With about 226 engineering colleges (2018) churning out roughly 10,000 Civil Engineering graduates every year in Karnataka alone, one burning question that comes to mind – How are these fresh graduates going to find suitable jobs?

To the best of my knowledge, even with the main recruiters such as the Government, contractors, architects and consultants with some PG courses & suppliers chipping in, there is an availability of only 2,000 jobs per year. What happens to the rest of the Civil Engineers who are entering the job market each year? How do we cater to the remaining 80%?

The answer lies with the industry leaders coming together to stitch-up a viable internship program that would ensure these graduates are gainfully employed as interns or trainees with a common minimum expectation across the state. This would encourage students to pursue Civil Engineering as a profession and have something to look forward to after graduation. With an absorption rate of about 20%, the Civil Engineering freshers have the harshest job hunt after graduating, regardless of their marks. Due to the lack of jobs in the market, the interest is waning year after year with bright students opting for greener pastures of other industries.

A day is not too far off when only a handful of bright ones will choose to take up Civil Engineering, which would put a stop to innovation in the industry and possibly bring the growth of the industry to a halt. It is time we take responsibility and commit to helping the next generation to succeed in the industry.