“It feels like years since I’ve woken up late on a Sunday!” says Akash K., 28, single and a second generation entrepreneur. “My friends wonder why I don’t party on Saturday nights anymore. They don’t realize that Sundays are the most challenging days of the week for me”.
Most budding professionals look forward to the weekend as a welcome break from the stress and grind of their manic work life, choosing to spend quality time with family, catching up on personal errands, heading off to malls and markets or just sleeping.
Limited time availability makes it difficult to manage this during the week. However, some executives and entrepreneurs are keen on turning this disadvantage into an excellent opportunity to further develop their skill sets and boost their careers. Weekends become the most productive and future focused days of the week for them. If you’re wondering how, it is through Executive Education Centers that offer programs tailor-made for the weekday-busy professional.
Part-time MBA programs have been around for decades and have proven very popular amongst working executives. Many management institutes in Mumbai offer part-time programs affiliated with the Mumbai University. These programs are usually of three years’ duration, with a course schedule that sees students attending classes on weekday evenings after their work hours.
With ever increasing responsibilities at work, the 9-to-5 workday culture is long gone, making it nearly impossible for executives to attend MBA classes every evening. With the speed at which careers are moving today, many feel that three years is too much time to invest in a much-needed Master’s qualification. Distance Education programs are a popular choice for executives who feel the need to add to their qualifications. However, many graduates have realized that employers give little value to these degrees, especially when there are candidates with full-time MBA degrees waiting in line.
This is where EEC comes into the picture. Empathizing with the lifestyle of today’s working professionals; Business schools have realized that a faster but equally intensive Executive Masters program was a much sought-after solution. Consequently, Executive Education Centers started offering its students the choice of a weekend class schedule for its Executive Masters programs. Students could choose to attend classes on Saturdays and Sundays rather than during the week. This format proved so convenient that within a year all new batches were following the weekend format.
Today, EEC offers some of the most popular choices for part-time executive education in Mumbai. The numbers speak volumes about the success of the program, with over 2,000 students currently enrolled in weekend programs at its 11 centers, spread across Mumbai and Navi Mumbai. The focus is very clear and simple with a view to give working professionals a competitive advantage over their peers who do not have a Masters qualification.
All efforts are concentrated towards enhancing the productivity of the schedule for working professionals. The entire infrastructure of EEC is designed around the Weekend Education Programs and this is evidence to the thought put into meeting a very essential need that of saving time.
Convenient travel from home or work is a big perk: “Earlier we had just one campus in Mumbai and students living far from it would have to travel for hours to attend their classes. But we realized that since our sole purpose is time-saving we have to be located closer to our clients’ offices or homes. So we started looking at centre locations that would be more convenient,” said Mr. Rajesh Pillai. The Executive Education Centers are now has active in top locations such as Sion, Matunga, Churchgate, Marine Lines, Malad, Vile Parle, Dombivili, Chembur, Vashi and Kharghar.
There is a 24-month Masters Program in Business Administration, which is for young professionals and a 16-month program for experienced professionals. This distinction allows the faculties to design and deliver the right level of education to their students. Young executives having less than 3 years of work experience need a good grounding in business fundamentals and concepts. Older executives bring in a wealth of experience to the classroom and require more advanced, exploratory learning, the faculties are capable of adapting the course content and subject coverage based on the age and experience of the batch.
Students believe that the programs offered are very rewarding and worth the time they spend on it. Many new candidates take up the course through the reference of their colleagues or friends who are already studying!
EEC’s centers and classrooms are well-equipped for modern teaching methods using LCD projectors and other A/V equipment. All students get top-of-the-line Acer laptops along with their book-kits. All this technology really comes to the forefront when students have group assignments and projects. With a busy work-week ahead of them, most students meet virtually, over chat-rooms and email, to work on their group projects.
Stressing on the benefits of the Executive MBA, Career progression is the main objective but students experience greater benefits. The professional and social networking possibility is a big bonus. Many students find their next jobs, business deals and even start new ventures while they’re enrolled with us. Most of the students are able to move up to management positions in their organizations within a year of completing of such programs.
Weekends have now become the most productive days of the week for many working professionals who realize the need to get qualified, gain an edge and get hired.
For more information about Executive Education Center (EEC) and to choose a program that’s right for you, Log on to itm.edu or contact the center Toll-free at 1-800-22-9727
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