Latest News

Upskilling has become essential to stay relevant and future-proof your job as new technologies shape workplace trends. To choose the right upskilling course, start by deciding which skill you want to learn, whether to grow in your current domain or move to a different career field. Consider multiple online learning platforms, compare the price, flexibility, and quality of the course, check the online reviews and ratings, and look for the certificate before signing up.

The University Grants Commission (UGC) has introduced the "professors of practice" initiative to enhance industry-academia collaborations within higher education in India. Successful individuals from various fields with at least 15 years of proven expertise in their professions will be eligible to teach specialised disciplines that are in line with industry requirements. The engagement is for a fixed term, which is extendable up to four years.

The demand for skilled tech workers has surged in recent times, not just in the field of information and technology, but across all industries. EY and iMocha's report reveals that 81% of companies have faced a shortage of 'power user or developer' tech skills, while only 19% had established a skill taxonomy.

The Talent Trends study 2023 by global recruitment firm Michael Page, which reached out to nearly 4,000 skilled, white-collar employees in India, showed that about 75% of these are active job seekers, meaning they are looking out for opportunities right now or plan to find a new job in the next six months, while 23% are on the fence but open about finding a new job.

Over 3,300 candidates appeared for the UPSC preliminary exams in Manipur, despite ongoing violence between the Meitei and Kukis communities which has taken over 70 lives. 700 candidates unable to sit the exams in the state because of the unrest opted to take their exams elsewhere. The Union Public Service Commission provided various alternative test centres across India to offset the difficulties caused by the conflict.

While some institutes are jittery about students using artificial intelligence-driven language programmes to put together assignments and projects, most look at it as the next innovation frontier that is impossible to ignore, top officials told ET.

Agriculture and agrochemicals, automobile and allied, banking, financial services and insurance, BPO and IT enabled services, construction and real estate, educational services, fast moving consumer durables, FMCG, hospitality, industrial manufacturing and allied, power and energy, ecommerce and tech start-ups, healthcare and allied industries and retail exhibited less than 9 per cent growth.

What's making India's highly skilled talent, especially young employees, select gig roles as the mainstay of their career strategy? The adoption of freelancing and independent work among professionals hit a new high in FY23 with a staggering 125% year-on-year increase in consultant sign-ups. This compares with a 25% and an 11% YoY increase in FY22 and FY21, respectively.

About 46 per cent of Gen Zs and 37 per cent of Millennials have taken on either a part or full-time paying job in addition to their primary job, Deloitte's 2023 Gen Z and Millennial Survey said.

Several companies are looking at rationalising their workforce expenses over the next few months through different means including putting more people in the lowest bands during performance appraisals, reducing bench period thresholds, and putting a freeze on variable pay for resources with low utilisation to encourage voluntary attrition of people on the bench, among various other methods, they said.

The average stipend for apprentices increased by 2% in FY23 compared to the previous fiscal year, according to the TeamLease Degree Apprenticeship report. Chennai and Kochi were the highest paying cities at Rs 13,100 and Rs 13,000 per month, respectively. Nagpur, Lucknow and Chandigarh had the largest increase in stipends at 9%, 6% and 5%, respectively.

Professionals who are drawing extremely high salaries and looking to move out from troubled startups are facing sharp cuts in compensation while switching jobs.