needless to say, the field is highly promising and lucrative for aspirants who wish to bag jobs that guarantee job satisfaction and hefty salary packages.

If you can visualize yourself designing and developing innovative software tools, frameworks, and systems and if you hold a knack for problem-solving, Computer Science is the ideal career option for you.

You can also check out our free courses offered by upGrad in Management, Data Science, Machine Learning, Digital Marketing, and Technology. 

Due to the fact that computer science has become one of those subjects that covers a broad spectrum of industries, making a list of computer jobs and salaries for all of them is nearly impossible. However, there are some categories of computer science jobs that pay significantly high and have lucrative future prospects.

As the technological sector is one of the most booming sectors in India, computer science jobs salary have seen a sudden growth, and also more job prospects have opened for computer science professionals. The information technology sector in India and the project management industry have had over 5.4 million employees during the financial year of 2023. The largest offshoring destination for IT companies in the world is the South Asian countries. The IT sector and business process management industry have seen a gradual growth in recent years. For the year 2023, the IT sector’s contribution to India’s GDP is 7.5%

Therefore, In this article, we’ll take a look at the ten highest paying jobs in Computer Science along with their corresponding salary packages. So, without further ado, let’s dive straight into it!

Benefits of studying Computer Science

The realm of B. Tech Computer Science has consistently stood out as a sought-after educational pursuit for aspiring youth. This field is subdivided into various specialisations, consequently offering diverse career avenues for graduates with a B. Tech degree in computer science. Encompassing a comprehensive span of four years, the Bachelor of Technology in Computer Science and Engineering equips students with a profound blend of practical and theoretical comprehension in the domains of computer hardware and software.

Why is Computer Science in Demand?

The B. Tech program in Computer Science and Engineering is a specialised course tailored to nurture individuals who can dissect intricate engineering challenges and devise solutions using computer science principles. This program introduces the application of scientific methodologies in addressing real-world business dilemmas, particularly those related to vast volumes of company data. As such, the program’s primary aim is to cultivate computer engineer’s adept at harnessing data to enhance information and value within business contexts.

This program adopts a project-based approach to learning, allowing candidates to cultivate proficiencies across an extensive spectrum of domains, including natural language processing, machine learning, data analysis, Internet of Things, software engineering, social networks, client-server applications, cloud computing, and wireless sensor networks. Moreover, the B. Tech Computer Science curriculum encompasses an array of subjects spanning digital logic, computer organisation, communication skills, operating systems, compiler design, object-oriented systems, data management systems, databases, business process logic, software computing, and artificial intelligence.

The foremost advantage of pursuing this computer science program is the comprehensive skill set and holistic understanding it equips students with, empowering them to navigate the multifaceted landscapes of technology, data, and business innovation. It also paves way for highest paying jobs in computer science field in India.

  1. Easier to find a job

Individuals holding a degree in computer science are presented with many high salary jobs in computer field across various sectors, assuming diverse roles to fulfil an array of tasks. The realm of the IT department remains far from oversaturated, consistently exhibiting strong demand for proficient IT specialists. Graduates in Computer Science are sought-after candidates for positions such as software engineers, hardware engineers, application or web developers, system architects, project engineers, network engineers, software testers, and various other roles.

  2.  It allows you to change the world

The computer proficiency he gained during his college years equips him to craft applications and software that can reshape the world. Applications like PayPal and Uber have already catalysed transformative shifts in countless individuals’ lives. You, too, can contribute to the league of visionaries spearheading revolutions and driving innovations that propel humanity ahead. All that’s required is the fusion of your ingenious concepts with your computer aptitude to forge something novel.

  3.  Acquire powerful and extremely useful skills

Enrolling in computer science studies expands your perspectives and highest paying jobs in computer science field in India. It furnishes you with competencies that render you a sought-after asset in the eyes of numerous companies and empower you to code your path towards producing remarkable achievements—something that many cannot accomplish. Acquire knowledge and proficiencies that hold the potential to fuel innovative creations beyond the capabilities of most. Garner insights and skills that have relevance for the future, enabling you to streamline processes, expedite operations, and address many challenges with efficacy.

  4.  High Income

Computer scientists are some of the most lucratively compensated professionals globally, attributed to their proficiency in ensuring companies stay abreast of evolving technologies. Given the scarcity of skilled experts, particularly in domains like computer defence and artificial intelligence, many captivating highest paying jobs after Btech CSE arise. Moreover, with the rapid progression of data technology, robotics, and machine learning, the demand for computer engineers has surged significantly recently. Each of these roles emblematic of the 21st century carries substantial remuneration, boasting an average annual salary of INR 6,20,244 in India.

Now the question is which cse specialization has highest salary? So, to know this let’s read this post till end. 

Completed your BSc and wondering what’s next? Explore career options after BSc to discover the diverse paths your science degree can lead you to.

Top 15 Highest Paying Jobs in Computer Science

We present to you, computer science job list and salary so that you get to know what are the booming professions in the field of computer science. The following are the high-salary jobs after BSC computer science in India:

1. Principal Software Engineer

Principal Software Engineers are the leading executives who supervise and manage all the technical aspects and functions of a company. They are principal software architects whose primary responsibility is to scale projects efficiently while maximizing performance and productivity and minimizing costs. Even for a fresher, this job title offers a CSE highest package in India. 

Check out Full Stack Development Bootcamp from upGrad.

They oversee the work and performance of the involved teams, coordinate strategies, and evaluate systems/networks to ensure that company resources and technology tools are optimally utilized and all workflows are functioning smoothly. Principal Software Engineers also make sure that business operations, project requirements, and development processes are aligned with compliance standards and company regulations.

Salary:

The average annual salary of Principal Software Engineers in India is ₹2,346,700 LPA.

If we consider computer science and business system salary in India, then a principal software engineer earns a high remuneration when compared to its other counterparts. Top companies hiring principal software engineers are Dell Technologies, Microsoft, MasterCard, Oracle, Walmart Global Tech India, Amazon, India, NTT, and so on.

In spite of the high salary that it offers, getting a job in this role is not as difficult as one may think. As per the reports on Linkedin, there are 12000+ Principal Software Engineer Jobs in India, amongst which almost 400+ are new job adverts (September 2022). 

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2. Software Architect

Software Architects design, coordinate, and supervise technical standards (coding, tools, frameworks, and systems) in a company. They design and build software systems and applications specifically tailored for client needs and preferences such as web services, user interfaces, coding programs, databases, and desktop applications. This job is surely one of those that pays CS highest salary in India. 

They plan, monitor, and schedule software deliverables, evaluate software and system issues and use the latest tools and technologies to develop functional solutions for user interfaces. Software Architects manage all stages of software development by cultivating work relationships with Product Managers, Software Engineers, and Marketing experts.

Salary:

The average annual salary of Software Engineers in India is ₹2,135,024 LPA.

Top companies who are hiring for one of the highest paying jobs in computer science field, that is software architect, are Amazon, Tata Consultancy Services, Accenture, Meta, PwC, Verizon, and so on.

Looking to boost your job prospects in the tech industry? Discover the best online computer courses for job readiness and elevate your skills to meet the demands of today’s digital workforce.

3. Computer Scientist

Computer Scientists build and maintain computer-based tools to enhance and boost a company’s business operations and productivity. They conduct thorough research on different technological fields like AI, VR, and Robotics. They perform experimentation and modeling to improve the performance of existing computer systems and software tools.

Typically, Computer Scientists work with IT experts like Software Developers, Electrical Engineers, etc., to develop new software/hardware and computing techniques. They spend a significant amount of their time solving complex computing problems.

Salary:

The average annual salary of Computer Scientists in India is ₹1,749,672 LPA.

As a part of one of the highest-paying CSE jobs in India, a computer scientist is always in demand. Top companies that hire a lot of computer scientists are Adobe, Intel, Dell, technologies, Microsoft, etc

4. IT Project Manager

IT Project Managers plan, organize and integrate cross-functional projects that are big in size and scope. They coordinate the work of IT experts and administrative employees, delivery of beta and production releases, creating and maintaining IT project plans (outline tasks, milestones, resource allocation, etc.), assist technical teams in design and development functions, and manage internal issues.

IT Project Managers essentially have a client-facing role, and hence, they hold regular meetings with clients to discuss project needs, progress, and solutions.

Salary:

The average annual salary of IT Project Managers in India is ₹1,511,574 LPA.

Top employers hiring for the position of IT project manager are Dell Technologies, IBM, Accenture, Amazon, Cisco Systems, and so on.

5. Site Reliability Engineer

Site Reliability Engineers (SREs) are responsible for maintaining user-side services and production systems functioning smoothly. They work closely with IT development and operations teams to perform a host of tasks, like building and implementing services (modifying production code, monitoring adjustments, etc.) to enhance the productivity of IT and operations teams, developing tools for incident management, fix support escalation issues, and leverage automation tools for improving collaborative response in real-time.

Salary:

The average annual salary of Site Reliability Engineers in India is ₹1,192,691 LPA.

While going through the computer science job list and salary, we can always find site reliability engineers somewhere at the top position. Some of the top employers who are  hiring site reliability engineers are Oracle, Microsoft, Tata Consultancy Services, VMware, Adobe, etc.

6. Data Engineer

Data Engineers develop, test, and maintain large-scale processing systems and databases. They design technical solutions to enhance data usage within an organization. Usually, they deal with large volumes of complex data (structured and unstructured).

They clean, manipulate, and maintain business data stored in operational and analytical databases. One of their main duties is to understand the company’s data and database requirements and offer technological recommendations accordingly. For this, they work closely with Software Engineers and Data Warehouse Engineers.

Salary:

The national average salary of Data Engineers in India Rs. 826,959 LPA.

Data engineers are one of the highly paid CSE salary in India and top companies who hire such professionals include Google, Deloitte, Oracle, Comcast, Cisco Systems, etc.

7. IT Security Consultant

An IT Security Consultant chiefly works with computer networks and the technological resources of a company. They are responsible for maintaining data security, conduct timely audits across departments that handle business data, and identify vulnerable areas in the data flow & storage and implement befitting solutions.

To do so, they determine the rules of data usage in the company – how, when, and which teams can access data. Also, IT Security Consultants design and implement hardware and software protocols to secure the company assets from potential threats and intrusion.

Salary:

The average annual salary of IT Security Consultants in India is ₹718,173 LPA.

An IT security consultant always makes a place in the list of the highest-paying jobs in computer science field in India. IT security consultants are in need of the hour to ensure data and privacy security in a company. Top companies that are hiring IT security consultants are IBM, Accenture, Deloitte, Cognizant Technology Solutions, Tata Consultancy Services, Capgemini, Infosys, PwC, and so on. 

8. DevOps Engineer

DevOps Engineers develop and maintain website platforms and cloud infrastructure of an organization. Their primary duty is to create, test, and maintain the company infrastructure, tools, and systems to facilitate speedy development and deployment of software products.

They perform system administration and collaborate with Software Developers to identify and fix issues as and when needed. Also, they try to devise ways to automation and enhance development and deployment processes. DevOps Engineers do the needful to protect systems against cybersecurity threats and attacks.

Salary:

The average annual salary of DevOps Engineers in India is ₹6,89,961 LPA-₹16,00,000LPA.

DevOps engineers are one of the highly paid computer science and business systems salary in India. Companies require highly qualified DevOps professionals and top companies who hire such professionals are Amazon, IBM, Cognizant Technology Solutions, Deloitte, Google, and so on.

9. Systems Analyst

System Analysts implement, maintain, and support IT and information systems to meet the changing and scaling needs of organizations as they expand (grow). They analyze system problems and design specific tests, specifications, and requirements for the same.

They confer with clients to define application requirements and challenges, evaluate and develop alternative workflow solutions to increase system efficiency, troubleshoot technical problems, design risk mitigation plans, create system guidelines and manuals, and conduct regular system analysis and reviews to identify areas of improvement.
Salary:

The average annual salary of bsc computer science salary of Systems Analysts in India is ₹647,537 LPA.

Becoming a system analyst is a very common profession in the field of computer science. This computer science jobs salary is moderately high and top employers who are hiring system analysts are Tata Consultancy Services, Deloitte, Amazon, Cognizant Technology Solutions, Accenture, IBM, Dell Technologies, and so on.

10. Cybersecurity Engineer

As the name suggests, Cybersecurity Engineers focus on protecting a company’s computer and networking systems from cybercriminals and cyber-attacks. They analyze security logs and network flows, implement correlation rules, manage security incidents, check IT security systems, and stay on the lookout for potential threats and vulnerabilities.

They draft and document detailed monitoring reports and propose solutions to enhance the security of computer and network systems. Cybersecurity Engineers play a pivotal role in projects that deal with sensitive business/customer data.

Salary:

The national average salary for Cybersecurity Engineers in India is ₹7,17,971 LPA.

As per the recent data, the average salary of a cyber security engineer in India with considerable experience is ₹7.3 LPA. This is one of the highest paying jobs after BTech CSE in India.

11. Full Stack Developer

Computer science engineering salary in India have seen huge growth because of the technologically advancing world and a full-stack developer has been in demand ever since. A full-stack developer is responsible for creating and building a complete website and it requires a deep understanding of both front-end and backend development. These professionals work from the infancy stage to developing a full website. Additionally, it is also the responsibility of a full developer to build APIs so that communication channels can be built between two or more applications.

The average annual salary of a full-stack developer is Rs. 9.5 LPA in India. This is one of the highest paying CSE jobs in India with a lot of openings across various companies and industrial sectors. 

Top companies who are hiring for the highest paying computer science jobs in India are IBM, Dell, Mellon, BNY, Siemens, and so on.

12. Data Scientist

In India, data scientists are the most sought-after IT specialists and earn lucrative salaries. The primary objective of a data scientist is to collect, assess, and interpret significant outcomes and findings from data that could potentially be applied to the growth of the company.

However, to become a successful data scientist one must be proficient in programming languages such as Python, R, etc. Data scientists must be excellent in analytical tasks and should have a good mathematical knowledge of statistics and probability. In addition, the knowledge of machine algorithms is also essential.

Data scientists are very much prevalent in the sector of analytics and they earn an average annual salary of Rs 14.6 LPA. 

Top companies that generally hire data scientists in India are Amazon, Walmart Labs, Procter, Gamble, etc.

13. Machine Learning Engineer

One of the highest paying computer science jobs salary in India are machine learning engineers. Machine learning engineers utilise the latest developments in order to supply clients with the best possible options. For the purpose of generating a predictive model, they create, develop, design and plan the AI algorithms. Machine learning is best represented when customers usually receive movie and video suggestions according to their search history on applications like Netflix and YouTube.

In order to provide a planned and realistic model, machine learning engineers work alongside the executives and managers, data scientists and researchers. ML engineers must have a good grasp over various programming languages such as Python, Torch, R and they should possess strong analytical skills. To become a machine learning engineer, you must know how to use ML libraries and  what the concepts of deep learning algorithms are.

The average annual salary of a machine learning engineer in India is Rs 9.4 LPA. Being one of the highest paying computer science jobs, machine learning engineers receive lucrative salaries and high perks.

Top employers who hire machine learning engineers include IBM, Bosch, SAP, Zycus and so on.

14. Blockchain Engineer

As electronic payments have been widely adopted, blockchain technology and cryptocurrencies are attracting quite a bit of media coverage and prominence. It is a growing aspect in the job sector and has become one of the highest paying computer science specializations jobs in India. It is anticipated that by 2024, global spending on the use of blockchain technology will surpass $15.9 billion.

The average annual salary of a blockchain engineer in India is Rs 8.3 LPA. It is one of the highest computer science degree salary which can even increase if you have considerable years of experience and expertise in this field.

As a part of the highest paying computer science jobs in India, a blockchain engineer is in great demand and you can earn humongous salaries if you have a good grasp of programming languages and blockchain concepts. Top companies hiring Blockchain engineers are NTT Data, Capgemini, Auxesis, Hitachi, etc.

15. IoT Solutions Architect 

Technology influences every facet of the world around us. Due to the Internet of Things, we are not able to have smart devices, connected appliances, smart houses, etc. IoT is a technology that enables hardware to exchange data over the Internet. It is a very recent technology and hence it is one of the greatly booming sectors nowadays. IoT Solutions Architects are those who are responsible for developing strategies and handling the deployment of IoT solutions across organizations. Such professionals are active participants in design-related activities.

IOT solutions architect is one of the high salary jobs after BSC computer science and it requires great skills in various programming languages with deep knowledge of hardware design and architecture.

The average annual salary of an IOT solutions architect in India is Rs 25 LPA. However, the job location, years of experience and expertise in this field can affect the salary range but it is one of the highest paying computer science engineering salary in India. 

This is a top bachelor’s in computer science salary job and the top companies that hire IOT solutions architects are IBM, sensor company, Samsara, Bosch IoT, etc.

Factors that affect CSE highest package in India:

Being a computer science engineer already makes you privileged as the demand curve of this industry has always been on the positive side and will remain to be so, which is the reason why computer science engineers are able to secure high-paying salaries comparatively easily. However, For candidates for CS highest salary in India might not be uniform across the nation. The reasons why the highest salary of computer engineer in India is variable is based on factors like job role, company, years of experience, technical knowledge and expertise, type of the project, company location, additional soft skills, and so forth. 

Below we will elaborate on how each of these factors carves out the path to achieving the computer science jobs salary in India. 

Job Roles: 

It is evident from the prior section, where we discussed the list of computer jobs and salaries, that there is a variation in pay amongst all of those. Based on the job role one chooses, their pay gets decided. Job roles like principal software engineer and software architect pay significantly higher than roles like IT security consultant or cybersecurity engineer. Therefore, if you still have not grown any particular interest in any of the job roles, then you can try and explore the highest-paying jobs first.  

Going through the roles, responsibilities and required skills for each of the jobs can be a good point to start your assessment. 

Company:

The highest salary of bsc computer science salary in India greatly depends on the company one chooses to work with, as every company in India has different pay scales be it for entry-level or higher positions. Product-based companies tend to pay better compared to the ones that provide services. 

Some of the companies that offer bsc computer science jobs and salaries in India will include Tower Research, WorldQuant, Flipkart, Zomato, D.E Shaw, Google, Amazon, Oracle, Walmart, JP Morgan, Morgan Stanly, Visa, Intuit, Citrix, Sapient, Apple, Myntra, Paytm, LinkedIn, Microsoft, PayPal, Samsung, Myntra and so forth. 

Years of experience:

The number of relevant years of working experience is a great factor in India for determining a candidate’s pay, be it computer science jobs or any other field. The higher your number of experiences is, the higher the chances of you getting a great deal. Even in the case of the highest paying jobs, the situation is the same. Below you can see that as per the reports of Payscale, a candidate with 1 to 4 years of experience earns an average of INR 10 lakhs per annum for the role of a principal software engineer. Whereas the number doubles when the person has an experience between 5 to 9 years.

Source 

Technical Skills and Expertise:

Amongst the most important factors that impact the salary of a computer science engineer is their technical skills. This factor alone influences the job roles one will select or the companies they will be placed into. Therefore, it is needless to say that to get the CS highest salary in India or perhaps anywhere around the world, your knowledge and skillsets have to be at the top of the game. 

You need to research the skills that are valued more, such as a full-stack developer is more valuable than an individual front-end or back-end developer. If you are aiming for a particular role, look into the technical skills it demands and ace them. The same goes for the company of your dreams. Look for the database or architect they use, developments they do, tools and languages they work with, and start learning them.

Project Type: 

Your payment will also get influenced by the factor which clients your company works with. If your company works with larger clients who require the latest kind of technology, then the charges will be higher, which will also directly impact your salary structure. As to perform those difficult tasks, the company would gladly pay a handsome salary to a skillful employee. 

Work Location:

Even after the concept of remote working, however absurd it may sound, it is undeniable that the location you work in plays a significant role in your salary. The primary reason behind it is purchasing power parity (PPP). This concept of economy is more noticeable when comparing two different countries. However, it can also be present amongst two different states in the same country or even within two cities in the same state. 

Hence, the average salary per month is highly influenced by the location you are working in or, in the case of remote working, where your working station is. 

Soft Skills:

Having soft skills might not seem that important to many, but it impacts your future prospects passively, if not directly. Especially if you are a fresher and applying for your first job, having good communication skills can help you create a concrete first impression which can then impact your chances of getting along with colleagues and bosses, getting promotions, etc.

Apart from that, soft skills like problem-solving and critical thinking are something that has very high values. Some companies even mention these soft skills in their job adverts. Having a fine balance of both technical skills and soft skills will surely help you get the highest salary of computer engineer in India. 

Computer Science Courses to Watch out For in 2024!

As we mentioned earlier, Computer Science is an evergreen field with high industry demand. Thus, earning a professional degree or certification in Computer Science will make you a valuable asset for organizations, particularly in the IT field. The best and proven pathway to earning a Computer Science degree is to enroll in certification programs that help you gain a deep understanding of theories and emerging technologies.

Once you possess the requisite skills and knowledge, you can develop innovative solutions to address present business and life challenges along with highest paid jobs in computer science in India.

Here are some of the best Computer Science courses that you should consider:

1. Bachelor of Computer Applications

This is a complete 3-year bachelor’s course on Computer Applications offered by upGrad in partnership with Chandigarh University. The course will teach you how to understand and apply Computer Applications principles, concepts, and methods in different business scenarios, analyze real-world problems using the latest tools and techniques, work with a wide range of platforms, environments, styles, tools, and technologies for designing, developing, testing, and deploying software apps. Also, you will learn how to create innovative software solutions suited for the Indian software market.

2. Master of Computer Applications

This is a two-year master’s course on Computer Applications that offers two specializations tracks – Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning and Cloud Computing. It is perfect for anyone who wants to land a job in the IT and government sector. The course takes a case-based learning approach with live interactions and coaching sessions. You will learn from seasoned subject matter experts and instructors from the comfort of your home!

3. Master of Science in Computer Science

This is a 19-month master’s program in Computer Science delivered by upGrad in association with IIIT Bangalore and Liverpool John Moores University. You can choose from six specializations – Full Stack Development, Blockchain Development, Big Data, Cloud Computing, DevOps, and Cybersecurity. Covering over 500+ hours of learning and over 30 projects, the course aims to help learners understand computing systems, advanced programming, and research methodologies.

Students must also write a thesis to attain the certification. On course completion, you’ll be eligible for roles like Software Developer/Engineer, Full Stack Developer, Blockchain Developer, Cloud Architect, Cybersecurity Engineer, DevOps Engineer, and Big Data Engineer, to name a few.

4. PG Diploma in Software Development (specialization in Full Stack Development)

Another 13-month course, this Full-Stack Development diploma will make you competent in developing scalable websites, backend APIs, and interactive Web UIs. It covers relevant matters like data structures and algorithms, OOP, software engineering, user interfaces, frontend development, backend development, and software architecture & deployment.

Plus, you get to work with over 15 programming languages and tools on real-world projects and assignments. This certification is perfect for profiles like Full-Stack Developer, UI Developer, Backend Developer, and Frontend Developer.

Conclusion

Now that we’ve informed you about the highest paying jobs in Computer Science and the best Computer Science courses, are you ready to become a Computer Science expert?

We provide the finest courses from top universities like Liverpool John Moores University, Master in Computer Science, PG Diploma in Full-Stack Software Development, PG Diploma in Software Development – Blockchain, PG Diploma in Software Development – Blockchain with assured job opportunities. Placement Track in Full Stack Development, Duke CE with 15+ Case Studies, and 1500+ students enrolled.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. What are the benefits of pursuing a Computer Science degree?

the functioning of smartphones, laptops, and networked communications. Companies are banking on software programs significantly. You can help to make the world more connected by pursuing a career in this field. The global opportunities are innumerable and the skills that you gain can be quite transferrable. You can gain problem-solving, critical thinking, and complex analytical skills that are useful in any given field. Through this, you can assist in technological advancements.

2. What is the average pay scale of a Computer Science graduate?

The pay scale for a Computer Science graduate can vary according to the positions and roles you apply for. In India, the average pay scale of a graduate is 4-5 lakhs. The salaries for Computer Science graduates increase due to the shortage in supply. The demand has been gradually increasing as businesses are becoming highly dependent on the software programs for their daily functioning. The salary also varies according to the geographic location. It is one of the most sought after fields currently.

3. What is the future of Computer Science?

It is observed that the field will grow by 13% over the next decade. The increased focus on cloud computing and cyberthreats have contributed to this growth. The demand for security has also resulted in an increasing demand for cybersecurity analysts. Computer Science is the foundation of small and big companies. In our everyday life, we tend to use digital resources to even conduct simple tasks. The future of Computer Science is bright and there are several opportunities for graduates to pursue a career in this field. You can learn various technologies such as machine learning, data science, blockchain development, virtual reality, robotics, Cloud and Big Data, Internet of Things (IoT), data mining, augmented reality, mobile app development and more.

Did you find this article helpful?

Rohan Vats

Software Engineering Manager @ upGrad. Passionate about building large scale web apps with delightful experiences. In pursuit of transforming engineers into leaders.

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Working Professional’s Need of Staying Relevant

Online education across segments and students population is emerging as a popular option for individuals. Across age groups, online education is getting adopted. A segment where we at UpGrad feel that online adoption will be rapid, is the working professional segment. And there are multiple reasons for the same – from their ability to pay, their willingness to move up in their career etc. In this piece I want to touch upon a key trend that we are targeting – changing requirements of the industry and the need to continuously upgrade for working professionals. To give an example, a few decades ago – a farmer’s son would be a farmer; a carpenter’s son would be a carpenter. Things changed over time, and a farmer’s son started becoming an engineer. And in today’s world, an engineer goes through 5+ career shifts in his/her career span. There’ll Be A Billion-Plus Job-Seekers By 2050, So Get Yourself Skilled NOW! Marketing is not the way it used to be 10 years back. Payment is not the way it used to be 5 years back. Data analysis has undergone drastic changes. And in this digital age, the rate of this change is going to further accelerate. Industry will evolve rapidly, and as working professionals, each one of us has to keep up with this changing requirement. Industry is not going to wait for the individual to get upskilled or upgraded, and a large part of the onus will lie with the individual. Further, the rate at which the needs of the industries are changing; our current university system is not able to cope up. Therefore, individuals have to look for alternate options to add relevant skills to their portfolio. This is where online education comes into the fore. Professionals today do not have the flexibility of leaving their jobs and going to a school to learn new skills. Online education platforms are great options for these professionals who are looking to continuously upgrade, while continuing to stay in their jobs. Unlike offline education, online medium provides the advantage of being able to update the program curriculum and content regularly, and keep it relevant to the industry needs. Online medium also allows real-life problems to come to working professionals learning, where an individual can actually live the real-life situations in the form of case studies. Top 10 Essential Tools For Startup Business in India In the digital age, each individual will have to continuously upskill himself/ herself to stay relevant, and that would provide a large opportunity for edtech startups to create scale platforms. EdTech startups will have to look for opportunities where there is a significant demand supply gap, and look at providing right education programs. The biggest challenge in this will be the ability of edtech startups to design the program content for digital medium, rather than replicate what is being covered in the offline programs. Taking advantage of the digital channel will be key here. So for all edtech startups, keep your ears on the ground, and look for areas and skills that will allow you to build scale learning platform.
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by Mayank Kumar

20 Apr'16
Google I/O 2016 – Day 1 | Recap

5.07K+

Google I/O 2016 – Day 1 | Recap

The most awaited Google I/O 2016 Conference was filled with announcements about improvements in current products and launch of some new products. In this article, we have summarized the biggest announcements from Day 1 of the conference. Google Allo Allo is Google’s new messaging app with resident chatbot. It has features like whisper/shout, expressive stickers, smart replies- which evolve with time and wide range of bot support especially the Google Assistant search bot. One of the most important features of Allo is that all its chats are encrypted but incognito mode offers end-to-end encryption and an option to send messages that self-destruct. Additionally, once you close a chat, the entire conversation is deleted forever. Google Duo Duo is Google’s mobile only companion app for Allo that helps in video calling. One of its special feature is ‘Knock Knock’ which lets users see the incoming video call feed before even answering the call. So, the receiving party can see who’s calling and where they are before they even pick up the call. Google Assistant Google takes search to the next level. Google Assistant supports “conversational understanding” to make search more natural and to better support voice searches. Google Home Home is built on the Chromecast standard, which lets it push media to other Cast-compatible speakers and screens, change temperature or lighting through Nest devices, and integrate with third party services. The entire experience is hands-free, powered entirely by voice. In fact, it doesn’t even have any buttons. Simple voice commands will control every aspect of the Home. Android N Android N comes with new features that include more control over notification size from different apps and a new picture-in-picture mode. Android N uses a new API called Vulkan that lets developers directly control a phone’s GPU for sharper 3D graphics. Android N will also download and install system updates automatically. The name of Android N has not yet been released. It is going to be selected through a crowdsourced contest. Google Daydream Google has a new VR platform built on top of Android N, and the new VR platform is called Google Daydream. It is an optimized virtual reality platform that aims to standardize the mobile-based VR experience. It also spans both software and hardware; Its biggest limitation is that it will be available only in new phones with special sensors and screen. Android Wear 2.0 Android Wear 2.0 can function independently of a smartphone. Apps no longer need a connected smartphone in order to function. Apps can function and even communicate without a phone, as long as the wearable device is connected to the internet via cellular or Wi-Fi. Users can also make data from any app show up on any watch face. Instant Apps One of the most interesting announcement was google Instant Apps. With Instant Apps, users can begin using an app instantly from right within the Google Play store without even having to download and install the app. As we can see, Google has made some big moves in the three hottest areas of tech – virtual reality, messaging, and smart assistants. However it would be interesting to see how these new products will compete with their competitors and how much of market share would they capture after their launch.
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by Dilip Guru

19 May'16
There’ll Be A Billion-Plus Job-Seekers By 2050, So Get Yourself Skilled NOW

898.94K+

There’ll Be A Billion-Plus Job-Seekers By 2050, So Get Yourself Skilled NOW

This isn’t just a catchy headline meant to shock you, though that would be a justified reaction. If you are 25 years old, have graduated from a reputed institute in a traditional higher education discipline and are looking for a job, you may not be handed one on a platter any time soon. You may be cushioned within the famous Indian demographic that is supposed to yield a “dividend”, but unlike what you’ve been reading everywhere, this does not guarantee you employment. Between 1980 to 2010, 90% of world labour force growth occurred in developing countries and about 500 million new workers emerged in India and China alone (workers went from 260 million to 470 million in India, between this period). India, along with other developing counterparts, is all set to fuel 60% of the global growth in labour in the upcoming years. Keep in mind that enrolment in Indian higher education is only 24% right now. With India attaining almost universal elementary education and increased retention in secondary schools, the projected demand for higher education and jobs thereafter, will only escalate. By 2050, India will be home to more than a billion job seekers. This means providing jobs for over 12 million new entrants annually. There is also the challenge of finding jobs for the backlog, which reached 60 million by 2014. So isn’t this good news? India finally placed on the world map with a solid advantage where labour supply is concerned. Well, it may not all be good news. The new-age job-seeker must strive to acquire specific skill sets to be considered employable. Currently, only 43% of Indian youth are considered fully employable. Indian millennials are being touted as the future of jobs and the saviours of the working world. But this won’t hold true if in-demand skills are not imparted to the youth entering the workforce. The world of work is changing and industries are transforming. It’s a fact that we are moving towards a massive labour pool, but we are possibly riding a low-skill, low-wage cycle to get there. The country is on a trajectory that involves a surplus of millions of low-skill workers, whereas most nations, including India, will be increasingly demanding a high-skill workforce. Impacting Education: My Journey and UpGrad Most industries are replacing low-skill jobs with high-skill ones. Skills relating to upcoming technologies like cloud computing, social media, artificial intelligence, robotics, nanotechnology, etc, are gaining immense relevance. Unfortunately, our education system is not preparing students well enough to enter the workforce as high-skill workers or equipping them with skills in the mentioned emerging domains. Gone are the days when just holding a graduate degree was enough to get employers to clamour to hire you. Education is not enough. The new-age job-seeker must strive to acquire specific skill sets to be considered employable. Currently, only 43% of Indian youth are considered fully employable. Gone are the days when just holding a graduate degree was enough to get employers to clamour to hire you. Education is not enough. The positive connotation associated with our demographic shift has been taken for granted and assigned the term “dividend.” But if we don’t strategically harness this change, we could very easily be faced with a demographic disaster. We don’t want to be stuck in a situation where we have too many job-seekers with inadequate skills, and therefore not enough jobs for them. India is moving workers out of farm jobs at a very fast rate, and this will only add to the burden of providing jobs in other sectors. We need a wake-up call and more concerted efforts towards large-scale skill development and training. We may have a situation of too few high-skill workers and not enough jobs for medium- or low-skill workers. This needs to be rectified by adjusting the education and skilling system to ready ourselves for the jobs of tomorrow. UpGrad develops various programs such as Digital Marketing Certification Program, and Product Management Certification Program in collaboration with IIIT Bangalore, specially designed for working professionals looking to up-skill themselves.  Check out the free courses.
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by Mayank Kumar

20 Jun'16
Only 25% Of Indian Graduates Are Employable, And The Solution Is Obvious

6.57K+

Only 25% Of Indian Graduates Are Employable, And The Solution Is Obvious

Co-authored by: Apoorva Shankar, Business Development Associate, UpGrad The world today has enhanced productivity requirements. Due to this, the demand for highly skilled labour is growing. China and India are set to drive this demand. Globally, the share of low-skill jobs is likely to decline from 74% of employment in 2010 to 62% by 2020. On the other hand, the shortage of highly skilled workers with a tertiary level of education is expected to reach 18 million by 2020, globally. But due to its demographic dividend, India will have a labour surplus of 47 million by 2020. However, this surplus may only be of low-skilled labour. And while the demand for highly skilled labour is increasing, the supply isn’t quite keeping up. The challenge, as well as opportunity, that India faces is how to train such a large reserve of labour and convert low skills to high skills. One solution that immediately comes to mind is providing higher education for all. But at present only 24% of those meant to be participating in higher education, are actually enrolled. Plus, traditional college or university pedagogy has been increasingly criticized for being outdated and irrelevant to the jobs market. If you attended school or college in India, you will have first-hand experience of the ills that plague the system. Some of the reasons for this are: Absence of a customized or personalized approach to education (necessary as different students have different needs and learning capabilities). Restricted resources due to not-for-profit nature of educational institutes and over-regulation. Lack of technology infrastructure. Poor teaching quality. Lack of skills-based learning. Low focus on research and development. Minimal partnerships with industry/foreign academia. Outdated curricula not reflecting requirements of a dynamic market environment. Skill-intensive industries are expected to contribute more than 90% of India’s GDP by 2030. The opportunity is staring at us in the face. Only about 25% of Indian graduates are considered employable by the organized sector. Further, 48% of Indian employers said they were having difficulty in filling jobs, in 2012. Despite employers expressing difficulty in finding employable candidates, in 2009-10 the unemployment rates in India were higher for those who were more educated (graduates had more difficulty finding jobs than secondary or primary level graduates). [b_color background=”#EDFF3D”] Also Read – Technology will surely kill some jobs, but not all of them [/b_color] So Indian education, in its current form, hasn’t proved to be enough training for the incoming workforce. The numbers also prove that just completing higher education in any field is not all it takes anymore. This pinch is being increasingly felt as the world of jobs is turning upside down; which is why we need skill training. Skill-intensive industries are expected to contribute more than 90% of India’s GDP by 2030. The opportunity is staring at us in the face. It’s not just about the potential but also the responsibility we are tasked with — restoring balance to the global supply of labour. The country needs to invest in skill development and training for a large chunk of its population. Exploiting sheer numbers is therefore one major reason to skill our workers. Secondly, the demand for advanced skill-sets in emerging areas is growing. Knowledge-intensive roles such as finance, business, etc, and those related to information technology and entrepreneurship are gaining momentum. The reality that these skills must be acquired will take root for more and more individuals, including drop-outs from the mainstream education system and those who have completed such education. Currently, the actual supply of these workers falls drastically short of matching growing demand. Hence, the gaps in domain knowledge are another reason to scale up the skilling. You are likely to be at a disadvantage, in terms of skill training and thereby employability, when compared to someone your age in China, USA, South Korea… In China about 47% of the workforce has received some kind of skill training, 52% in USA, 68% in UK, 75% in Germany, 80% in Japan and 96% in South Korea. Comparatively, only about 10% of the Indian workforce received such training in 2008. India is seventh in the category of countries facing maximum difficulty in filling jobs, i.e., 58% difficulty, where the global average is 38%. These figures reflect that just belonging to the young Indian demographic is not enough. You are likely to be at a disadvantage, in terms of skill training and thereby employability, when compared to someone your age in China, USA, South Korea etc. To address these imbalances, India needs unprecedented increase in both education and job creation. At this point, there is no guaranteed advantage for India in the contest for high-skill talent. It will be dependent on skilling. Considering the state of higher education and the skill upgrade required to be carried out in the future, the process will not just be about learning for professionals, but rather unlearning and re-learning.
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by Mayank Kumar

13 Jul'16
7 reasons to watch UpGrad Talks today

5.19K+

7 reasons to watch UpGrad Talks today

There is really no secret sauce for success. Provided you have had the opportunity to view the exclusive online tete-e-tete sessions brought to you by UpGrad Talks. With an amazing roster of world-class speakers, some from the top 1000 companies of India such as Mahindra & Mahindra, Tata Sky, Coca Cola, JP Morgan, JWT to start-up poster children such as RedBus, Snadeal, Ola & Zivame and many more, Upgrad Talks provides insights into their formulae for success. The talks also share deep learning from situations that didn’t work out and many valuable nuggets of honest, down-to-earth and practical advice from successful entrepreneurs, experts and industry leaders. While some lip service has been paid to new-age technologies and skill sets, and the evolution of industries because of these, a deeper understanding of what this signifies is missing. Upgrad Talks intends to fill this gap by bringing together thought-leaders from different walks of life and raising the level of discourse in this area, as they share their experiences. Here are the top reasons why you must visit talks.upgrad.com today and make it your daily source of insights and motivation: Get Inspired Inspiration can come from many different sources. You may get inspired when you see a problem that needs a solution, which you are able to ideate, or get inspired when you hear stories of adversity being overcome by sheer willpower. Rarely does the simple existence of wealth inspire us. It may motivate us to work harder, but inspiration stems from a deeper place that needs real stories. Upgrad Talks are stories from the folks who have lived these stories, first hand. Not only does hearing someone’s complete story of challenges, thought process and subsequent outcome inspire, it also gives birth to new ideas and provides impetus to grow in your own space.  Moreover, inspiration also stems from well-put statements such as, ‘attitude will sail you through,’ by Harit Nagpal, CEO of Tata Sky. A key benefit of listening to industry leaders is that it also inspires us to think. ‘What we think, we become,’ is a quote by Buddha that sums up this well. Go ahead, face challenges It does not matter if you are a startup or an established financial organization; challenges, big or small, exist in every level of most businesses. Challenges faced, strategized and overcome is the rite of passage for almost everyone. Not only do Upgrad Talks cover challenges faced by leading industry veterans, it also covers it from various stages of businesses along with discussion of the solutions that helped overcome them. Upgrad Talks speakers’ discuss challenges faced by businesses in different spaces, which makes these talks an interesting listen. Furthermore, is quite motivating to hear the candid conversations of business leaders. So what is the common thought on challenges in the Upgrad Talks? No challenge is too big. It also strengthens the belief that challenges help you grow and become stronger and develops a sense of confidence to take on the next big challenge. Learn from influencers People who can motivate are great influencers. To hear success stories at Upgrad Talks, which have been driven by deep-rooted passion as well as courage of conviction can be a great influence on most people. It is likely to help you push yourself to greater heights and also follow your dreams a bit more diligently. To quote Snapdeal’s Kunal Bahl, ‘ there is a fine line between stubbornness and persistence.’ Upgrad Talks is likely to help you define the lines as an excellent selection of influencers talk also about the key soft skills required to make it a significant mark on the industry that you belong to. Mentoring As you listen to entrepreneurs, business leaders and experts on models that have worked, one can also start drawing parallels to one’s one business or profession. Mentoring of this kind is both subtle and effective as it helps you choose some key takeaways from the shared experiences that are most relevant to you. Follow the series to get premium access to the best mentors in the country as they talk about education, the emerging digital age and its impact on businesses, talent shortages and advice to youngsters. A bit of crystal gazing In the series of Upgrad Talks, one is likely to come across a vast amount of business knowledge which has been converted into digestible insights that can also help you choose the next steps in your career. Speakers’ at Upgrad Talks share their business mantras and what the future is likely to be.  This is crystal gazing of the finest variety and yet another reason to tune into the talks. A healthy dash of optimism One of the unique selling points of the Upgrad Talks is that they also brings out the combined optimism in business from key industry leaders. Apart from that one can learn what is next in the industry, and explore potential future opportunities in the workspace. The upbeat and positive nature of these talks makes them a must-listen. Easily available online Just in case you were wondering how far you would need to travel to listen to such a wide range of speakers, you can breath easy. Upgrad Talks are delivered online and you can listen to them at your own convenience. All you need to do is to long onto talks.upgrad.com and you can access high quality, pre-recorded sessions online. Upgrad is making content richer, bigger and better as it kicks off with 15+ talks delivered by entrepreneurs, experts & business leaders.  You definitely do not want to miss out on the educational transformation that UpGrad is fuelling in partnership with some of the greatest minds. Remember, one can never stop learning. So, if you always aspired to hear great advice and insights from the top Indian business leaders on how you can grow your business, choose a career goal or get inspired, do take a look at Upgrad Talks. They are truly the voices that impact. Join us today and be a part of it at talks.upgrad.com.
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by Omkar Pradhan

06 Aug'16
Evolving online education: Learning Together

5.36K+

Evolving online education: Learning Together

Technologies in online learning have been making promises since early 20th century. From radio to present day MOOCs,  multiple new technologies were seen as silver bullet in revolutionising education. These promises were indeed laudable, to make education accessible to everyone, affordable for everyone and more effective. Yet, the same history of unmet expectations has been repeated every time*. Although a lot has happened over the past decade in terms of growth and expansion of online education, there are many challenges yet to be solved before we can say online learning has truly arrived. We, at UpGrad, believe the following three challenges are the biggest hurdles to the success of online education. Isolation: Online learning is solitary experience   Acceptability: Online learning’s validity in the Job Market   Not Engaging: Interplay of distractions and motivations in learning online The dismally low completion rates and high failure rates are reflection of these challenges [1]. Our goal at UpGrad is to fight these challenges and provide an unmatched learning experience for the working professionals. We believe, with the flexibility of online learning, every working professional can “UpGrade” himself without going back to full-time formal education. Hence, we need to to make online learning mainstream. In this article we would be sharing how are setting the online learning as a ‘Social Experience’ for our students, ie the first of the three mentioned challenges. In 2000s, internet surfing was mainly an individual experience and on the other hand, in 2016 almost all of internet time is a social experience. We do not feel alone in 2016 version of internet. We believe online education will have much higher engagement and completion rates once it becomes a social experience. An average student’s e-learning journey is an individual experience making him/her feel isolated. Learners move through the course with limited interactions with both their instructor and classmates. We at UpGrad, are building a new learning platform specifically designed keeping our students and their needs in mind. We believe this would be key to provide the kind of engagement levels the students deserve. The perception of social presence (or lack of) is a big concern among students and teachers in online learning. Teachers develop courses in isolation and the students take the courses in isolation. Researchers have found strong correlation between the sense of social presence facilitated by the course and student’s perceived learning [3,4,5]. Also there is good re correlation between withdrawal in the course and student’s perceived lack of social interaction and instructor presence [3]. Lack of social interaction in e-learning increases the distraction, since a learner would look for social interaction elsewhere which is usually Twitter, Whatsapp or Facebook. If there is another learner doing the same course in my apartment building, there are limited chances that I would know about him. As learners of online courses, we are oblivious of everyone else’s presence except few replies on the discussion forum. They do form Facebook groups or Whatsapp groups organically, yet the whole online learning format ends up being mostly a solo experience. Here are the steps we are taking at UpGrad in making our online programs a social experience.: Profiles : The first step in ‘social’ e-learning is knowing your classmates. We have learner profiles with education and work history along with other details. Almost everyone is encouraged to fill in their full profile along with a descriptive ‘bio’ section. There are multiple points where learners are nudged to click on the profiles. To improve discoverability of relevant profiles we not only leverage cohort social graph but also use interest graph, performance graph, complementary skills graphs. Combined with other semi random** algorithms like who was recently online, learners bump into each other in interesting ways. In the first month of Data Analytics Program, an average engaged learner viewed peer profiles 110 times. Discussions: We have a discussion forum which is contextual and relevant to the course content. We designed it from the ground up to involve learners during the course. They help each other, solve doubts, ask questions, have healthy debates on the forum. Only when there is no consensus a Teaching Assistant gets involved in clearing the doubts. Last 3 months data shows that on a daily basis 50% of the students who are engaged on the platform, also engaged actively on the discussion forum. As most professionals have different backgrounds, sharing of experiences on the forum is much valuable to everyone in the cohort. We have seen learners fall into three buckets on the forum. First is the majority producers, the top 30% of forum content producers are responsible for around 70% of the discussions. The next 50% do the rest of 30% of the content but continue to voice their opinions through upvotes. Rest of the 20% are mere observers. These numbers are highly encouraging and we will be investing more time in finding out how student-student social interactions can help in overall engagement. Figure 1: Forum topic distribution in one of our programs. Share in the pie is (questions * votes) for each topic. Bigger share of the pie is a proxy for doubts. This lead us to start live sessions on those topics. Thought Leader AMAs: Initiating and maintaining engagement on the forum is hard. To set the ball rolling, we started the discussion forum for a new cohort with getting a thought leader to do an AMA on the platform. This way not only the students got a product onboarding experience but also the social expectation was set amongst the peers. In some months, the total content creation during AMAs ended up around 20% of the total cumulative content. We also observed a side benefit of starting the program with thought leader – that learners are more helpful, behave with more civility and show much more respect for each other. This is not very unusual because it is known that a group’s eventual social dynamics are very much impacted by behaviour in initial few days. In a way, it sets the trend which follows upto the end of the course. We also explored bringing in external motivations to see how does it impact on engagement levels. At times, there were small gifts for top forum contributors and at times we included forum participation in the grading. Our primary observations show that this is to be used cautiously. We are working on establishing a balance between extrinsic and intrinsic motivations for social involvement. Facebook Groups: For all cohorts we have Facebook groups for students apart from the platform discussion forum. We were not very confident how much our forum will be used for non academic discussions and generic social sharing. However, we found more and more discussions of generic nature and sharing of articles & blogs also started happening on the forum. Hence facebook group ended up becoming redundant. We are thinking of doing away with a cohort’s facebook group with this expanded use of discussion forum In summary, having a strong sense of community within the students is a big predictor of learning outcomes. This has been researched multiple times [7, 8]. Our platform’s usage data of course progress and social interaction activity strongly confirms this research. At a time, a learner who is socially engaged on our platform has usually completed 4 times (Figure 2) course materials than a learner who does not participate in social discussions. This high correlation has been repeated across multiple cohorts. Figure 2: At a snapshot of time course completion rates for learners active on forum vs non active. Apart from the student isolation e-learning content creators and facilitators tend to work in isolation, reflecting and sharing of best practices is minimal[6]. We at UpGrad are aware of this problem, and making sure different program teams collaborate and share solutions to common problems. We do not have complete solution to isolation in learning yet. We as a company are focussed on solving this problem, we are testing out few ideas and are willing to share the results with the community. With these changes we are expecting online learning experience to be more engaging, more involving and eventually pushing up the low completion rates of online learning. These are early days of online education and we have miles to go. Bibliography [1] http://collegequarterly.ca/2007-vol10-num03-summer/rolfe.html [2] Online Social Networks as Formal Learning Environments: Learner Experiences and Activities, The International Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning, Vol 13, No 1 (2012) [3] Tello SF (2007). An analysis of student persistence in online education. International Journal of Information and Communication Technology Education [4] Herbert, M. (2006). Staying the course: A study in online student satisfaction and retention. Online Journal of Distance Learning Administration, 9(4). [5] Morris, T. A. (2009). Anytime/anywhere online learning: Does it remove barriers for adult learners. In T.Kidd (Ed.), Online education and adult learning: New frontiers for teaching practices. Hershey, PA:IGI Global. [6] Duncan, H & Barnett J (2009) Learning to teach online. [7] Kaulback, B (2015). Learning Together : Community and Network from the perspective of designers of online learning. (Doctoral dissertation) [8] Bernard, R. M., Abrami, P. C., Borokhovski, E., Wade, C. A., Tamim, R. M., Surkes, M. A., & Bethel, E. C. (2009). A meta-analysis of three types of interaction treatments in distance education. Review of Educational Research, 79(3), 1243–1289.
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by Ankit Mittal

08 Aug'16
Skill deprivation: Education alone won’t guarantee a job, in-demand skills need of hour

898.95K+

Skill deprivation: Education alone won’t guarantee a job, in-demand skills need of hour

If you are 25 years old, hold a degree in a traditional arts discipline from a well-regarded institute and are looking for a job, you may not be handed one on a platter any time soon. You may be cushioned within the famous Indian demographic that is supposed to yield a ‘dividend,’ but unlike what you’ve been reading everywhere, this does not guarantee you employment. Between 1980 to 2010, 90% of world labour force growth occurred in developing countries and about 500 million new workers emerged in India and China alone (workers went from 260 million to 470 million in India, between this period). India is all set to power most of global growth in labour in the coming years. Enrolment in Indian higher education is 24% right now. With India attaining almost universal elementary education, and increased retention in secondary schools, the projected demand for higher education and jobs will only escalate. India has finally been placed on the world map with a solid advantage where labour supply is concerned. Impacting Education: My Journey and UpGrad It’s not all good news though. Indian millennials are being touted as the future of jobs and the saviours of the working world. But this won’t hold true if in-demand skills are not imparted to the youth entering the workforce. The world of work is changing and industries are transforming. It’s a fact that we are moving towards a massive labour pool, but we are possibly riding a low-skill, low-wage cycle to get there. The country is on a trajectory that involves a surplus of millions of low-skill workers, whereas most nations, including India, will be demanding high-skill workers more and more. Most industries are replacing low-skill jobs with high-skill ones. Skills relating to upcoming technologies in advanced areas – think AI, robotics, data science and mining – are gaining immense relevance. Unfortunately, our education system is not preparing students well enough to enter the workforce as high-skill workers nor equipping them with skills in emerging domains. Curricula is outdated and pedagogy poorly-developed. Gone are the days when just holding a graduate degree was enough to get employers to clamour to hire you. Education is not enough. The new-age job-seeker must strive to acquire specific skill sets to be considered employable (currently only 43% of Indian youth are considered fully employable). This applies to all sectors of the economy, as most industries and businesses are adopting new-age technologies and going digital within most functions. There’ll Be A Billion-Plus Job-Seekers By 2050! The positive connotation associated with our demographic shift has been taken for granted and assigned the term ‘dividend.’ But if we don’t strategically harness this change, we could easily be faced with a demographic disaster. We don’t want to be stuck in a situation where we have too many job-seekers with inadequate skills, and therefore not enough jobs for them. India is moving workers out of farm jobs at a very fast rate, and this will only add to the burden of providing jobs in other sectors. Realising this, even the government has begun focusing on skill development and training. Creating an entirely new Ministry and launching the Skill India Mission are clear indications of this. Another sign that skill training is gaining momentum is reflected in the growth of the Indian education and skills industry at an average rate of 13% over four years. From Rs 1.21 trillion in 2008 to Rs 2.35 trillion in 2012. However, these measures have not been enough to successfully skill India’s young. Only 2% of the Indian workforce has received some kind of formal skills training so far, and 8% have received informal training. Comparatively, 47% of China’s workforce is skill trained, 52% in USA, 68% in UK, 75% in Germany, 80% in Japan and 96% in South Korea. Almost half of Indian employers find it difficult to fill jobs and a similar proportion of employed youth suffer from some degree of skill deprivation. By 2050, India will be home to more than a billion jobseekers. This means providing jobs for over 12 million new entrants annually. There is also the challenge of finding jobs for the backlog, which reached 60 million by 2014. The pace of accretion to the labour market will keep increasing, given our demographic profile and declining age-dependency ratio. Our working age population (15-64 years) will peak in 2050 and till then pressures for jobs will only become worse. We need a wake-up call and more concerted efforts towards large-scale skill development and training. We may have a situation of too few high-skill workers and not enough jobs for medium or low-skill workers. This needs to be rectified by adjusting the education and skilling system to ready ourselves for the jobs of tomorrow. Article Source: http://www.firstpost.com/business/skill-deprivation-education-alone-wont-guarantee-a-job-in-demand-skills-need-of-hour-3020568.html
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by Apoorva Shankar

08 Nov'16
Why The Growth Of Higher Education In India Hinges On The Private Sector

5.13K+

Why The Growth Of Higher Education In India Hinges On The Private Sector

For the sake of simplicity, let’s say that the public sector’s role in education can be identified as a three-fold one. Firstly, it is tasked with universalizing access to education. Its next responsibility would be to regulate the sector and finally, to ensure quality education for all. In the context of the access provider role, estimates show that just in terms of physical infrastructure, more than a US $100 billion spends would be required in higher education alone, to double enrollment, from where it stands today (24%). Where regulation is concerned, bodies such as the University Grants Commission (UGC) and other higher education regulators are in-charge but leave much to be desired in terms of quality checks and monitoring, accreditation, etc. In fact, the UGC merely acts as a grants disbursing body now for universities and colleges, rather than a regulator. This is despite the fact that about 16% of the Ministry’s budget (2016-17) was allocated to UGC. Regarding quality, the government struggles to set standards and measure outcomes. Accreditation in the country is irregular and sub-optimal. In addition, unlike school education, where a certain level of learning outcomes may be gauged, this is difficult to do in higher education – especially assessing employability of a student post completing such education. So is there a role the government should prioritise? Further, because the government is entrusted with these roles, does it necessarily mean that they are its exclusive mandate? Or should the government act as an enabler and allow external participation if it means better execution and a higher success rate? The education and training industry is extremely large today and has strong further growth potential. With total educational spending of $2.7 trillion, the industry accounted for about 4.25% of the world’s GDP in 2010. In India alone, the spending on education and skilling has touched approximately Rs 74,000 crore. This may seem like a daunting figure but is still not sufficient. India spends about 4% of its GDP on all of education (about 1% on higher education), whereas globally the minimum recommended expenditure on education is 6% of GDP. Most of the public expenditure on higher education is used upon salaries and maintaining existing institutions, leaving very little to be spent on curriculum, research, and technology. However, spending on education still has enormous scaling to do and this is where the private sector comes in. Private players will have opportunities from rising demand in segments not well covered by the public education system (like adult education and vocational training). They bring in additional capital and are able to make huge investments, especially when government spending is insufficient and results in substantial infrastructure and investment deficit. For instance, the government had set a target of achieving a 30% enrolment ratio in higher education by 2020. The enrolment ratio currently is 24%. Judging by historical trends, and the current pace of rising enrolments, this target seems difficult to achieve. We may need a better, plan to succeed. Plus, the demand for higher education is only set to accelerate with growing population, higher enrolment as well as retention of students in schools. The private sector could play a crucial role in plugging these gaps and matching demand. In fact, it is already capturing the market in a big way, as can be seen in the adjacent graph. Enrolment in, and share of, private higher education institutions has surpassed that of government institutions (data as on 2013). Even the online education market in India expected to grow to US $40 billion by as soon as 2017. Unlike the education sector, which is legally mandated to operate on a not-for-profit basis, for-profit skill training institutes can be set up. This, coupled with initiatives of the National Skill Development Corporation, has encouraged the private sector to set up vocational training institutes. Corporate interest has also increased in the skill development space because of the benefits that accrue to businesses themselves, in the form of adequately trained manpower as a ready pool for future hiring. Majority of institutions offering professional disciplines are now in the private sector. There is a tendency of the public sector to view the private sector’s involvement in the education space with scepticism. But the private sector is necessary because of its ability to match industry demand for superior skilled manpower. It supplements infrastructure, facilities, technology and pedagogy and has an added advantage of escaping bureaucratic control and retaining autonomy to a large extent. Private players often collaborate with reputed international universities for faculty and other benefits which can be attractive to prospective students. They are also heavily investing in research-based education. As consumers of skilled manpower as well, the private sector is in a position to understand what type of skill training is to be imparted, and eventually benefit from it. This makes skill-training more efficient and effective. All three education-related roles of the government are equally important. However, while regulation should remain outside the purview of the private sector, nothing should stop them from assisting the public sector in maximising enrolments and improving quality of education. Public needs to work with private and create a level-playing field, in order to uplift the overall quality of education. Article Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.in/mayank-kumar/why-the-growth-of-higher-education-in-india-hinges-on-the-privat/
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by Apoorva Shankar

08 Nov'16