In this exclusive interview with the Daily News Corporate Vice President and the Program Director for New Vistas Srimathi Shivashankar and Resident Director and Center Head Thothathri Vaikuntam talk about HCL Technologies’ role in Sri Lanka and how the global tech company is bridging the digital skills gap in the country.
Q: What is the Tech Bee early career program?
Thothathri: HCL Tech Bee is one of our flagship skilling and hiring programs. It focuses on providing the right training to A-Level completed students in Sri Lanka for an assured full time IT job at HCL Sri Lanka. It is targeted for students who aspire to begin their careers early and progress quickly, whilst completing their higher education as well.
The program runs for 12 months. It involves both focused classroom training and apprenticeship training. Students are given opportunities to learn the fundamentals of IT, software application concepts and tools, including personality development, communication and life skills required to be successful at their first job.
Q: What kind of jobs do the candidates get after the training?
Thothathri: On successful completion of the training, students are employed in roles of Software Developers, IT Analysts or Test Engineers at HCL Sri Lanka.
Q: What are the career paths for selected Tech Bee candidates?
Thothathri: Tech Bee candidates typically begin their career in the Application, Infrastructure Services or Support Services domains as entry-level Software Developers, IT Analysts or Test Engineers and progress to become Senior Professionals within a few years.
Once they join HCL as a full-time employee, they have the same employee benefits as others.
Q: What are HCL’s short and long-term plans in Sri Lanka?
Thothathri: We are proud to say that within just six months of our Global Delivery centre inauguration (Sept 2020), our employee strength in Sri Lanka has crossed 500. This was managed despite the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic due to the hard work and optimism of all our colleagues at HCL Sri Lanka. Though the times are challenging, we are working towards taking our employee strength to 1500 in the next year.
Q: Will HCL be releasing other career development programs in the future? Thothathri: Yes! We will be rolling out exclusive skilling and hiring programs for women returning to work and for experienced professionals looking to switch their domains. We presently offer programs for Graduates, A-Levels, HND students. We have over 150 B.Sc graduates who have started working at HCL Sri Lanka after completing their skilling program.
Q: In this ever-changing IT landscape, how does HCL adapt and keep abreast?
Srimathi: At HCL, the ambience of ideapreneurship, technological innovation, and focus on being a socially responsible business is the ‘Air’ that holds us all together. Our ambience kindles and nurtures the ‘Inner Fire’ of our ideapreneurs who make HCL such a warm and great place to work in.
Q: Why is upskilling and reskilling essential to business survival?
Srimathi: Technology that runs the world is fast-evolving requiring businesses to becoming digitally agile. Any business has to quickly adapt to continue growing. However, the talent pool equipped to work on the changing technology is not growing at the same pace. To bridge this, we must upskill employees and ensure they are ready to address the demands of the latest technologies.
Q: What are the biggest challenges facing the job market?
Srimathi: The COVID-19 pandemic has made times for all businesses and job markets across the world. With companies restructuring their workforce to a bare minimum, employees who have not upskilled/reskilled are at risk. Times are challenging for freshers as well.
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