PROGRAM ANNOUNCEMENT CAMPUS CONNECT SOFT SKILLS PROGRAM
Overview The Campus Connect Program aims at evolving a model through which Infosys and engineering institutions can partner for competitiveness to enhance the pool of highly capable talent for growth requirements in Information Technology (IT) space. It is aimed at creating an effective means of backward integration into the supply chain by going into the college campuses from where the IT industry gets the people for its growth. The nationwide program focuses on preparing industry-ready IT professionals by aligning and enhancing the engineering student skills with the needs of the industry. It is generally recognized by the IT industry that the repertoire of competencies that successful entry level employees bring to the workplace have four dimensions: Technical skills, Process skills, Domain skills, and Professional or behavioral skills. Soft skills or behavioral skills are those that are crucial to an employee s ability to work smarter. A survey of employers has revealed that some of the skills that are essential for entry level employees include: skills involved in using English effectively at workplace covering reading, writing, speaking, vocabulary and grammar; communication skills; personal management with assertiveness and initiative; interpersonal skills; adaptability to cross cultural environment through creative thinking and problem solving; the ability to work in teams and knowledge of the industry. IT companies define the entrants to be Industry Ready when they possess these skills. The Soft Skills (SS) program under campus connect known as the STAR program is based on the imminent need for young professionals to exhibit high levels of maturity, ethics and business acumen in all transactions. STAR 2.1 aims to ensure a smooth transition of an entry level graduate from the academic to the corporate world. The primary focus is on enhancing communication and confidence, instilling the company values and facilitating gain of business awareness. This Program Announcement under the Infosys Campus Connect Program contains details of STAR 2.1, Soft Skills Faculty Enablement Program and Deep Dive FEP consolidated here for quick reference. At a Glance. 1. Courseware with Industry aligned focus areas namelya. Business English b. Communication and Team Work i. Business Communication ii. Interpersonal and Intrapersonal skills iii. Group discussions iv. Interviews and Presentations c. Know Your Industry i. Campus to Company ii. Entrepreneurial skills development 2. SS Workshop is being conducted by the Infosys team - a gist: a. Soft Skills workshop is a three day, full time residential program at Infosys Campus or a host college b. Targeted typically at behavioral skills faculty c. Suggested number of participants per partnering college is TWO. d. Participation is by invitation. e. Pre-work must be completed before attending the workshop. 2
f. Knowledge sharing and facilitation sessions on all the three focus areas. g. Participants will receive a copy of the Facilitator Training Manual. h. Key take-aways are: i. Understanding the relevance of behavioral skills for fresh engineering graduates. 7. Structured program management to program rollout with supporting processes and robust documentation in the form of program announcements, deployment guides, etc. 8. Technology based mechanisms for leveraging continuous support and outreach from Infosys to dedicated task force from colleges for effective rollout of the program for students. ii. iii. iv. Overviews of Infosys, Education & Research unit of Infosys, Campus Connect and STAR. Professional facilitation experience where participating faculty can practice facilitation in addition to content walkthrough. Overview of deployment process of STAR including the assessment process and development assignment exposure. v. Exposure to new technology platforms for program roll-out assistance. 3. Deep dive SS workshops are being condcuted by the Infosys team in addition to the workshop - a brief: i. All the aspects of FEP are covered with only one major ii. iii. variance i.e., content. DD Workshop covers only one focus area in depth in contrast to all three focus areas being covered in the workshop. Facilitation and content walkthrough restricted to a single focus area only. 4. Access to a compendium of learning and teaching resources developed by Infosys faculty over a diverse range of topics. Content can be made available in the form of softcopy, workbooks and portal content among others. 5. Effective assessment methodologies helping the students to evaluate their skills before and after the interventions. 6. Access to a rich bank of Developmental assignments 9. Planned interventions like road shows, webinars, seminars, etc. to interact with various stakeholders in the college namely management, faculty and students. Rationale for Program 1. Highlight students the importance of behavioral skills in their career. 2. Share with the students the best-in-class methods of learning to achieve holisitc accelerated career opportunities. 3. Offer a platform for students for knowledge sharing with the industry and help them get industry ready. 4. Share our learning resources in three core areas of STAR 2.1. 5. Enrich the knowledge of the faculty with role play, case study, scenarios and experiences to enhance courseware delivery effectiveness through FEP and Deep Dive FEP. 6. Familiarize partnering college faculty with the best-in-class facilitation and assessment methods to enhance the student learning effectiveness. 7. Share our IP and thus develop a large pool of faculty across the nation to deliver the Soft Skills course in the same style and depth as Infosys. 8. Familiarize partnering college faculty to evolve well defined Soft Skills program rollout plan. 3
Program Description The syllabus of Campus Connect STAR Program or STAR 2.1 enables the student to be better equipped to face the uncertainities in the environment around him. STAR 2.1 has been created along with the lines of the STAR program that is running during the Education & Research (E&R) training for new recruits at Infosys, Mysore. The SS FEP and DD FEP are designed to bring together experienced faculty members from partner colleges and the Infosys team for knowledge transfer interaction sessions revolving around STAR 2.1. Here is an overview of objectives for each of the topics. 1. Business English a. Practice all aspects of Language skills required for global professional. Gain insight into the basic aspects of reading, writing, listening and speaking dimensions of English. b. Practice language skills to eliminate errors in pronunciation and sentense construction. c. Gain a functional understanding of basic English grammar and vocabulary. 2. Communication and Team Work a. Business Communication i. Understand and enhance interpersonal communication process ii. iii. iv. To intoduce the fundamentals of communication To intoduce role of body language in communication How should we listen to people - Importance of active listening. b. Intrapersonal and Interpersonal Skills i. Understand the importance of various skills involved in developing enriching interpersonal relationships. ii. Be more aware of his/her own self confidence, values. iii. Understand and handle emotions of self and others. iv. Understand the necessity and importance of working together as a team v. Learn how to go about being a good team player and form an effective team. vi. Have put their team building skills to test in the various activities to understand where they stand and improve themselves with each succeeding activity. c. Group Discussions, Interviews and Presentations i. Understand the skills tested and participate effectively in Group Discussions. ii. Appreciate the nuances of the Group Decision making process. iii. Learn the basics of how to make an effective presentation and have numerous practice presentations in small groups and larger audiences. iv. Attend any type of interview with confidence borne out of knowledge gained and practice sessions. 3. Know Your Industry a. Campus To Company i. Understand what constitutes proper grooming and etiquette in a professional environment. ii. Learn practical tips to handle him/her in a given professional setting. iii. Have practiced the skills necessary to demonstrate a comfort level in executing the same. 4
b. Entrepreneurial Skills Development i. Set specific measurable goals for themselves in their personal and/or professional life. ii. Understand the skills and the intricacies involved in starting an entrepreneurial venture. The workshops are conceived to be highly interactive, discussion oriented learning sessions. Multimedia tools like videos and other digital platforms may also used to drive home critical points. Individuals learn from team activities in addition to receiving personalized briefing. Process Overview Conducting a Soft Skills Workshop involves key phases such as Event Planning, Faculty registration, Event execution and Post-event Reporting. Planning phase involves identification of participating colleges, event communication, and nomination of faculty members by participating college, facilities booking including classrooms/ equipment/ accommodation for guests & Infoscions associated with the event, ordering of giveaways and participant materials, registration of faculty members on the Campus Connect portal. Detailed agenda preparation that has several interactive and work group sessions. Faculty Registration phase results in list of confirmed nominations for the event together with individual travel plans. Typically the nominated faculty members will have time to familiarize themselves with the Soft Skills courseware and Campus Connect portal. Event Execution phase involves program kickoff, hourly execution and tracking of agenda activities. Socializing, case studies, campus tour, meeting with Infoscions and networking are a part of the workshop. One of the primary activities is the preparation of Soft Skills rollout plan for the specific college by the respective college faculty members that will be shared with the group. All participating faculty members will receive a certificate at the closure of the program. Post-Event Reporting phase focuses on analysis of feedback, management reporting, communication to college management and individual colleges sharing their roll-out plans after discussion with their management and teams in the college. Pre-Requisites 1. Colleges need to be Campus Connect partner college. 2. College Single Point of Contact (SPoC) needs to communicate the names and contacts of college faculty members who will participate in this workshop. 3. Preferably faculty from humanities background should participate in SS related activities. 4. Nominated faculty needs to be a permanent faculty with 5 to 10 years of teaching experience. 5. Nominated faculty member must be willing to drive the Soft Skills Rollout at college campus. Program Governance College SPOC College SPOC will be one of the core team members of the respective colleges. Infosys SPOC An Infoscion who interfaces and manages the relationship with the partner college. Reference Information 1. Soft Skills Deployment Guide 2. Faculty Training Manual 3. Participant Manual Program Benefits 1. Professional Skills Development (a vertical under Education and Research unit at Infosys) has prepared and reviewed the courseware providing direct alignment with IT industry needs 5
2. On-Campus offering saving travel, living and other expenses 3. Infosys certified Alliance Partner help can be taken for course delivery, contact sessions and assessments based on mutually agreed commercial terms 4. Interactive, experiential learning methods providing real-life examples/ situations Program Deliverables 1. Roll-out of SS batches for students in the college 2. Faculty and Student Workbook 3. Assessment of students and development assignments 4. Personal interactions and development plan 5. Articles for further reading Soft Skills Program Rollout for Students 1. Infosys SPOC to communicate with Campus Connect partner colleges and brief the key personnel about the program 2. Shortlist colleges based on their interest and readiness to run soft skills program 3. Introduce Infosys identified alliance partner contact to college in case, the college decides to go ahead with the partner mode of delivery 4. College will enter into contract with the alliance partner based on mutually agreed commercial terms 5. College will schedule the soft skills program and the alliance partner will conduct the same 6. College will be responsible for payments to the alliance partner 7. Review student feedback with College Management, Campus Connect contact and record suggestions for improvement 8. Please refer to Soft Skills Deployment Guide for Rollout Planning Information 1. Lead time: Consider 3 4 weeks lead time for scheduling soft skills program 2. Availability of soft copy of student workbook on college intranet. 3. Training location will be college class room suitable for group exercises & lectures 4. Equipments: a. Table and chair for 60 students (Cluster) b. White board & Markers c. PC with CD drive and large display d. DLP Projector / VCD-DVD-VCR e. Flip chart with markers f. PA system with collar microphone g. Computer lab with at least 50 systems for student assessment 5. Student identification tags 6. Senior member for program kick-off/ close 7. Any Giveaways to the faculty For Rollout, Suggested Activities for College SPOC 1. Liaise with Infosys identified Alliance Partner 2. Course Announcement 3. Students Registration 4. Batch planning and Scheduling 5. Arrange Facilities & Equipment 6. Training co-ordination 7. Review with Infosys SPOC 8. Payment to Infosys Alliance Partner Measuring Improvement The program also provides an instrument for evaluation of improvements in soft skills before and after the training. Please refer to Soft skills Deployment Guide for details. 6
Terms and Conditions 1. The courseware is the property of Infosys and can be offered only under Campus Connect Program. 2. Infosys Alliance partner will not customize this program for specific college requirements. 3. The program will be offered only in India. Frequently Asked Questions 1. What are Soft Skills? Soft skills or behavioral skills are those that are crucial to an employee s ability to work smarter. A survey of employers has revealed a list of specific soft skills that they believe as essential for employees. The skills most frequently mentioned for fresh entrant engineers are English communication, knowing how to learn; competence in reading, writing, effective listening and oral communication skills; grammar and vocabulary; adaptability through creative thinking and problem solving; personal management with strong self-esteem and initiative; interpersonal skills; the ability to work in teams, Knowledge of industry. 2. Can a Campus Connect partner college offer soft skills program to their students? Yes. Each Campus Connect partner college can offer soft skills program in their college either by their own trained faculty or through Infosys identified alliance partners or a mix of both. If it is neither of these modes, college can go ahead in its own way and Infosys will not be involved in anyway. 3. Is the soft skills program fee affordable? Yes. Infosys has negotiated special rates with the alliance partner to make it attractive and affordable to students. 4. How long will the soft skills training program be? Soft skills program duration would vary from 3-4 months depending on college schedule. It can begin in the 1st or 2nd year. 5. What is the recommended semester for rolling out this soft skills program? Recommended semester for rolling out this program will be between 3rd and 7th semesters. 6. Is this training available for non-campus Connect students? Yes. Non-Campus Connect student from any engineering stream can attend this program. 7. Is the training conducted at Infosys facility? No. The soft skills program for students will be conducted in the respective colleges. The Soft Skills Workshop for the faculty of the colleges is typically conducted at Infosys. 8. Will the students receive a certificate for attending the program? Yes. Students will receive participation certificates from their respective colleges subject to meeting the course completion criteria. 9. Where should any suggestions/ feedback about the program be sent? Your feedback and suggestions could be emailed to the Infosys SPOC. 4. Medium of interaction is English. 7
Program Contacts Infosys Development Centre Infosys Point of Contact Email ID Bangalore Anoop Singh Anoop_Singh@infosys.com Rithesh Kumble Rithesh_Kumble@infosys.com Sindhuja Parthasarathy Sindhuja_P01@infosys.com Bhubaneswar Bhupesh Deka Bhupesh_Deka@infosys.com Prem Prakash Dayal Prem_Dayal@infosys.com Chandigarh Manisha Manisha@infosys.com Neeraj Garg Neeraj_Garg02@infosys.com Anuradha Verma Anuradha_thakur@infosys.com Manas Tyagi Manas_Tyagi@infosys.com Chennai Roy Antony Arnold George Charles RoyAntony_G@infosys.com Begi Margret Begi_Margret@infosys.com Hyderabad Srinagesh Chatarajupalli Srinagesh_C@infosys.com Sudheer Reddy K. SudheerReddy_K@infosys.com Bhanu Prasad TV Venkata_Tolety@infosys.com Prem Prakash Dayal Prem_Dayal@infosys.com Mangalore Kavya Gopi Kavya_Gopi@infosys.com Mysore Vani K N Vani_kn@infosys.com Pavithra Urs Pavithra_Urs@infosys.com Pune Soudamini Patil Soudamini_Patil@infosys.com Swapnil Diwakar Pande Swapnil_Pande01@infosys.com Anil Kumar Sivakumaran Anilkumar_S05@infosys.com Trivandrum Hari S. Hari_S@infosys.com Begi Margret Begi_Margret@infosys.com Global Presence Americas Brazil: Nova Lima Canada: Calgary, Toronto Mexico: Monterrey United States: Atlanta, Bellevue, Bentonville, Bridgewater, Charlotte, Detroit, Fremont, Hartford, Houston, Lake Forest, Lisle, New York, Phoenix, Plano, Quincy, Reston APAC and Australia Australia: Brisbane, Docklands, Melbourne, Perth, Sydney China: Shanghai, Hangzhou Hong Kong: Central India: Bangalore, Bhubaneshwar, Chandigarh, Chennai, Gurgaon, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Mangalore, Mumbai, Mysore, New Delhi, Pune, Thiruvananthapuram Japan: Tokyo New Zealand: Wellington Philippines: Metro Manila Singapore: Singapore About Infosys Many of the worlds most successful organizations rely on Infosys to deliver measurable business value. Infosys provides business consulting, technology, engineering and outsourcing services to help clients in over 30 countries build tomorrows enterprise. For more information about Infosys (NASDAQ:INFY), visit www.infosys.com Europe Belgium: Brussels Czech Republic: Brno, Prague Denmark: Copenhagen Finland: Helsinki France: Paris Germany: Frankfurt, Stuttgart, Walldor Ireland: Dublin Italy: Milano Norway: Oslo. Polanad: Lodz Spain: Madrid Sweden: Stockholm Switzerland: Geneva, Zurich The Netherlands: Amsterdam United Kingdom (UK): London Middle East and Africa Kingdom of Saudi Arabia: Riyadh Mauritius: Reduit UAE: Dubai, Sharjah For more information, contact askus@infosys.com www.infosys.com 2012 Infosys Limited, Bangalore, India. Infosys believes the information in this publication is accurate as of its publication date: such information is subject to change without notice. Infosys acknowledges the proprietary rights of the trademarks and product names of other companies mentioned in this document. Visit us http://campusconnect.infosys.com