BTech students enjoy edge over postgraduates in job hunt

The Times of India | Ardhra Nair | TNN |  Jan 24, 2018 |

PUNE: Students with BTech degree are turning out to be much more in demand than those armed with MTech in the job market with the recruiters willing to pay the undergrads considerably more. On one hand, the low level of research in engineering is a matter of concern. On the other hand, a review of the placement packages offered to postgraduate students reveals that all is not well with the MTech education. The highest annual salary package offered to a BTech student is, on an average, about 5-time higher than what is offered to one with an MTech degree. Pune Institute of Computer Technology (PICT) has one of the highest packages offered to BTech students in the city. “Our highest package for BTech is over Rs 30 lakh per annum. In contrast, the highest package offered to MTech students is around Rs 4.5 lakh per annum,” said S Narkhede, training and placement officer, PICT. Most of the times, he said, the postgraduate students do not meet the criteria laid down by companies for recruitment. “There have been instances of the postgraduate students not being able to write a simple code. Despite the expansions in the service sector, they don’t want to go for it as they have specialised in a core subject,” Narkhede said.

The situation is same for Pimpri Chinchwad College of Engineering (PCCoE). “We have about 72 students in the postgraduate sector, of whom 55% have been placed. In the undergraduate sector, 80% of our students have found placement,” said Shitalkumar Rawandale, training and placement officer of the institute. Statistics of College of Engineering Pune (CoEP) also reveal an almost similar situation. The highest package offered to an undergraduate student is over Rs 30 lakh per annum with the average salary being over Rs 8 lakh. ” Out the of 300-plus students, 140 have found placement. The highest package offered is Rs 9 lakh per annum. Most students getting placement in the service sector get a salary of Rs 3.5 lakh per annum. The core companies, however, pay more,” said Uttam Chaskar, training and placement officer. Ketaki Kulkarni, training and placement officer at Vishwakarma Group of Institutes, said, “When it comes to postgraduate students, only about 50% students are placed. The average placement package offered to MTech students is arround Rs 3.5 lakh per annum and the highest package is around Rs 7 lakh a year. Most of these students come directly after graduation without any industry experience. They lack hands-on training. As a result, they are considered on a par with the undergraduate students,” she said.Chaskar said the problem is that the students coming for MTech in COEP are from diverse backgrounds. “Their fundamentals are weak and most of them looking for a brand name. Our BTech students form the creamy layer who get selected after CET and they are extremely bright. Most companies are aware about this,” he added. – Courtesy