Despite a reluctance to work in India and a lack of analytical skills, Bhutanese graduates have again been offered free training and possible employment by leading multinational IT company, Infosys.

Infosys has offered to train 100 Bhutanese graduates, as a special gesture to Bhutan, at their Mysore learning centre (meant for their employees) free of cost, the labour ministry recently announced.

Infosys provided training for an earlier batch of 100 Bhutanese graduates in July, last year. The government hoped that the graduates, after being trained, would take up jobs with the company and return to work in the upcoming IT park, once completed. Despite 37 graduates being offered jobs on training completion, only nine accepted.

In a further setback in creating a skilled IT work force, only two graduates out of 140 were recruited by Infosys in January. Labour officials explained that a lack of numerical and analytical skills were to blame.

Labour officials are hoping for better results this time. Unlike the first program, the 100 graduates will receive training only in business processing outsourcing (BPO) skills. Infosys will also pay for their accommodation, while the government will provide a stipend and travel expenses.

Some of the Bhutanese graduates already working in the Indian IT industry had earlier told Kuensel that their stipend and pay was not enough to cover living expenses.

“One student got Rs 17,000 in one month,” said labour’s program officer, Tenzin Choden, adding that, if employed by Infosys, not only could pay increase significantly but the value of the graduate’s resume.

A high ranking official form Infosys is expected to give a talk on the benefits of working for the company to interested graduates shortly. The one-month free training begins mid-August. Source: Kuenselonline