Hyderabad: Though the call for ‘Upskill or Perish’ is reverberating across the I-T sector, not much action could be seen when it comes to e-learning. The course completion rate is very low, with a large number of techies dropping out mid-way.
Despite the declining lifespan of technical skills becoming a key concern, techies are often reluctant to enhance their skills unless direct pressure is applied.
As per a recent survey by the e-learning platform Edureka, about 40 per cent of I-T workers, who enroll for online courses in new technologies, do not complete them.
At least 24 per cent do not complete them half the time due to the lack of guidance, self-motivation and difficulty in keeping track of the schedule.
Mr Santanu Paul, CEO of Talent Sprint, said the course completion rate was low because the courses were free and there was no peer pressure. “A lot of e-learning courses are provided free by the employer. When people do not pay, the common phenomenon is to drop out. The first sign of a dropout is boredom, if there is only listening and understanding. Even when assignments are included, there is a dearth of motivation which leads to loss of interest. Sometimes it is difficult to understand,” he explained.
Mr Bharani Kumar Aroll of Society for Cyberabad Security said, “I-T professionals tend to focus more on completing courses when there is a compulsion to do it and due to immediate future prospects. If there is a pressure on a techie, only then he tends to complete the courses. Considering the fact that in the next 15 years all the new jobs will take over the older ones, there is a need to reskill.”
He added that every company allocates 2-3 per cent of manhours for upgrading a techie’s skill. This is not just limited to technical skills but can be professional skills needed for career progression.
Experts said that blended learning was the key to the future of learning,which is a combination of e-learning and classroom learning. Mr Paul said, “Hybrid learning is the future. The course completion rate is high when there is a sharp outcome from the course like a big endorsement or certified professional.”
