As we enter into the new year, cautiously awaiting old normal to bounce back into full swing, but at the same time we realize that the scenario may never materialize all the same. The new normal is all we can hope to make the best out of. And a staple for this new normal is online education.
As the lockdowns induced by the Covid-19 reaction forced majority of schools and universities to shut down and disrupted the classroom education system, e-learning has emerged as a victor to alleviate the stress for educators and students alike. Although between 2014 and 2019, more than 4,450 Edtech start-ups have been launched in India, it was during the lockdowns that they went in full swing and grew to be the primary mode of education in the country.
One such EdTech start-up which aims at preparing engineering aspirants to be industry ready is NinthSem. Founded in the year 2020, this Indian skill-based e-learning platform provides training and guidance to engineering students and aspirants of the core and non-IT industries. To gain a few insights into the dynamics of the online education industry and understand what makes a great online educational platform, we conducted an interview with Surya Narayan Kar, the Chief Communication Officer and one of the founding members of NinthSem. So, without further ado, let us dive right into the interview and cherish the knowledge we are about to receive.
Brief our audience about your journey into the educational services space and how you came about with the idea of ‘NinthSem’? Who can be benefited from NinthSem?
The core sector industries are the backbone of our nation. The eight core sector industries account for 40.27% in the Index of Industrial Production (IIP).
The biggest problem that the core sector industries are facing is lack of ‘Skills & Competencies’ in the fresh, young engineers. Fifteen lakh engineering students graduate in India every year and then step into the job market. However, the industry estimate says that only 7% engineering graduates hold that industry-ready skills which can make them employable.
NinthSem is looking forward to addressing this problem by providing skill-based learning to students by real industry experts from every core engineering sectors. We encountered this problem when we saw there is a constantly increasing unemployment rate and the widening gap between conventional academic learning and industry requirements for the engineering students.
India is producing engineers by certification, not by skills. All the founding members at NinthSem are core engineers and have experienced this problem. “Necessity is the mother of invention,” likewise we felt the need of skillbased learning for core engineering students in our country and came up with NinthSem.
Core engineering-branch students of diploma and degree engineering institutions, engineering graduates who are looking for job, industry professionals who want to up skill and build their portfolio can be benefited immensely by different services of NinthSem.
What technology do you use and what services do you offer? Please explain with an example how NinthSem curriculum differs from that of college curriculum.
The name ‘NinthSem’ itself suggests it is beyond the conventional 08 semesters of engineering. NinthSem is committed to equip students with all the required skill sets not only to crack tough interviews but also to build confidence to excel in their career in the core engineering sector. NinthSem has introduced a unique course structure for the core engineering students. A core branch is categorized into 10-12 industrial sectors. A simple example can make things clear. Mechanical CCIM (Certification Course on Industry Module) consists of sectors like automobile, real estate, aviation, power plant, manufacturing, maintenance, hydraulic engineering etc. Courses of NinthSem are designed in such a way that students can acquire industry specific skills by attending video lectures, mock interviews, mock tests prepared by engineering working professionals from top core industries of India.
Sixty plus core industry professionals are associated with NinthSem. They have prepared their course module according to the industry requirements. Engineers from top companies like Tata group, HAL, SAIL, Godrej, Hindalco, L&T, Atul, Alembic, Aarti Industries, Air India are sharing their expertise with our students.
Please highlight a few of your distance learning services. Do you customize your services as per the need and eligibility of your clients?
As a part of our B2B model, we collaborate with engineering colleges and corporations to up-skill the engineering students and industry professionals respectively. Based on the industry trends, demand and needs, we do customize our services.
These are the following services that we are providing to our students:
- Certification Course on Industry Module (CCIM)
- Mock tests
- Doubt clearance sessions
- CV/Resume making
- LinkedIn profile auditing and building
- Mock interviews (Technical+ HR)
- Comprehensive and detailed interview feedback, review session with report
- Placement preparation kit(GD/PI tips, interview questions, industrial networking, hiring and recruiting advice from job experts)
Are there any popular courses that are high in demand? What makes them so popular?
Our Certification Course on Industry Module (CCIM) is currently in high demand. We are experiencing an exponential growth of customer demands for this. The CCIM is very much suitable for those who want to master all trades of their study. It is a series of certification courses. Suppose a mechanical engineering student is enrolling then he will get to know about all the industry modules that are related to the same branch be it automobile, steel, production, power plant etc.
There are two main reasons which make CCIM popular. The first one is – the holistic approach of elaboration by our experienced industry experts in the video lectures, and second is – its potential to increase the overall employability skills of students.
After the completion of the course students become equipped for job in all the sectors related to his/her branch of study.
How do you groom students holistically, like clearing doubts? Also, do you assist in placements? If yes, how?
Only learning cannot be effective if a student does not involve himself/herself properly in the learning process. Because we are providing skill-based learning through certification course it is very much important for the learners to get robust learning experience. Our LMS (Learning Management System) is designed in such a way that while watching the video lectures a student can raise a doubt anytime. These doubts are addressed systematically.
The doubt clearance sessions also build a strong relationship between our industry experts and students, and we find that students regularly seek help in clarifying their doubts. All sessions are taken with the help of wellprepared notes and presentations which contain concept notes, questions and high-quality resources to enhance knowledge on the subject.
In a package, in addition to the certification course we provide other allied services like Profile building (CV/ Resume making, LinkedIn profile building), employability tests, mock interviews (both HR and technical) which increase the potential of students to get hired.
We provide ‘placement preparation kit’ dedicated exclusively for the students looking for employment. This is personalized as per student’s candidature. In this kit, we provide GD/PI tips, interview questions, industrial networking, salary negotiations uptakes, hiring and recruiting advice from job experts.
There are many hiring partners of NinthSem which provides best suited career opportunities for the students.
Being an accomplished leader, what are your thoughts on the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the distance learning services sector?
It is clear that this pandemic has utterly disrupted the classroom education system. During this time, the e-learning platforms have emerged as a blessing for students. Research also suggests that online learning has been shown to increase retention of information in students and they take less time to grasp the concepts due to audio-visual methods of learning.
That is why e-learning is becoming the ‘new normal’ after experiencing many benefits first-hand.
Talking about NinthSem, with regard to giving the learning experience to students, our e-learning platform is an amalgamation of both physical and virtual classroom.
It offers real time interaction with an instructor just like the physical classroom and because all the video lectures are pre-recorded it allows learning at one’s own pace in a flexible manner! Students can learn anywhere and anytime by just logging into www.ninthsem.com.
What is your opinion on the future of the distance learning market, in terms of technological improvements, increase in demand, or the sorts?
The essence of EdTech sector has been felt more strongly after this lockdown due to Covid. Quality of education has been widely improved after EdTech sector came into good picture in India. Between 2014 to 2019, more than 4,450 EdTech start-ups had been launched in India, of which 25% have already shut shop, while 4.17% have raised funds. The potential of this sector is huge after rapid digitization and formation of new National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. Indian education sector will further see a massive public spending that will further fuel the education market in the country due to the booming of EdTech sector.
What have you envisioned for NinthSem in the near future?
Our mission is to bridge the gap between classroom learning and industrial skill-based learning by collaborating with engineering colleges and the core engineering companies.
Our vision is to make 100% skilled engineering graduates who will be industry ready just after the convocation day.
