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At
a time the training industry is struggling for its survival, there
is one sector which has unobtrusively defied the odds—hardware
training. Well-known training houses which had earlier never considered
entering this field, now have new strategies in place to cash on
this comparatively “safe” sector. A recent MAIT and Ernst
& Young research report has revealed that the Indian electronics
hardware sector is expected to touch $62 billion by 2010. The requirement
for hardware manpower is estimated to be 5 lakh by 2005 and 12 lakh
by 2010. While the hardware sector as a career option has played
second-fiddle to software, this may well change in the coming years,
and the profile of aspirants opting for a career in hardware would
simultaneously change as well.
 “For
every 50 computer machines one needs one hardware engineer,”
says Suresh G Bharwani, chairman and managing director of Jetking
Infotrain. One of the pioneers in the hardware training market,
Jetking started its operations in 1990 at a time nobody focused
on this sector, and has never looked back since then. Registering
a steady annual growth of 33 percent in the last three years, the
company boasts of Rs 33 crore turnover this year.
The
two courses offered by Jetking are the 10-month-long Advanced Diploma
in Computer Hardware & Networking and Jetking Certified Hardware
and Networking Professional. The latter prepares the students for
six international certifications—A+, Network+, MCSE, CNE, CCNA
and Linux. Bharwani has formulated a special ‘Smartlab methodology’
which he believes greatly contributes to the success of the courses.
No prior technical qualification is necessary and candidates are
allowed to join following the completion of their HSC/SSC. Bharwani
acknowledges that these courses primarily attract those who have
not been able to get jobs or admissions elsewhere. Many of the students
start their own business initiatives—essentially maintenance
and assembling work. The institute however encourages students to
take up a job and gain sizeable experience before launching their
own venture.
 Interestingly,
a number of students opting for hardware training courses come from
less privileged backgrounds. The central government initiated Suvarna
Jayanti Shahari Rozgar Yojna sponsors free hardware courses for
those below the poverty line. M S Computer Academy runs a six-month
hardware training course in its Dadar branch. The centre head, Surendra
Bhorade, informs that they have been conducting the course under
this scheme for the last 18 months. Each batch has 30 students and
many of them happen to be girls. The institute also provides placement
assistance through its tie-up with companies and placement agencies.
Personality development courses are also conducted and students
are encouraged to improve their knowledge of English for better
career prospects. Not surprisingly, most of the students do not
possess the aspirations of a high profile career.
Hardware
training has so far often been considered a
career field, which is not for the brightest and the best. The profile
is all set for change. This is one of the reasons why training major
Aptech recently decided to launch a hardware training course. Abhishek
Saha, marketing-global IT education, Aptech, explains why: “With
the central government laying focus on the hardware sector, it is
poised for a robust growth. The current Exim policy had laid a significant
thrust on making the electronic hardware sector globally competitive
and export-oriented. With the softening comes a host of opportunities
for the industry in India.” He adds that the MAIT-Ernst &
Young study which has projected that the hardware sector will grow
by 12 times its existing size by 1210, makes the industry an equally
attractive career option today.
Conceding
that Aptech is open to partnering with any government initiative,
Saha points out that the company will cater to all section of students
who want to enter this field. “With the increasing number of
PCs and strong emergence of India as a favoured outsourcing destination,
a hardware career now offers good growth opportunities to all students,”
he says, adding that like a software career, the hardware field
also needs strong technical expertise. Aptech’s hardware course
trains students in computer hardware assembly, network concepts
and set-up. The 128 hours of programme (which can be completed in
five months), has been mapped to two international certifications-A+
and Network+ by CompTIA.
With
career options ranging from hardware engineer to Internet engineer,
PC support specialist, Network support specialist and systems engineer;
hardware training is slowly but surely witnessing a change of status
which will dispel the myth that it is not a field for the brightest
of brains.
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