Explore options for career in engineering

Government’s decision to have a common entrance test for engineering aspirants, post-HSC, has changed the playing field significantly.

Now, even students seeking admission in a normal engineering college will probably have to appear for the new JEE, for which competition is very tough.

Is there a short cut? Yes, a Polytechnic course (3 year Diploma in engineering) after SSC results can facilitate a smoother transition to a degree course with specialization.

The new one-nation-one-test pattern designed for engineering aspirants proposes to give substantial importance to HSC (Board) exam score along with the aptitude test. This could result in additional stress for the students. In addition, the number of students applying for a B.Tech./B.E. degree tends to be extremely high, which means the chances of getting admission into a good college are, quite limited.

However, there is a way in which engineering aspirants can bypass these barriers to engineering careers. Rather than pursue the typical post-HSC entrance exam mode and apply to an engineering college, there is a simpler and smarter option.

Plan ahead

If one makes the effort to be focused and plan well ahead of time, it is possible to totally avoid the stiff competition which prevails at the degree admission stage. How? Well, as soon as students pass SSC, they can opt for the 3 year diploma in engineering course. Later, they can use this as a foundation to get admission directly into the 2nd year of the Engineering degree course.

Chances more than double

While one may find this to be an unusual approach, the fact remains that this strategy works perfectly fine and there is a good reason why. Until recently, about 10 percent Diploma Students were normally admitted directly into each division of the 2nd year. However, AICTE has now increased the number of seats of lateral entry from 10 percent to 20 percent—effectively doubling the quota.

Moreover, since last 2 years, AICTE has allowed engineering institutes to start additional divisions from the 2nd year, exclusively for these diploma students. Moreover, AICTE has also reduced the minimum eligibility marks from 60 % to 50%.

This not only means more seats for Diploma students (thus increasing the chances of applicants getting admitted into the Degree program) but also signifies that with cut-off percentages coming down; it is a win-win situation for engineering degree aspirants in all ways. Students are generally not so aware of these new developments.

There is an adage which beautifully describes the difference between engineering students and those from other domains: “I hear, I forget. I see, I believe. I do, I understand.”

Smarter approach

An engineering diploma gives hands-on experience to students and over the past few years, industry has started realizing that students who have done their vocational education have a better knowledge and understanding of technical concepts. Because of this, diploma students who have upgraded to an engineering degree are generally preferred over their counterparts who have taken the traditional post-HSC route.

These advantages, coupled with the new JEE proposal, makes the route of engineering degree through diploma course a very good option for students aspiring for a career in engineering. Most important, this allows engineering aspirants to circumvent the dreaded First Year of engineering course where the failure rate is almost 80%. In fact, making the transition after completion of diploma course directly to the 2nd year of the degree course entails no loss of time whatsoever.

Strong foundation

Another positive point that is generally overlooked by those aspiring for an engineering career is that the diploma in engineering course in effect offers an excellent foundation for specialization. With this qualification under their belt, students have multiple options to choose from. For starters there is the much-coveted admission directly in the 2nd year of the degree course in engineering.

Another good option worth considering is getting entry into the 2nd year of BSc (IT), an ideal course for those looking for career in the high growth potential IT industry. If an international degree is what they seek, diploma holders in engineering can even go in for a global learning experience at a foreign university.

Considering the multitude of education and career opportunities the Diploma courses offer, a diploma in engineering course could be looked at as the ideal way forward for students aspiring to become Engineers.