The confidence that prevails in the industry today was underlined by the confident numbers projected for the current and next fiscal by NASSCOM. In spite of sluggish economic recovery in the Western countries, the global technology spend is growing by 4 % and global sourcing by 10%, a clear reflection of the fact that IT budgets are rising and the cost and quality imperative are ensuring a renewed focus on offshore outsourcing. The projected growth in IT services revenues of over 22% with BPO predicted to show a more sedate growth of 14% and the rather conservative growth estimate of 18% for the next fiscal are all pointers to a period of prosperity that lies ahead. The new optimism reflects in hiring as well with over 240 thousand new additions expected to the industry headcount this year with a significantly higher percentage of freshers to keep the costs low. This shift in hiring patterns places a large onus on colleges and internal and third party training mechanisms to deliver quality consistently across the newer generations of students and academic institutions that would like to join the industry growth party. From this point of view it has been interesting to note the evolution in the methods of talent preparation and management in the last few quarters. The traditional model of selecting students from chosen campuses and then putting them through intensive training in the company is being supplemented and in many cases surpassed by new models. The most innovative of these is the “source and train” model where the skill requirements of the firm in a variety of areas are clearly spelt out to two or three high quality providers and tests designed to screen candidates provided by them. The providers are then authorised to act as ambassadors of the firm and required to fan out in new educational institutions and locations to identify candidates with aptitude and provide them intensive training in the desired skills as well as communications and other soft skills to make them worthy of employment in the firm. The “source and train” model which has been perfected by Global Talent Track, SEED Infotech and a handful of other providers is one of the rare virtuous cycles that provide value to all players in the eco-system. The firm benefits by substantially expanding the width and depth of its talent search and eliminating all recruitment and training costs associated with this portion of its hiring, the institutions benefit by providing placement to its students in companies which would hitherto not have come to campus, the students get access to their dream jobs and the providers of course add to their top lines and develop long terms partnerships with firms in the sector. There are many variants of the model emerging, which include centres of excellence provided by providers in engineering and technology colleges with projects drawn from industry partners and delivered to final year students to get them “industry ready” and pre-employment finishing schools in partnership with industry firms who participate in the student development process with guaranteed hiring preferences. The models are many but all are aligned to a common theme – to bring new recruits to industry who are ready to go and do not need industry investment in retraining. There is great hope that the appointment of TCS’s Ramadorai as the new skills czar for the Prime Minister will also provide the impetus that is so urgently required in the skill building apparatus across the country and ensure that we realise our demographic dividend. Can we expect that the eco-system will soon put its hand on heart and say “aall eezz well”?