Revealed! What did most engineers do during lockdown period - Good job!

According to the IP-driven incubation lab, BridgeLabz, survey, a majority of engineering graduates interviewed have leveraged the extra time at home due to the coronavirus-related lockdown in online upskilling programmes that would solidify their resume. The survey is based on online interviews of over 1,100 engineering graduates during August 10-14 across the country.

Though the lockdown had shuttered onsite operations for most learning organisations, it opened new avenues for the digital ones with 94 per cent saying they have considered learning a new skill during this period to leverage extra time at home that will solidify their resume to sail through the new normal, reveals survey, as per a report in PTI.

BridgeLabz was set up to bridge the skill-gap among the existing talent pool of engineers by making them job-ready through experiential learning and focused mentorship.

Digitisation has emerged as the fourth industrial revolution enabling continuous learning and remote working and is on the verge to redefine the role of upskilling in future-proofing aspirants against market downturns.

A majority of students side with the online medium for its ability to provide quick answers and convenience of access when it comes to preferential mode of learning, the survey revealed. About 42 per cent of freshers find live sessions with mentors best for on-the-spot query resolution, while 21 per cent find offline classroom-based training to be a viable learning option.

The survey revealed that the trend can be accredited to the experiential learning model and upskilling programmes that allow learners to seek live help from industry experts while they hone their skills leveraging online platforms. About 37 per cent prefer recorded classes for their ease of accessibility from anywhere, anytime while offline mode has least takers as only 21 per cent choose an offline classroom-based learning model, it added.

The digital disruption is not only affecting the learning preferences but also the working landscape, the survey opined. A whopping 72 per cent of users want to work remotely as opposed to 28 per cent who wish to work from the office, it found.

Besides, the engineering graduates seek more stability with their job profiles owing to the current volatility in the employment market, the survey revealed.

When asked about the kind of job roles, 90 per cent of the respondents said they prefer a regular, full-time job. Part-time jobs are no longer popular with coders any more, with only 10 per cent of coders saying they might opt for a freelancing job amidst the current scenario.

"It is good to see that coders are utilising their time at home to develop new skills. This will eventually help them stand out from the rest of the crowd who don't possess the talent critical for the new normal. It is also interesting to see that they are more focused on getting a permanent job to strengthen their position in future. Their approach is increasingly becoming futuristic and it puts the onus on upskilling platforms to provide for the same," BridgeLabz Founder Narayan Mahadevan added.