Abstract

The case ‘Masai School’s Skilling Platform: Bridging the Skills Gaps in the Indian IT Industry?’ focuses on the coding bootcamp organized by Masai School in full stack web development, Android development, and software development for unemployed students from Tier 2 and 3 engineering colleges as well as students from non-computer science backgrounds. The initiative aimed to bridge the skill gap that existed between what students were trained for and what the companies required in India. The primary target segment was students from economically weaker sections and non-computer science graduates from Tier 2 and 3 cities. The case touches upon the prevailing pain points of IT recruiters in India and the need for courses that were relevant and made students industry ready and the establishment of alternative education companies that focused on bridging the skill gap. The case describes the unique teaching pedagogy at the school based on mastery-based progression. The case then describes the eligibility criteria for students and the types of courses that Masai School offered for both full-timers and part-timers based on the Income Share Agreement model. The case then focuses on the various student support programs offered at Masai School, including fee payment options and monthly allowance through the Glide Program, which offered the top 5 full-time students a living allowance of INR15,000 per month. The case focuses on the partnerships that Masai School had with various start-ups and established companies and how the industry acknowledged the quality of the programs offered by Masai School with nearly 88% placements with an average package of INR6.61 lakh per annum. The case ends with a brief look at the coding bootcamp market and how Masai School also planned to expand its course offerings to other technologies and establish more study centers across India and increase teaching staff strength to become a leading player in this niche market.

Learning Objectives

The case is structured to achieve the following Learning Objectives:

• Understand the benefits of relevant industry-ready IT skills
• Learn about alternative education service providers
• Examine the importance of learning methodologies to train individuals
• Become aware of the Income Share Agreement based business model
• Understand the benefits of student support programs to encourage underprivileged learners

Keywords

E-learning; Training & Development; Methods of Learning; Skill Development; Learning Platform; Digital platform; Role of Trainers; Training Needs Assessment; Sources of Recruitment; Business Model; Human Resource Planning; Staffing