According to the latest TeamLease report on jobs and salaries, while salary growth is almost stagnant or even negative given the situation created by the pandemic, the increment for some of the “super-specialised” profiles can go beyond 15%.

Information technology (IT) companies and technology startups are among the sectors that are offering salary hikes upwards of 10% to specialised skills in digital.

Since April, 50,000 learners have signed up for programs in emerging tech like AI, machine learning, and cyber security at edtech company Great Learning. Similarly, Jigsaw Academy has seen over 5,000 professionals enrol in their specialised technology courses since April.

“With companies moving towards a more data-driven approach, paired with digitally-agile operations and automation, those skilled in emerging technologies practically have recession-proof careers,” said Gaurav Vohra, cofounder and CEO, Jigsaw Academy.

For those skilled in emerging technologies, the increase in salary can move upwards of 20% to as much as 100%, Vohra said. “Future-ready skills don’t just provide secure careers, but also enable innovation and transformation in the industry.”

In last three months, enterprise IT training provider SpringPeople has seen a 200% annual increase in people registering for their courses in emerging technologies. For AI and ML courses, there were over 3,000 takers while for cyber security, the number was upwards of 3,000 people taking the course.

“Nearly 95% of our learners report that they have received significant gains post learning with us. This can be promotion, salary hike, or recognition in their teams and organizations” said Ravi Kaklasaria, founder and CEO, SpringPeople.

“Training in emerging tech is not only going to be an asset but a necessity. Employees should equip themselves to survive in a world that is going to be increasingly automated, connected, and optimized through human-machine collaboration,” Kaklasaria added.

Apart from experienced people, freshers are also making a beeline to take up specialised courses so that they are hired at high salaries by potential employers and also not left out when increments are rolled in.

Out of the total enrolments in Great Learning, close to 60% would be fresh graduates and students. “Those who complete our program can get a salary hike between 30-50%,” said Hari Krishnan Nair, cofounder, Great Learning.

Even at Jigsaw Academy, freshers accounted for the maximum registrations and contributed to 80% of the total enrollments, indicating that demand for skills in emerging technologies are beginning early on.

“I completed Google Cloud Fundamentals and Kubernetes training with SpringPeople. The training will help me to clear my Google Professional Architect certification and upskill my career as a Google Cloud Architect,” said Akilandeswari Ramadoss, program manager, Tata Communications.