MuLearn plans a launchpad for the future

Campus recruitments by IT firms are mostly single-day events. Companies dispatch teams to colleges of interest, conduct assessments, possibly engage in group discussions, and HR personnel will conduct interviews – all squeezed into one day to evaluate candidate eligibility.

This practice has endured for years. But Kerala-based MuLearn wants to disrupt this tradition and bring in recruitment practices to align with the needs of the future.

MuLearn, a digital platform developed by technology companies in Kerala to enhance students’ skills, is introducing a new approach to campus recruitment with an online programme called Launchpad.

This month-long project, set to commence in May 2024, aims to provide job seekers with avenues to acquire new skills and showcase their abilities through mock projects. They will also deal with problem statements provided by companies.

By the time this year’s campus recruitmemt comes around by June-July, MuLearn wants to present a platform that will enable recruiters to easily assess the technical skills of the job aspirants as well as their qualities like innovation and teamwork capabilities.

The initiative is backed by the Group of Technology Companies (GTech) and the local unit of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE).

“The traditional campus recruitment method is a time-honoured practice. But not an effective method to find candidates who are needed for the changing technical environment,” says Sreekumar of GTech.

The centre head of the Tata Elxsi in Trivandrum says feedback from GTech members showed that hiring top talents based on their academic excellence was not always having the desired effect.

“What these companies truly seek are intelligent candidates, regardless of their exam scores. They require individuals who excel in teamwork, and are capable of performing even when conditions aren't ideal.”

In contrast to current campus interview practices, where some companies restrict attendance based on grades, Launchpad offers an inclusive platform for all. Additionally, Launchpad will provide peer groups and mentors to guide job aspirants across various domains.

“We want the students to explore new avenues and learn new skills. After registration, they have to upload their biodata through GitHub. That will make them familiar with platforms like GitHub,” says Deepu S Nath of MuLearn.

“Skills like that are essential in almost every coding job they will encounter in the future. We want the candidates to break the shackles of fear and become brave enough to explore new avenues.”

Once candidates join the platform, they will receive assistance in acquiring new skills and will be presented with problem statements covering various areas, from website design to AI and cybersecurity. Participants can choose their area of interest or venture into new domains that pique their interest.

“The capability to build and ship things is the key here. From the employers' point of view, this approach will help identify the talents who are good at their job but didn’t fare well academically,” says Deepu, who is the Faya Innovations managing director.

“The shelf life of old skills is now shrinking as newer areas like AI and large language models are emerging fast. Acquiring one skill and expecting it to be a life-long advantage is no longer applicable.”

Sreekumar says new generation companies have already discarded the reliance on traditional markers like high marks and degree certificates.

“Many companies have started hiring youngsters who are yet to clear all the papers. If the candidates have a flair to solve problems, willing to learn new skills and show initiative, companies disregard their academic performances.”

With the advent of artificial intelligence and large scale automation, software coders are already facing prospects of job losses. But experts and analysts have said that the changing scenario can be advantageous to India as it will be the largest pool of talent if they are properly equipped.

“The next decade can be India's if we prepare the young talent by giving them opportunity to learn new skills that go beyond the subjects that are in the decades-old syllabus in our colleges,” says Deepu.

While the Launchpad initiative is the kind of disruptive innovation that is needed to help Indian youths forge ahead, getting such projects implemented is fraught with challenges. Many companies feel the university systems have to change drastically and upskilling of faculty is going to be a major stumbling block.

As with any change, resistance from entrenched powers is going to be a major factor. Proposals like lesser importance on class attendance and more free time to explore new skills are going to be unpalatable to many in academia.

But proponents of Launchpad argue that technological developments in the last couple of years are going to make many subjects in our current curriculum obsolete by the time the students graduate.

Those in the technology sector have to adapt to changes or perish. “The choice is between becoming a digital disruptor or a digital dinosaur. The choice is yours,” wrote Singapore-based mentor and entrepreneur Jai Thampi recently. 

Another change that companies yearn for is to find talents from a wider area. Campus recruitment happens only in a dozen top colleges in the state and the vast talent pool that is available in second and third-tier centres in the state is not utilised.

Launchpad is looking to correct that by holding the event online, giving candidates from lesser-known institutes an equal opportunity. 

The changes are not going to be limited to the campuses alone. The outlook of parents whose wards are in the job market will also need to change. Some of the top IT companies say in private that over-parenting is a problem they face when fresh talent is brought in.

Many parents accompany their children to the office on the first day and some even venture into the HR sections to quiz about things like work timing and leave policies.

Candidates coming from such backgrounds expect similar a protective environment at the workplace and are unable to deal with the intensity that often accompanies high pressure work.

Launchpad organisers say the month-longprogramme will present actual workplace-like situations, like tight deadlines and rejections of ideas, and give the participants a taste of what they may face in the future.

The culmination of the project will have candidates who are more ready for the task while employers will have a better understanding of their abilities, say the organisers.

They have set an ambitious target of training 10,000 job seekers this year. It is a daunting target as coordinating it across the state is an enormous task.

Kerala was never short of programmes but many of them fail to achieve their desired effect as most of the implementing agencies work in silos and often fail to coordinate it effectively.

But MuLearn says they are confident of achieving the target and says around 1,000 students have already expressed interest after news about the Launchpad was reported by the media.

Deepu is hoping that if career volunteers of Kerla Knowledge Economy Mission, Industry-academia coordinators of APJ Abdul Kalam Technological University and MULearn district centres work in tandem, the programme can attract enough participants.

The plan sounds good and the aim is commendable. If executed properly, this could pave the way for disruptive changes in our campus recruitment practices.

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