Job market woes & scams push IT freshers towards upskilling

Pune: Many IT and engineering students are turning to upskilling courses to improve their chances of employment, with campus placements slowing, onboarding delays mounting and several alleged job scams leaving fresh graduates stranded.“Nothing taught in college has really helped me on the job front. Technology is evolving fast and extra coaching seems necessary to get into bigger companies,” a 24-year-old engineering fresher from Shirpur said.Some students said they paid a steep price in pursuit of jobs. “I spent nearly Rs 2 lakh on an IT consultant for coaching and placement support, but it was a complete waste,” Sneha Kulkarni, a 26-year-old engineering graduate from Sawantwadi, said. “Now I am looking to enrol in reputed online courses, including those offered by IITs, to improve my chances,” she said.Online courses in Artificial Intelligence (AI), cloud computing, cybersecurity, data analytics and full-stack development are witnessing a surge in demand. “Many freshers have been duped by offline coaching classes and placement agencies in recent months. Upskilling is the only way forward to improve employability. While firms have varying certification requirements, courses in AI and machine learning broadly enhance placement prospects,” Harpreet Singh Saluja, president of NITES, said. NITS works for welfare and benefits of IT/ITES and its related sector employees.The financial strain is growing, with several graduates taking loans to fund these courses. “It is very difficult to trust anyone now. I know people who paid Rs 4-6 lakh as placement charges. I myself lost Rs 1.4 lakh in a scam. I have now taken a loan to enrol in a data analytics course, hoping to secure a job,” a 25-year-old fresher from Chandrapur said.Others, unable to afford paid programmes, are relying on free resources. “I am currently doing free online certifications. I am not in a position to spend on courses, especially since I haven’t received a salary since Sept,” another fresher from the same district said.Freshers increasingly see upskilling not just as a gateway to employment but also as critical for long-term career security. According to a Nasscom report on India’s AI talent landscape, demand for AI skills continues to outpace supply, driving up workforce costs while leaving many employees underprepared. The report found that 73% of employees rely on self-driven learning methods such as online courses, on-the-job training and peer learning. Formal certifications account for just 17%, while the remaining workforce has yet to begin any structured learning.“I have enrolled in an online AI/ML course and hope it helps me land a job. Despite having a degree, I am unemployed. If this doesn’t work, I may have to look outside my field,” a 24-year-old engineering graduate from Solapur said.