Wiley, a global leader in research and education, has announced a series of blended learning programs in India under the umbrella brand WileyNXT. The programs were designed in consultation with the Wiley Innovation Advisory Council (WIAC), a group consisting of senior industry leaders and academia. Certifications through WileyNXT will provide students and professionals with better access to new-tech jobs as well as expertise in critical thinking and problem-solving, which have been identified as major gaps for organisations.
WileyNXT will launch two programs for engineering graduates. The first is a three-month Accelerator Program targeted at final year students preparing for campus placements. The second is a four-year Integrated Program that will run parallel to the college curriculum and augment the university degree. This Integrated Program will be taught through a contextual learning model that draws on the student’s own experiences and will supplement the conceptual learning provided by the college. During both programs, engineering graduates will go through rigorous training in in-demand and future technologies as well as enhanced problem-solving, analytical and critical thinking skills. The four-year program will be free in the first year with students who qualify able to enrol in subsequent years for a nominal fee.
According to Dr. Sadagopan, Director, (President), IIIT Bangalore and Member WIAC, “The biggest challenge that the academia is facing today is the ever changing needs of the workplace. With the advent of new-age technologies like AI, RPA, Data Analytics or Machine Learning, it is the responsibility of both the academicians in the higher education segment and leading organisations to chart out a path that will lead to workable measures to skill our future workforce. So as part of WIAC that consists of representatives from both academia and industry, we are working towards making WileyNXT the next enabler to prepare the youth in these in demand technologies and minimise the existing skills-gap in India. The curriculum is structured in a way that it will enable the Wiley certified candidates to understand and solve business problems efficiently in addition to preparing them for evolving job roles.”
The WileyNXT four-year program will be available in three different modules – Java full stack, Machine Learning and Data Engineer. Features of this course include the WileyNXT self-assessment credit system, live assessment, e-book library from Wiley’s range of best sellers, respective simulators for each program and over 500 business problems for students to use.
“India is going through a serious talent deficit problem following the onset of industry 4.0. The India Skills Report 2019 states engineers are the most in demand at 57.09% with Karnataka ranked 7th in terms of employability index. It is time to enhance college education with skills-based programs to make students future ready and increase their learnability quotient”, said Managing Director of Wiley India, Vikas Gupta. “WileyNXT offers world-class content from Wiley authors and is endorsed by more than 50 leading organisations ensuring that it aligns with industry needs. It harnesses new technologies and enriches the learning experience providing students with the skills necessary to excel in their future careers”.