Students gain insights on higher education and career success at ‘The Hindu Education Plus Career Counselling’ in Coimbatore

Current and future opportunities for students pursuing higher education in multi-disciplinary fields, importance of soft skills to attain success across sectors, identifying role models, developing leadership traits, and awareness on the advantages in India’s demographic dividend were among key takeaways for the hundreds of school students who attended The Hindu Education Plus Career Counselling at GD Auditorium in Coimbatore on Sunday.

Students from Classes IX to XII were oriented on the plethora of opportunities in engineering, agriculture, information technology, aerospace engineering, finance and accounts, and civil services by academics and professionals. Key speakers at the event included N. Venkatesa Palanichamy, Dean, Agricultural College and Research Institute, Tamil Nadu; N.R. Alamelu, Principal, Sri Ramakrishna Engineering College; and R. Murugesan, former Vice-Chancellor, Anna University of Technology - Madurai.

Development of agriculture hinges on sustainable practices and value addition for which integration of science, artificial intelligence, data analytics, machine learning and other emerging areas of information technology were essential, Mr. Venkatesa Palanichamy said.

Urging students to make informed decisions, Ms. Alamelu, delving into the topic ‘Demystifying Engineering: Exploring Diverse Branches and Career Path’, cited instances of industries seeking manpower with multi-disciplinary skills and problem-solving abilities, while Mr. Murugesan discussed the expanding global job market for allied health sciences.

G.K. Shrinivas, Chartered Accountant, emphasised the growing opportunities in finance, aligning with India’s march towards becoming the third largest economy in the world by 2030. Balakumar Thangavelu, Director of CSR and India Head of Outreach at Cognizant Technology Solutions, recommended the website lifepage.in, which has videos of 1,270 career talks, to help form a personalised plan.

In his talk titled ‘Taking Flight: Exploring Careers in Aerospace Engineering,’ H.N. Nagaraja, Executive Director, Nehru Group of Institutions, Tamil Nadu and Kerala, stressed the importance of identifying role models to help one make the right career choice, while P.R. Narendran, behaviour trainer and leadership coach, handled a session titled ‘Failing Forward with Spirit of Leadership’.

P. Kanagaraj, free IAS Exam Coach, and Head of the Department of Political Science, Government Arts College, Coimbatore, said cracking the civil services exam was possible by identifying the mind as the most powerful force and infusing and reinforcing statements of success into the sub-conscious.

C.V.Ramkumar, Chief Executive Officer, SNR Sons Trust, also participated in the event, which concluded with an interactive session on ‘Key Soft Skills for Career Success’ by R. Saravana Kumar, Chairman, Computer Society of India, Coimbatore Chapter and former Director, Cognizant Technology Solutions.

The event was sponsored by presenting partner Sri Ramakrishna Educational Institutions, and Associate Partners: Sri Sai Ranganathan Engineering College and Nehru Group of Institutions.