The Indian education system has undergone a radical change over the last decade.
While significant efforts have been made to make education accessible, the core aspect missing from even Tier-I colleges is the necessary industry-connect. Majority of the private organisations, both large and small, claim that while graduates might possess theoretical knowledge, they tend to lack skills required to complement entry-level jobs.
There is a common misconception among young aspirants that to work at top tech companies such as Google and Facebook takes references. Many of them fail to understand that while access to opportunities in such places is an issue, the critical aspect to focus on is the aspirant's skills and aptitude. Unless they are technically sound and have the requisite knowledge, they are not likely to crack it even if they get to that stage. In their hurry to get to their destination, they often forget how difficult it is to have the right foundation.
The founders of up and coming ed-tech platform Scaler experienced this first hand when they started working in the tech recruitment space with their first venture InterviewBit in 2015. They realised that most people they engaged with could achieve much greater things given the right guidance. They figured that the only thing missing in the picture was access to the right environment, especially the lack of good instructors and mentors, who would not only teach them new skills but also guide them in their careers - which led to the launch of the company’s first-ever learning initiative - Scaler Academy back in April 2019.
Over the course of time, the Scaler brand has grown to include more, catering to various audiences including aspiring software engineering students and experienced software developers. They primarily focus on improving and fine-tuning software developers' proficiency, thereby helping them bridge the gap between student abilities and industry expectations.
The three courses are:
Scaler Edge
A college companion programme for pre-final year engineering students. The course offers two modules of 6 months each with the first one focusing on building essential career skills such as DSA, CS fundamentals, and interview test preparation support. The second module is a guided career capstone project that allows them a taste of the professional world.
Scaler Academy
Built for software professionals with 1-6 years of experience, the program primarily focuses on ensuring the participating engineers master the skills that come under the umbrella of Problem Solving & System Design. With mentors, teaching assistants and placement support, Academy is just the thing engineers need to accelerate their career.
Scaler Academy Plus
An immersive and intensive program for high performing software engineers looking to elevate themselves to tech leadership. One needs a minimum of six years experience to be eligible.
The courses' curriculum is designed based on interaction with recruiters and industry leaders, which helps Scaler understand what companies are looking for in candidates. Furthermore, they undertake admissions in batches to ensure personalised coaching and 1:1 mentoring. Program participants also get access to a wide range of career support services including sessions on soft skills, resume building activities, and mock interviews.
A salient aspect of all Scaler courses is that working professionals from top software companies across the globe including Amazon, Google, Facebook, Netflix and Twitter among others, act as instructors, teaching assistants, mentors and career coaches.
The growth has not gone unnoticed with Scaler by InterviewBit being backed by global venture capital firms such as Sequoia and Tiger Global. And with a host of Scaler Alumni talking about their experience and transformational journeys, the program has quietly kept growing. Whether they will change the country's tech learning landscape or not is still up for debate. They seem to have found a sweet spot that is working for them and their students for now. It is an ed-tech brand to watch out for.
