The directorate of technical education has submitted a proposal to the Maharashtra government for permission to set up finishing schools in engineering colleges. Also, Dale Carnegie Training, a US-based soft skills institute, plans to open a finishing school in Pune.

"We have inputs from the industry that students from our engineering and polytechnic colleges don't have the required (soft) skills," said N.B. Pasalkar, the head of the technical edu- cation directorate. "But we can't change the course content as each industry has different needs and expectations."

So the industries would have the liberty to approach colleges with their requirements, following which a training programme would be designed. "The approval should come by December:" Pasalkar said. "If companies don't pay for training, students may have to pay".

The Dale Carnegie finishing schooling would be an option for non-engineering graduates.

"We are working on a proposal for Maharashtra. We are not focusing on one industry. It's for all graduates," said Sanjay Jha, executive director, Dale Carnegie. "The school should open next academic year".

The four month course will cost around Rs 50,000.

The finishing schools will train on personality development, presentation, communication and leadership skills as well as customer relationship management.

The National Association of Software and Services Companies had said of the 4 lakh engineers and 3 million graduates that come out of Indian colleges annually, just 25 per cent engineering graduates and 10 per cent non-engmeermg ones are employable.