JNTUH and Affiliated Engineering Colleges Meet to Address Tier-II Placement Gaps

Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University, Hyderabad (JNTUH) and 10 affiliated engineering colleges met at the university headquarters on Wednesday to address placement gaps and explore strategies to strengthen student skills, particularly for institutions facing limited industry access.

The meeting on the enhancement of skills, training, and placement was convened by JNTUH registrar Dr A. Jaya Laxmi. Principals and training and placement officers from VNR VJIET, BVRIT, CVR College of Engineering, GNITS, MGIT, GRIET, Geethanjali College of Engineering and Technology, KMIT, Vardhaman College of Engineering, and MLRIT participated in the discussions.

Chairing the session, JNTUH Vice-Chancellor Dr T. Kishen Kumar Reddy emphasized the need to align institutional skill development and placement training with contemporary industry requirements. He invited the participating colleges to share effective practices that could improve overall student employability.

During his address, Dr Reddy highlighted recent university initiatives aimed at expanding upskilling and certification opportunities for students. These include memorandums of understanding signed with Skillsoft, Coursera, and the corporate social responsibility arm of Bajaj Auto.

College representatives shared the methods they use to identify industry demands, design skill-development programmes, and conduct training in aptitude, technical subjects, communication, and soft skills. Attendees also exchanged strategies on managing internships, organizing recruitment preparation, establishing industry linkages, and attracting companies for campus hiring drives.

The discussions further reviewed the responsibilities of faculty members and placement cells, the involvement of professional training agencies, the adoption of digital learning platforms, and the implementation of student assessments with continuous monitoring of outcomes.

A central focus of the session was the specific difficulties faced by colleges in Tier-II locations. Participants examined challenges including geographical constraints, limited opportunities for direct industry interaction, and varying levels of student preparedness. Attendees discussed adaptable approaches tailored to individual institutions rather than uniform policies. The session built on an earlier JNTUH discussion regarding upskilling and employability, emphasizing institutional exchange and peer learning.