Posted on 06/22/2009 12:40:47 PM PDT by E. Pluribus Unum
OK, before you get your knickers in a twist, let's put the CEO's comments into context. Vineet Nayar, the highly respected CEO of HCL Technologies, one of India's hottest IT services vendors, was speaking this morning in New York City to an audience of about 50 customers and partners when he related a recent experience with an education official in a large U.S. state.
The official wanted to know why HCL, a $2.5 billion (revenue) company with more than 3,000 people across 21 offices in 15 states, wasn't hiring more people in his state. Vineet's short answer: because most American college grads are "unemployable." (In fairness to HCL, the company recently announced plans to open a delivery center in another state, North Carolina, and invest $3.2 million and hire more than 500 employees there over the next five years under a Job Development Investment Grant.)
Many American grads looking to enter the tech field are preoccupied with getting rich, Vineet said. They're far less inclined than students from developing countries like India, China, Brazil, South Africa, and Ireland to spend their time learning the "boring" details of tech process, methodology, and tools--ITIL, Six Sigma, and the like.
As a result, Vineet said, most Americans are just too expensive to train--despite the Indian IT industry's reputation for having the most exhaustive boot camps in the world. To some extent, he said, students from other highly developed countries fall into the same rut.
In an interview following his presentation, Vineet said HCL and other employers need to have a greater influence on the tech curricula of U.S. colleges and universities, to make them more real-world and rigorous. For the most part, he said, those institutions haven't been receptive to such industry partnerships.
More broadly, Vineet echoed the concerns expressed by other CEOs, including SAS Institute's Jim Goodnight and Cisco's John Chambers, about the failure of the U.S. education system to prepare the country's next-generation tech workforce (a subject Goodnight and others will dive into at the InformationWeek 500 Conference, Sept. 13 to 15).
Beyond the need to bolster competencies in math, the hard sciences, and basic problem solving, U.S. schools at all levels must place a greater emphasis on global history, foreign languages, and other subjects that prepare students for jobs and life outside this country. How many grads of U.S. colleges are ready or even willing to work abroad? Vineet asked rhetorically. "We need to define the American dream to be more global in nature," he said.
The cynical among you will counter that some American students, having seen tech jobs move to lower-wage countries or go to H1-B visa holders, have lost their appetite for process-oriented IT professions. But if this country's economic future is indeed rooted in technology--whether in health care, energy, transportation, or the tech industries themselves--then the status quo won't do.
>>need to bolster competencies in math, the hard sciences, and basic problem solving, U.S. schools at all levels must place a greater emphasis on global history, foreign languages
LOL! But our students rank highest in self esteem, self confidence and the self assurance that comes with knowing they are better than everyone else.
History, Science, Math...who needs them....
that chart sort of says it all.
Can’t argue with the guy.
I’ve seen what India is sending to the US, even on temp visas for slave wages, and they’re at a competitive advantage on technical skills (overall) and pricing (without a doubt).
However, working on the phones with a group in India isn’t as easy as having a programming group you can sit down with. Tech specs require much more detail and accents as thick as molasses can be difficult on a spotty IP line.
Is that what this guy is doing?
If he's just now figuring this out, he's way behind the power curve and probably doesn't deserve to be a CEO of anything.
A US public elementary school principal maybe; but certainly not a CEO of anything.
That is true. I've never seen an Indian consultant profess to expert knowledge of Oricle, Notpad, Exxcel, etc, on their resume. Never have they shown up with an uncreased manual tucked under their armpit. /stuff it
Beyond the need to bolster competencies in math, the hard sciences, and basic problem solving, U.S. schools at all levels must place a greater emphasis on global history, foreign languages, and other subjects that prepare students for jobs and life outside this country. How many grads of U.S. colleges are ready or even willing to work abroad? Vineet asked rhetorically. "We need to define the American dream to be more global in nature," he said.
How many people graduating from college in the USA WANT to work abroad in some third world hell-hole or a European socilism?
If it's an American dream why does it have to be global?
EE PE here!!!!!!
LOL, I see that you haven’t been following US politics, lately...
Thie gentleman is correct. Many college new-hires have serious issues in technical areas.
They believe Algor is correct about global warming but don’t know what transistor gain is or why we measure orbital insolation.
And the “process” issues like CMMI and Six Sigma and TQM are a lost cause.
Our education system is all set to stamp out a particular type of “World Citizen”, unfortunately that includes recycling, lies about pollution, and little knowledge of what it takes to keep industrial-based capitalism running.
My dad was a headhunter in the 1980’s and Digital (remember then) want to put a plant in Colorado Springs. After months of testing and interviews they could not find enough “smart” people to work the plant.
I work around 20 New England College Athletic Departments. I have seen a growth in “sports management” positions over the past ten years. All of these kids are going to be Jerry McGuire, or Athletic Directors. Except, they aren’t—because those jobs simply do not exist. How many marketing directors do minor league baseball teams really need?
This is very sad. But in my experience, pretty much standard.
Ireland’s a developing country?
Digital....thats brings me back. There used to be a digital plant/office off every exit of 495 from outside of Worcester to Seabrook. There also used to be a dunkin donuts off each ramp. The DD are still there.
I've had the pleasure of working with a lot of interns over the years, and I can't agree with this guy. Our dedicated CompSci and Engineering students are incredible. Not everyone is dedicated, but he's painting with some mighty broad brush strokes.
For low wages, after taking on U.S. student loan debt? I think not.
“In an interview following his presentation, Vineet said HCL and other employers need to have a greater influence on the tech curricula of U.S. colleges and universities, to make them more real-world and rigorous. For the most part, he said, those institutions haven’t been receptive to such industry partnerships.”
No kidding. Those institutions he is referring to hate corporate America, and prefer to graduate psych students with minors in ethnic studies or women’s issues.
I have to agree with the guy and say the problem starts with the way programming is taught in the schools and universities.
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