Manish Khilauria
BE (Civil) from IIT Roorkee
MD & CEO of The Protecon BTG Pvt Ltd, India
A phone call in the morning shook me to the core. An engineering colleague who completed his B.Tech Mechanical in 2009 told me that he is currently working as a Site Engineer. The surprising fact is that despite having 15 years of experience, he is earning only ₹40,000 per month which is never expected from a Qualified Engineer.
Before this industry role, after completing his B.Tech and M.Tech, he also worked as a lecturer in an engineering college. Sensing job insecurity, he left that role and has been struggling to establish himself in the industry. In recent years, a trend has emerged where students are hardly taking admissions in core branches like Civil/Electrical/Mechanical . As a result, colleges are shutting down core branches and continuously laying off faculty members.
He wanted to know the procedure to enroll in our offline training program for Project Management & Controls with 100% job guarantee. I explained the process to him and also suggested that, until the batch starts, he should join Protecon BTG’s online course on Planning to Billing for the Construction Industry. This would enhance your knowledge and may enhance your current income immediately instead of waiting for our next offline training batch which is set to begin in July 2025.
I told him that by then, probably, you would have gained a good understanding of project management and may end up with new opportunities in the areas of Project Management & Controls..
Just before this call, I had read about the layoff of around 700 young engineers from prestigious company, Infosys. That news was already troubling, and this call deepened the wound.
The lack of admissions in branches like Civil, Mechanical, and Electrical, and the continuous rise in Computer Science admissions do not seem to be a matter of concern for the government but how would these massive infrastructure development projects in the country and the world progress? Which branch of engineers will take on this responsibility? This is no secret.
It is very surprising to note that even for government institutions where core branches’ seats are not completely filled, private institutes are continuously shutting down core branches. It is time now that Governments must rethink their approach in this regard, otherwise the country will face serious challenges in meeting the fast paced infrastructure developments.
If the state and central governments do not take immediate and concrete steps, development projects will face severe hurdles.
On the other hand, CS-IT engineers are also not completely secure. This is because software industry jobs are shifting from India to other countries. We need to recognize that the software projects coming to India from Western countries are mainly due to the availability of cheap manpower.
Now, countries like Vietnam and the Philippines are offering even cheaper manpower, leading to a shift of software industry jobs there. This is why companies like Infosys are conducting large-scale layoffs. Amazon also laid off a significant number of employees in India, most of whom were from IT and CS backgrounds.
The government must wake up. UGC and AICTE must act on Bridging the Gap (BTG) by engaging Industry during academic courses in order to enhance the employability of young engineers.
The question remains—if we stop producing core branch engineers, who will lead the country on the path of progress by constructing massive infra projects.?
Despite the high demand for infrastructural development, there is a shortage of adequately trained professionals. According to the report ‘Skilled Employment in the Construction Sector in India’, the construction industry is the second-largest employment generator in the country. As of 2023, it employed approximately 7.1 crore people. However, a staggering 81% of this workforce is unskilled, leaving only 19% skilled. As employment in the sector is projected to grow to 100 million to meet economic growth targets, the number of job-ready engineers and other skilled professionals is comparatively low. Factors contributing to this gap include a lack of advanced technical skills, expertise in modern construction techniques, an aging workforce, limited vocational training programmes, and a perception among younger generations that construction careers are less desirable.
M/s Protecon is pioneer in bridging the gap by providing multifaceted approach to employee upskilling by providing In-house training programmes, Partnerships with educational institutions, Mentorship programmes, Digital learning platforms: These platforms are transforming the way infrastructure firms approach employee training and development. For instance, a civil engineer working on a major Metro project could use an online course focused on advanced Project Management techniques. Enhanced productivity and quality resulting from a more skilled workforce will not only accelerate project execution but also elevate the standard of infrastructure, bolstering India’s global competitiveness. This upskilling drive by Protecon BTG is not only fostering job creation but also individual growth, with new, specialised roles emerging in response to technological advancements and evolving industry needs.
As these initiatives gain momentum , India’s infrastructure sector is on the cusp of transformation with targeted upskilling initiatives set to bridge the skill gap.
This is a burning issue and needs to be acknowledged by the society,more specifically by UGC and AICTE.
Students from rural background need to be effectively guided by some recognised body, as this lot is suffering the most.
Media houses can also play positive roles.
Very insightful Sir, thanks for sharing