Karnataka Firms Value Skills Over Degrees in Placements

Karnataka Placements Shift: Skills Over Degrees

Companies in Karnataka are now prioritizing demonstrable skills like Artificial Intelligence (AI) and cloud computing over just academic degrees for engineering graduates, marking a challenging placement season.

This evolving hiring landscape is severely impacting campus recruitment, with a notable decline in mass hiring across the state.

Key Hiring Trends Emerge

• Firms increasingly require official certification for skills or conduct intensive 24-36 hour hackathons to assess practical abilities.
• AI, cloud computing, and Salesforce are among the most sought-after skills by recruiters.
• Private engineering colleges have activated skill development centers, with the government allowing fees from ₹5,000 to ₹20,000 for specialized training.

Impact on Colleges

The shift has had a detrimental effect on tier-2 and tier-3 engineering colleges, which are experiencing the most severe slowdown.

• Placements in these institutions have, in some cases, plummeted from 50% to almost zero.
• Even tier-1 colleges face challenges, with a reduction in mass recruitment drives primarily due to the increasing adoption of AI in the workforce.

This indicates a fundamental change in industry demand, prioritizing specialized capabilities over traditional manpower.