Youths apathy for call centres on rise, Aviation & Retail new choices: ASSOCHAM

coupled with stringent working conditions and increasing switching over to newer promising areas of aviation, hospitality and retail. The BPO sector which is already encountering 25 to 30% attrition rate may face the toughest challenge of managing with 30 to 40% shortages of trained manpower in the next two years.

The aforesaid findings are highlights of a Paper prepared by ASSOCHAM on Urban Youths New Emerging Choices for Career Making.The paper also adds that aviation, hospitality and retail sectors are also currently experiencing shortages of workforce to an extent of 25-30%. This phenomenon has created abundant opportunities for urban youths in the identified sectors.

Releasing the Paper, the ASSOCHAM President, Mr. Venugopal N. Dhoot said a majority of 12th standard pass outs earlier seeking opportunities for livelihood in BPOs & Call Centres are now curious to join other leisurely yet attractive areas of animation, journalism, designing (apparel, jewellery), entertainment, besides aviation, hospitality and retail.

Factors influencing youngsters to explore their rising career graph in above identified areas comprise attractive and definite pay package with incentives as compared to Call Centres and BPOs. Secondly, working conditions and life style seem to be much more moderate and regulated in areas of aviation, hospitality, retail, animation and the like, added Mr. Dhoot.

The ASSOCHAM found that institutes running various call centres courses are facing the heat and are witnessing a shortfall of 15-20% students fall outs in their academic sessions. The institutes managing and running courses for ITeS were conveniently providing placements after imparting necessary skills and training to their students. Most of the institutes say that the trend is reversing against BPOs and call centres, particularly among those aspirants that come out after passing out their 12th standard.

The worse situation that has emerged for call centres and BPOs are that in a view to reduction in operating revenue margin, stiff competition within BPOs, call centres and BPOs are cutting their costs and exorbitant impact of it is falling directly on salary packages and facilities.

According to ASSOCHAM estimates, in Delhi and NCR alone over 250 institutions are imparting various training programs and courses in areas of aviation, hotel, retail management, animation, designing and journalism.
The aviation sector will be able to lure maximum students in view of domestic and overseas travel opportunities and is growing at a whooping 30% rate p.a. and will be able to create over 2 lakh jobs by 2012. The industry is expected to add 140 airliners to the current fleet of 270 airliners, which would create a large pool of skilled professionals especially for flight dispatchers, cabin crew, airline managers, airport managers etc.

Hotel management courses is the preferred choice of young students which provides them the scope to start its career from the leading five star hotel chains in all over the world. According to ASSOCHAM, in view of forthcoming Commonwealth Games, there are already 75 new hotel projects under various stages of development and in NCR alone, over 34 new hotels are coming up. Over 95,000 trained personnel are required by hotel industry in next 5-6 years for food and beverage, house keeping and front office, customer care etc.

With the Indian retail sectors focus is mainly concentrated in the metros and towns and is becoming a hub of international brands and apparels, apart from institutes, distance learning and deemed universities are also coming up with specialized courses in this sector. According to ASSOCHAM estimates, out of over 2 lakh jobs by 2012 in this sector, 40% jobs will be captured by the urban youths in next 2-3 years in a view to 250 malls will be developed by the real estate developers for the large retailers to display their products.

The entry of foreign news agencies and electronic media which also provides higher salary compared to ITeS and pharma sector and significant job opportunities at all levels, the youths are moving towards joining journalism courses especially the TV courses to start its career. FM radio boom in India has also thrown open a number of avenues for the young, energetic and enthusiastic and provides opportunity to work with passion and entertainment.