LTIMindtree issues clarification to placement heads amid mandatory training row

“With the purpose of better utilising the wait time for onboarding, we are pleased to bring LTIMindtree’s Learning and Training Programme IGNITE to left-shift the overall training curriculum,” read the mail which ET has seen. “The programme facilitates a unique opportunity to sharpen and acquire skills required for transitioning into the corporate world of technology solutions.”

The company said it is currently in the silent period ahead of its earnings announcement on April 27, and hence will not be commenting.

“Students with 60% or above in all three milestones will be considered to be successful in the IGNITE programme and will be considered for onboarding in batches based on business demand,” the mail further added.

Over the last week, LTIMindtree made its IGNITE training programme and assessment tests mandatory for select freshers, mainly those who were awarded offers by erstwhile Mindtree and are awaiting onboarding, to keep their current offers valid.

ET reported on April 9 that the Mumbai-headquartered firm has also instructed the freshers to accept the option by next week. If they reject the option or fail to give a response, it would mean the offer of training and subsequent employment will stand auto cancelled.

IT union Nascent IT Employees Senate (NITES) condemned this latest justification mail provided by LTIMindtree. “We believe the company’s attempt to cover up their unethical practices is unacceptable, and we stand in solidarity with the freshers in their criticism of the programme,” said Harpreet Saluja, president of the union.

LTIMindtree’s statement comes at a time when some engineering graduates of batches 2022 and even 2021 are to be onboarded by IT companies, which are facing a demand slowdown.

Labour unions told ET earlier that the numbers could be in thousands and the issue is more acute in certain companies. Some candidates have taken to Twitter to highlight their woes. Most companies, however, said all the offers made to campus hires will be honoured.

ET had also earlier reported that the tapering of post-pandemic demand surge and cooling off of attrition at Indian IT firms are resulting in fewer campus offers at colleges for 2023 batch graduates, up to 30% lower in certain colleges.