Latest news with #Reshuffle
The Hindu
a day ago
- Business
- The Hindu
Why India's IT layoffs expose a skills crisis—and how academia must reinvent itself for the AI era
Recent waves of job losses in India's IT sector—impacting fresh graduates and mid-level professionals alike—have brought the spotlight on a systemic issue: the gap between changing AI technology with experience-based business model demands and the current skill levels of professionals in the industry. While up-skilling spends by tech companies have significantly spiked as they rush to prepare a new pool of AI talent for the future, those without the requisite skills are being shown the door. This talent shortfall underscores the necessity for academia to evolve beyond traditional teaching and assessment frameworks and align tightly with workplace realities. Sangeet Pal Choudhary, in his recent book, 'Reshuffle', brilliantly argues AI's best value lies in capturing entire workflows rather than just automating individual tasks. This presents a unique business model advantage, enabling companies to charge for performance and outcomes rather than products. It's no wonder, hence, that IT contracts are moving to an Experience Level Agreement (XLA), a framework that prioritizes the user's work-ready experience and the ability to drive outcomes over backend technical metrics. Too many graduates arrive in the workforce unprepared—not just on the latest programming language, but unable to collaborate, communicate, or solve open-ended problems. Universities still measure credit hours and exam scores, not presentation skills, GitHub portfolios, or shipped products. First-principle skills, not legacy learning Industry's shift from Service Level Agreements (SLAs) to XLAs is grounded in first principle thinking—questioning what is truly essential. Elon Musk's SpaceX famously slashed launch costs by breaking rockets down to material and manufacturing, disregarding legacy assumptions. Education must do the same. Instead of 'four years plus electives,' what's needed is the cost of acquiring real skills and validating them under stress. We are at a stage when pharmaceutical giants now ask for graduates already fluent in Julia and molecular modelling on day one—because XLAs demand that new hires actively contribute to R&D pipelines immediately, not after six months of onboarding. The traditional 'major in computer science, minor in bioinformatics' doesn't work unless the student knows the domain's tech stack and can reason through molecular behaviour with first-principle modelling. The same is true for other emerging technology areas such as Virtual Reality, where Rust and Unity hold the reins. Real-world competitions offer the blueprint. In events like Micromouse, teens build robots that must navigate mazes, handle embedded code, and balance mechanical design—all judged on working solutions, not just theoretical diagrams. Here, failure is instructive, benchmarking is immediate, and systems thinking (problem decomposition, optimisation, interdisciplinary teamwork) becomes the backbone of learning. The blueprint: Back-to-back XLAs with academia Forward-thinking companies now demand 'back-to-back' XLAs from academic partners: if the hiring contract requires new employees to deploy machine learning models in production, the university must guarantee students graduate with those skills verified—through real project delivery, live portfolio reviews, and skills testing at age 16, 17, and 18, not just at graduation. GitHub commits matter more than GPAs; hackathon wins count more than exam scores. Universities that endure will become living talent accelerators, tied directly—via modular courses, competitive benchmarking, and industry rotations—to evolving business needs. Faculty will mix academics and practitioners. Assessment will track outcomes delivered in the workplace, echoed by XLA metrics: how fast a new hire becomes productive, how well teams collaborate, and how deftly they solve first-principle problems. The alternative? Bootcamps, online academies, and corporate training centres will become the true pipeline for emerging fields. Academia will only remain relevant if it ditches legacy activities for outcome-focused, skill-validated, XLA-inspired learning—starting today.
Scotsman
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Scotsman
My Festival: Frisky: ‘Should Like A Virgin be performed as a thrash metal song?'
Cabaret queen, 'non-stop show pony' and one half of Fringe veterans Frisky & Mannish on reinterpreting Madonna as thrash metal and the dangers of performing under the influence of cold and flu medication Sign up to our Arts and Culture newsletter, get the latest news and reviews from our specialist arts writers Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... There are thousands of shows in Edinburgh this month. Please tell us why we should come and see yours. Being (dare I say) middle-aged, I've not only seen, but also performed around a million shows, at the Fringe and all over the world. I've been a non-stop show pony since I first tottered up Leith Walk in full drag in 2008. So why see my Fringe show? Because I know what makes a good one. You're in experienced hands, friends. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad What will we learn from your show that we didn't know before? Frisky's Reshuffle is a great big musical play date – we have some songs, and you tell us how to play and sing them. Or we have some styles, and you tell us what song we should do. And in the end we learn that joy doesn't come from perfection, but from taking risks, leaping off the edge, and generally being a joyful idiot. And if you want to do some leaping yourself, there's the chance to do that with me in the show – so it's very possible that you'll learn things about yourself that you didn't know before. And if not, we'll learn whether or not Like A Virgin should ever be performed as a thrash metal song. Laura Corcoran aka Frisky | Contributed Who or what was the biggest inspiration for your show? My brother and I would pass the time around the piano as kids, playing musical theatre songs in ridiculous ways – the oom-cha I Dreamed A Dream was a particular favourite. He's now a West End Musical Director (about to set off on tour with Matilda – be sure to catch it in Edinburgh March 2026), and I am still doing basically the same thing. Some may recall the duo Frisky & Mannish, and yes, it's me off of that. That was very much in a similar vein, and we had an improvised section in our show last time we visited the Fringe. I just love when the audience gets to join in the game, and play with us, so that's very much what this show is. What's the best review you've ever had, and the worst? Frisky & Mannish were extremely blessed with great reviews (I think we were in the top 5 rated shows almost every year we performed at the Fringe, but no one likes a bragger), but my most memorable good review was probably the first I ever saw in print, when I was performing at the Fringe as a student in 2004. It was a fabulously shonky production of Guys & Dolls, and it read, 'Laura Corcoran, as Miss Adelaide, becomes the star.' I mean, who doesn't want to hear that they're a star?! Thank you, ThreeWeeks. And my worst review was from Melbourne Comedy Festival, I don't remember the exact wording, but it was something about Mannish being funnier than Frisky (not untrue, tbf) and, at a particularly vulnerable moment, my mum decided to read it to me over the phone. You can't beat a northern mum for keeping you humble. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Make sure you keep up to date with Arts and Culture news from across Scotland by signing up to our free newsletter here. Who or what are you most excited about seeing this year? I'm mostly looking forward to seeing my mates! Specifically Matthew Floyd Jones as Musical Director for Jess Robinson: Your Song (6.05pm, Assembly Piccolo, until 24 August); Kirsty Mann's work-in-progress follow-up to her 2024 smash Skeletons, called Corpse (11.40am, Summerhall, until 10 August); as well as all the fabulous cabaret and circus that's on, especially La Clique (6.30pm, The Famous Spiegeltent, until 24 August). Who do you most like spending time with in Edinburgh? Not to be too soppy, but I love spending time with my daughter at the festival. I never dived into kids theatre before having one of my own, and it's such a joy to discover it with her now. Some of the most beautiful, most creative, and stupidest shows I've seen are kids shows. There's also so much great stuff for kids in Edinburgh in general, the museums are fantastically accessible, and there are so many activities around. You can't get swallowed whole by the festival when you have your family with you, which I think is an excellent thing. You get to enjoy the fringe and the city through their eyes too. It's rather magical, actually. Tell us something about you that would surprise people. I now live in the middle of absolutely nowhere in France, doing the whole farmhouse renovation thing. So, when I'm not belting my wotsits off on stage in full glam, I'm in overalls sanding beams and painting windows. It's nowhere near as romantic as it sounds either, to be honest. I have many muscular complaints. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad What are the best and worst things that have happened to you at a festival? The best thing that happened to me at the Fringe, aside from launching my career and getting an amazing agent and a tour and all that fabulous stuff, was crossing the Meadows in costume, only to see my ex-boyfriend from when I was 16 walking the other way. We got about 10m away from each other, then both turned around, in disbelief. It was lovely to see him, and I looked stunning because of the six inches of make-up. Very unexpected, very satisfying. The worst thing was getting swine flu in 2009, and having to cancel shows right as we were having our moment. I got through the last couple with the help of Benylin and Sudafed, but I accidentally slightly overdosed the latter, which, it turns out, is basically speed. So if you saw the last shows of Frisky & Mannish in 2009, I was off my face. What's the first thing you do in the morning and the last thing you do at night? More often than not, I'm jumped on by a gorgeous six-year-old first thing in the morning, and I try to get in as many snuggles as I can before she whispers, extremely loudly and right in the ear-drum: 'LET'S GET OUT OF BED.' And last thing, I listen to an audiobook, right now it's Normal Women by Philippa Gregory, a fabulous run-down of the role of women throughout history. I highly recommend it, and if it doesn't turn you into a radical, inclusive feminist, nothing will. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Thanks for the interview! We'd like to buy you a drink. Where are we going and what are we drinking? We're going to a proper PUB! Living in France, I miss pubs more than I ever imagined. And we're having a pint of something local. Can't beat a local brew.
Scotsman
18-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Scotsman
Wait, don't I know you? Five debuts from performers you already know this Edinburgh Festival Fringe
Miss Frisky Yes, it is Frisky of Frisky and Mannish fame and yes it is solo Frisky this year as the Queen of pop-mash-parodic-stereophonic-vaudevillian-infotainment returns to the Edinburgh Fringe with her own band. Better still, the band are all Scottish based performers at the top of their game – what's not to love. Frisky promises the same quick quips and amazing three octaves of talent but places control into the hands of the audience. Frisky's Reshuffle is just that, a new playlist each night decided by yours truly. While Mannish aka Matthew Floyd Jones popped off to compose and provide musical direction for such smashes as Kathy and Stella Solve a Murder!, Frisky has been one of the most in demand cabaret emcees across London, with residencies around Europe and gigs the world over. Barnie Duncan But not as you know him. Cut DJ and calypso and soca expert Juan Vesuvius built up a following in the 2010s with Calypso Nights; Juan, Two and I am your Deejay, and in 2025, the man hiding under the samba sleeves, Barnie Duncan, steps onto the stage for his debut stand-up show. In the comic's surreal and subversive style, Oooky Pooky takes down the manosphere with playful, physical comedy as performed for NZ Prime Minster Jacinda Arden. Michael Elsener If you're a fan of a late-night Edinburgh Fringe line-up show, or Russel Howard, you will already know Michael. But, despite having the nickname 'the Swiss John Oliver' – this may be your introduction to the political comedian who asks if his secret Swiss recipe can save the world. Fresh from supporting Russell Howard on his European Tour and Winner of Best Solo Show at the Swiss Comedy Awards 2024, Michael Elsener holds the keys to paradise. Will you join him there? Jonny Woo Legendary East End London performer Jonny Woo heads to arts venue Summerhall with a new show, Surbubia, about his life growing up, the stories of queer elders who weren't afforded the respect they deserved. A return to his spoken word, storytelling and performance art roots, Suburbia brings audiences on a heady journey from the Medway suburbs, through the streets of New York and. And not shying away from how we usually see Jonny Woo, in Night at the Musicals with Le Gateau Chocolat or in a drag line up show - of course, there's a musical number or two. Dangerous Goods Just shy of 10 years ago, a cohort of incredible women took the festival by storm, selling out show after show with audiences meeting them across the city in their recognisable tracksuits sharing 'smash the patriarchy' moments with fans. They were Hot Brown Honey. The creative team behind Hot Brown Honey, including co-creator, director and performer Lisa Fa'alafi are back with Dangerous Goods. Hot Brown Honey conquered Glastonbury, the Southbank Centre London, Freedom Festival Hull and Dublin Fringe all from the initial outpouring of love they experienced at the Edinburgh Fringe. The co-directors Fa'alafi and Leah Shelton say: 'Depending on who you ask, different voices throughout history have been seen as dangerous. The systems that govern our everyday lives are often the ones defining this notion and we see it still today molding our opinions of each other.' This new show claims to be empowering, unapologetic, hot-as-hell cabaret. All tickets available now from 1 . Contributed Miss Frisky returns to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe with a new band and a her new Reshuffle show Photo: Submitted Photo Sales 2 . Contributed Jonny Woo returns to the Fringe, at arts venue Summerhall Photo: Submitted Photo Sales 3 . Contributed Michael Elsener is no stranger to the Fringe but this is his first one hour show How To Live In Paradise Photo: Submitted Photo Sales 4 . Contributed Miss Frisky is back at the Fringe and asks the audience to build a new show each night with her Photo: Submitted Photo Sales Related topics: QueenSummerhall
