Diversity hiring: More girls from core engg branches get job offers

Chennai: The diversity push by companies has led to an increase in campus placements of girl students from core engineering branches, with top colleges reporting more than 80% placements in the last two years. However, with fewer girls joining core branches, there are not many eligible in final years. Colleges are trying to create awareness about job opportunities and working conditions in factories.Placement officers say manufacturers are hiring girls for roles such as design engineers and plant engineers, offering good salaries. "Under the diversity policy, companies plan to make 33% of their workforce women in the near future. We have enough girls in electrical and electronics engineering (EEE), whereas branches such as mechanical engineering do not have enough," said K Shanmuga Sundaram, director, Centre for University Industry Collaboration, Anna University.Last year, 15 of 16 eligible mechanical engineering girl students from Anna University were placed as were 15 of 23 civil engineering students. Companies such as Caterpillar, Renault Nissan and Hyundai are offering an average 10 lakh pay package for students from Anna University campuses like College of Engineering, Guindy, and MIT. "If girls shift focus from computer science to core engineering, they will have better chances of placement."City colleges say trend of the last two years continues this year. "Of 120 girls in core engineering branches, 40% got offers. The rest will get placed in the next two months as more companies are scheduled to visit," said SRM Easwari Engineering College principal P Deivasundari.Industry representatives say gender diversity drive was in the pipeline for the last few years. S Sarathi, joint managing director, HL Mando Anand India Private Limited, said target is women at 30% of shop floor workforce and 20% of total staff. "Availability of a skilled workforce is a challenge. We may achieve diversity at entry level in the next few years, but at the mid-level and senior level, it may take up to 10 years."Colleges report an increase in girls' enrolment in core branches from single digits. "Now, girls constitute up to 25% of the total in core branches," said Abhay Meghanathan, vice-chairman of Rajalakshmi Group of Institutions. "We are creating awareness that girls pursuing core branches can have a similar working atmosphere to students pursuing computer science-related courses," said Sriram Parthasarathy, chairman of Chennai Institute of Technology.

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