This is why engineering students are looking for ‘extra’ digital courses

• More students with a major in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) are opting for online courses in non-technical subjects.
  
• Digital marketing has been the most popular online course among STEM students — accounting for almost half of the total enrollments.
  
• This is followed by business communication, advanced Excel training and trading certifications, according to online learning platform Internshala.

As India moves to digital technologies, more students with a major in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) are opting for online courses in non-technical subjects.

According to the online training platform Internshala, digital marketing has been the most popular online course among STEM students — accounting for almost half of the total enrollments. This is followed by business communication, advanced Excel training and trading certifications.

This transition may be attributed to the prevailing unemployment crisis in the country and lack of domain-specific skills needed for technical job roles. It also explains why students are moving towards managerial and creative skills to land a non-technical job.

“As the supply of engineering students is much higher than their demand, it becomes extremely difficult for them to find a suitable job. As a result, students find their comfort in digital marketing training as there are endless opportunities for them in this field,” it added.

These non-technical jobs include content managers, strategists, editors, SEO specialists, email marketing specialists, analysts, AI specialists, digital marketing managers and directors. However, the role it varies as per the candidate’s experience level.

“Digital marketers are expected to have job-specific skills like analytical rigour, strategy making, problem-solving, and technological competency,” Internshala said.

Interestingly, three in four students pursuing non-technical skills belong to engineering background.

“Engineering graduates during their coursework acquire all of these skills and with their strong technical and mathematical skills, they produce exceptional results while working as digital marketers. Earlier, digital marketers were expected to plan and execute creative campaigns, but today in addition to creativity, professionals need to be data-driven too,” Internshala said.

While a third of them enroll in online training to land an internship or job, nearly 45% of these students plan to gain new skills.

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