Is Information Technology (IT) Education Industry-relevant and Gender-inclusive?: Perspectives from Andhra Pradesh, India

Abstract

Industry reports show that fresh engineering and non engineering graduates from universities are not readily employable. The Government-owned Andhra Pradesh Information Technology Academy (APITA) seeks to equip graduates from the state's degree and engineering colleges with industry-relevant skill sets for gainful employment. This study describes the activities of APITA, and empirically examines two questions: (1) Do students from colleges affiliated to APITA command higher salaries as compared to students from colleges not affiliated to APITA? (2) Do women graduates receive starting salaries that are lower than their male counterparts? Using data from placements conducted by APITA for the state's students in the year 2017-18, the study finds that that the job market signals the higher quality of APITA-trained students by offering them higher salaries as compared to those students from colleges that are not APITA affiliates. The study also shows that there is a wage premium attributable to the female gender, insofar as entry level salary levels is concerned. Drawing from this empirical evidence, the study further highlights the deficiencies in information technology education in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh with reference to industry requirements, and gender inclusiveness. The constraints faced by APITA, and its future role in addressing the deficiencies noted are discussed, along with managerial implications.