T.N. Skill Development Corporation enhances students’ skills with hackathons

by · The Hindu

The Tamil Nadu Skill Development Corporation (TNSDC) has been betting big on hackathons, leveraging their potential to foster problem-solving abilities and enhance critical thinking skills among students.

Discussions are under way with industry partners to explore the possibility of organising recruitment-focused hackathons. “The Gen Z thinks very differently – their processing skills are unique. When a challenge is presented, they are enthusiastic. Today’s generation is eager for challenges and, when they gain a new perspective, it could lead to the creation of a start-up,” J. Innocent Divya, Managing Director, TNSDC, said.

“We have made hackathons mandatory for every subject, under the Naan Mudhalvan scheme. This semester, we requested that every training provider and industry partner organise a hackathon for each course. It turned out to be successful in arts and science colleges; now, we will implement it in engineering colleges as well,” she said.

Distinct feature

Another distinct feature of this initiative is that, instead of cash prizes, students who win these hackathons are given free access to valuable courses and internship opportunities with top companies.

For instance, digital design courses worth ₹30,000 for eight months (online mode), Web and UI/UX courses worth ₹20,000 (for 4 months) are being offered to the winners. “The awards should be in the form of skill development,” Ms. Divya said.

According to data shared by TNSDC, 1,61,226 students participated in these hackathons, with 5,475 students advancing to the finals. A total of 802 arts and science colleges took part in the hackathon. “We are also asking industries to explore the possibility of this being a a model of hiring,” Ms. Divya added.

Google AI initiative

To a query on the Google AI initiative, Ms. Divya said that it would commence in January 2025. “In the first phase, around 10,000 students from government engineering colleges will benefit,” she said, adding that any student can take up this course. It is a 10-hour learning programme, and the participants will receive a Google certification upon completion.

Published - November 25, 2024 12:22 am IST