Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram   

The Six Sigma way

K. Shankar

What are your strengths? The interviewer who posed the question to an engineering graduate during a recruitment drive in one of the leading colleges in Karnataka was stupefied by the answer it elicited. "I am very strong sir," replied the candidate in all earnestness referring to his physical strength. The candidate who displayed a `high level' of academic brilliance was obviously ignorant about the meaning `strength' had in addition to `physical capabilities.'

"I felt very bad by his response," said K. Shankar, regional director, Asia, Millennium Global Solutions, a company engaged in consultancy services, who carried out the interview.

"I was expecting a brief description about the positive aspects of the candidate's personality as the answer," said Mr. Shankar, who is currently on a private visit to the State.

"The mistake is not with the candidate but with his institution, which did not equip him with the necessary communication skills for facing the interview board," he said.

This is the plight of nearly 75 per cent of the engineering graduates in country, Mr. Shankar said, quoting from a report on the `Emerging Global Market' by the Mckinsey Global Institute ``that only 25 per cent of the engineering graduates in India are employable.''

This is where Six Sigma philosophy can turn out to be beneficial for the education sector. Introducing the methodology, which focusses on project-oriented training of varying durations, that is from two days up to a month, can enhance the personality of a candidate to a considerable extent, Mr. Shankar said. According to Mr. Shankar, the Six Sigma philosophy is being applied in some of the leading educational institutions such as the Indian Institute of Technology, Chennai, Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore, and the Symbiosis Institute of Management, Pune.

Sangeeth Kurian

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