CHAPTER 3: TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT

3.1: Training Need Identification

A Training Needs Analysis focuses on your organizational goals and objectives and then
figures out the tasks and people needed to get there. It gathers some baseline data about
where your employees are starting so that you can give them the tools they need to meet your
company's goals.
Training in the IT service industry is one of the essential functions that require focused
strategies and policies. The IT companies want to create corporate culture in training and
development in achieving organizational excellence.
TCS undertake Training Needs Assessment (TNA) process on regular basis. TNA means
searching out and discovering who in the organization needs to learn what and with what
priority. The questions that must be asked of people in an organization to identify learning
needs must begin with business plans and projects and ideas about strategic direction. TNA
requires a systematic approach to identify what the professionals of an IT service company
need to learn in order for the company to achieve its goals.
In most IT companies individual professionals have to develop their skill sets as and when
needed. In some companies, individual professionals participate in training programmes on
regular basis.
3.2 Programme Design for Training
Once training need is identified TCS further choses a training method which is in line with
the objective and the level as well as category of the participants.
Hence TCS conducts following programs:
 Open Ignite: TCS through ignite program try to create a skilled resource pool for the
IT industry. TCS Ignite is an intense learning program for young science graduates
who join Tata Consultancy Services. Today, TCS is the largest recruiter of fresh
science graduates in the country, and each year, thousands of the best and brightest
graduates join the TCS Ignite program. Candidates are selected through open learning
platform, called Open Ignite. Selected candidates are made part of a six month, state-
of-the-art learning program, where they are taught through various technology
enabled learning tools that makes learning fun. Students are exposed to various real
world projects, which ensure that they are job ready by the end of the program. On
completion of the training, associates are deployed in TCS client projects
 Initial Learning Program (ILP): The Initial Learning Program, the strongest and the
best assured grooming platform for all new recruits of TCS. The ILP aims to
transform fresh engineering graduates from diverse disciplines into software
professionals and to initiate them into the TCS way of life. The ILP model has
continuously evolved along with the changing needs of the business. Trainees are not
only introduced to various technologies, they are also provided with project delivery,
project management and business or life skills. The trainees are expected to maintain
a log of their daily learning, and this is periodically reviewed by their respective
 assessors. The trainees are required to attain a pre-defined readiness level for being
deployable to projects. Remedial programs are also offered for slow learners so that
they can catch up with the expectations. Everything that is learnt at ILP is a virtual
learning which is the most productive way of learning to trainees.
 Experience – TCS has over the years introduce various continuous learning
programs for its experienced professionals. This spans issues like business strategies,
project needs, and technology and business directions. Aside from meeting individual
aspirations, it also addresses the long term, short term and medium term needs of the
organisation.
 Enterprise Architects (EA): TCS learning and development team in collaboration
with Technology Excellence Group has designed the EA Star program that is aimed at
building Enterprise Architects. The program was created to cater to the increasing
demand for Enterprise Architects, and the demand for TOGAF certified professionals
in various project assignments. So far, over 700 employees have gone through the
program, enabling career progression for the associates and creating strong architect
community in TCS.
 Ambassador Corp: TCS Ambassador Corp is a leadership development program,
which prepares experienced employees for global sales roles. TCS’s Ambassador
Corps Programme focusses on critical business and communication skills and also
equips managers to tackle challenges posed by cultural diversity. It offers an
accelerated learning curve and trains managers to take their place on the global stage
from the day they land in the international marketplace.

 I Calms: TCS offers iCALMS (Integrated Competency and Learning Management

System) the sole repository of all learning activity in the organisation and the one-
stop-shop for all learning at TCS. It is a Competency Management tool which helps to
integrate the skills set required and manpower available at a point of time. It bridges
the gap between the existing competency and expected competency required for the
associates. These gaps are then addressed by learning modules designed to fulfil the
needs of the organisation.
 All Knowledge Management: Knowledge Management is concerned with creating
organisational environments for people to share, create and leverage knowledge for
innovation and competitive advantage. TCS has developed a web based Enterprise
wide Knowledge Management System known as Knowmax, which is available
globally to all TCS consultants.. KNOWMAX acts as a central knowledge bank for
all projects being executed by TCS and reduces cycle time.
 Books 24x7: An extensive, fully searchable web-based reference tool targeted to meet
the information needs of TCS employees. It offers a variety of ready-access titles that
cover a broad selection of subjects and topics.
 TCS Maitree: TCS Maitree encourages associates and their families to look upon
themselves as a part of TCS’ extended family. A number of non-work related
employee engagement initiatives such as fun events, sports, cultural activities and
volunteering for social causes are organized across the globe under its employee
engagement platform known as 'Maitree'. The culture of volunteering helps employee
bonding within the organization and reduces stress at work.
 Training as a part of CSR activity

 Impact through Empowerment: The guiding program of TCS’s CSR program is

‘Impact through Empowerment’. More than 25 women from three villages in the area
were taught to perform basic calculations and were made aware of issues like health
and hygiene.
 Affirmative Action Program: TCS Affirmative Action endeavours to ‘Improve the
employability of graduates’ from socially disadvantaged sections and other
underprivileged categories across India who are unable to get jobs due to lack of
communication skills, low confidence levels or other barriers unrelated to their
educational qualifications. A powerful, imaginative and interactive training program
has been devised by experienced trainers at TCS BPO which lasts for a total of 80-
100 hours over a period of around 15-20 days. Apart from providing education and
making youth more employable, the program also aims to provide employment
opportunities to those trained in TCS BPS. More than 30000 underprivileged young
graduates have been made employable under the program, since its launch in 2010.
 TCS Udaan: Project ‘Udaan’, is a joint and novel initiative by National Skill
Development Corporation (NSDC) - Government of India and Special Industry
Initiative (SII) to help Kashmir youth join the mainstream of corporate India. TCS has
been associated with the program since its inception and aims to train and create
employment opportunities for at least 850 youth from Jammu and Kashmir, over a 5
year period. The program covers the entire gamut of business skills like Business
English, Presentation Skills and builds competence in domain and process areas while
leveraging from innovative learning methodologies like games and movies. In
addition to this, the curriculum also includes life skills and performing arts like dance,
music and drama to enhance and enrich the overall personality of the participants.