UST Global spearheads drive to improve management capability in the workforce

IT firm sponsors MBA degree for underprivileged students in the city

Trivandrum - July 21, 2011 -- UST Global, a California based multinational company operating in the IT Services and Consulting space has unveiled a novel Continuing Education initiative targeting management capability development for the IT workforce. The UST MBA Program is a fully online Management Education Program customized for the new age IT professional, and is powered by India’s first online learning services provider Max Value Univ® in partnership with the Bharathiar University. As an extension of the program, several deserving students from various institutions in the state will be provided an opportunity to earn an MBA degree fully sponsored by UST Global. The program was inaugurated today at the Travancore Hall in Technopark, Trivandrum, in the presence of eminent personalities like Prof. M J Xavier (Director, IIM Ranchi), Anita Nair (renowned author, winner of Orange Prize and FLO FICCI Women Achievers’ Award for Literature) and Dr P V John (National record holder for being the most professionally qualified individual in India). After the ceremonial lamp was lit by the guests and the senior leaders of UST Global, admission tokens were handed over to the students of the inaugural batch. Niketh Sundar, Global Head HR said “Continuous learning is the most powerful trigger for complete employee engagement, which in turn translates to organizational performance. Corporations like ours can open the windows for learning to the associates through programs such as this one, and it is up to them to create the “pull” and gain the maximum in today’s technologically advanced world.” Anita Nair delivered the keynote address, in which she emphasized that a management degree has so much more to offer than just being a stepping stone up the corporate ladder. Recalling her days as an advertising professional she said, “The true worth of a degree lies not in whether it helps you grow in the corporate ladder or takes you into the upper echelons of a company, but how it helps you open up your mind and helps you understand the world you are a part of”. Prof. MJ Xavier, Director of IIM Ranchi who then took the stage, cautioned that a management degree shouldn’t be seen as recognition of omnipotent knowledge. Considering the massive population of India and the limited learning resources available, he foresees that using technology to democratize learning is the best way forward. This was followed by a symposium on ‘Corporate Responses to Management Learning’, which was facilitated by Austin PM, CEO of Max Value Univ® and himself an alumnus of IIM Bangalore. Dr PV John, a finance professional who also holds several other professional qualifications then spoke, explaining how he braved poverty and other grave challenges to reach this level and advised the audience from experience that anything is possible with sheer determination. Harish Parameswaran, Director of HR at UST Global endorsed the idea of online learning from a corporate standpoint and made it clear that organizations like UST Global wouldn’t be worried about increased attrition as a result of employees acquiring new skills through such programs. On the contrary, the program signifies the commitment of the organization towards inculcating a habit of learning in each employee. A consensus was reached about the necessity for democratization of learning and that online social networking will ensure there is good communication amongst the students even in the modern forms of learning. In the first phase, the UST MBA Program covers around 500 employees selected from the offshore centers of UST Global, offering them a chance to earn their MBA degree without a break in their career. The company will bear the entire expense of the program for its employees, and will also sponsor several students handpicked from the economically backward sections of the society to pursue higher education and gain a management degree through the same program.

About UST Global® UST Global® is a NEXT-Gen IT services and solutions provider focused on the Global 2000 market. Headquartered in Aliso Viejo, California and London, England, it provides IT and business process outsourcing services through its state-of-the-art centers in India, Chile, and the Philippines. UST clients get the advantages of its highly efficient Global Engagement Model; a seamless blend of expertise from locally based senior resources with the productivity, cost, scale, and quality of its offshore teams. Since its inception in 1999, UST Global has grown to over 7,000 employees and has been recognized for an unmatched focus on its clients and for its "Commitment beyond Contract." It follows a philosophy of "fewer CLIENTS, more ATTENTION" to be able to service each of its customers individually. For more information visit: www.ust-global.com