Sherlocks Of The Ledger & Other Trades

Educators & therapists for people with special needs

There was a time when they were referred to as “handicapped” and shielded away from public view. But times are changing, for the better thankfully, for people with special needs. To better understand the needs of this diverse set of human beings, as well as help them get into the mainstream, special educators are increasingly in demand. There’s huge potential here: 5,00,000 educators are currently needed in the country, but only about 40,000 of them are actually around. “Special educators are important today when there’s talk of inclusive education, more so with the right to education,” says Poonam Natarajan, chairperson of the National Trust for the Welfare of Persons with Autism, Cerebral Palsy, Mental Retardation & Multiple Disabilities. Another niche profession in this category is that of therapists who use music, dance and art to help those with mental and other disabilities. “Music therapy is now considered a paramedical intervention; people with special needs do not have to suffer in silence any more,” says T.V. Sairam, head of the Chennai-based Nada Centre for Music Therapy, which trains music therapists.

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)

Large corporate houses used to spend some of their money opening the occasional school, temple or hospital. Now, as corporate India turns out better numbers than say ten years back, the need to connect with customers, potential and existing—as well as to project an image of being morally, ethically responsible and involved with the community—has increased. It’s not surprising that CSR is the buzzword at a time when governance issues are at the forefront. Most csr professionals now work for several causes—water, conservation, education, healthcare, funding ngos and so on. While some are part of a communications team, several organisations now have dedicated teams that handle only csr. A degree in social work or related fields usually ensures entry into the profession.

Carbon emissions auditors

If the world ever mitigates the threat of global warming, part of the credit will go to the growing breed of carbon emissions auditors. These are people who identify and quantify the direct and indirect greenhouse gas emissions in any manufacturing process. They help businesses identify and improve manufacturing and other processes to cut down on carbon and other greenhouse emissions. “This job requires a specific skill set,” says Sudipta Das, a partner heading the climate change solutions programme at Ernst & Young. Such a job requires a high level of understanding of manufacturing processes and therefore needs a strong background in analytics, physical sciences and, most importantly, engineering. Qualified carbon auditors have a high demand among consulting and auditing firms that run climate change programmes and even among a growing number of manufacturing units, which are increasingly hiring such experts. “Looking at the voluntary carbon intensity reduction targets that India has set for itself, this profession is likely to witness one of the fastest growth rates,” says Das.

Forensic Accountants

The Satyam scandal made it amply clear that anyone and everyone is capable of fraud. Stung into action, corporate India is shoring up its fraud investigation teams (sometimes headed by finance or legal people) by hiring specialist forensic accountants. Anything from customer- to client- to employee-fraud is scrutinised on a daily basis with the aid of complex IT tools. There are further niches, like misconduct investigation, fraud-loss management, anti-money laundering services and pre-employment screenings. The icai offers a certificate course in forensic accounting and fraud detection, as do a couple of recognised institutes in the US. You don’t necessarily have to be a CA to be a forensic accountant; but you do need to be on high alert all the time.

Nutritional therapists

Some believe they will be the “doctors of the future”. With patients reporting increasing and debilitating side-effects of allopathic medicine, there is a growing demand for alternative cures. Nutritional therapists—who treat people with food and dietary supplements—are now filling this gap. While there are few places where one can study nutritional therapy in India, there are many courses in the US and the UK where one can expect to be taught human physiology and the effect on humans of food, nutrients (vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals) and so-called “anti-nutrients” (pollution, pesticides, stress). Other common problems that can be treated using nutritional therapy are obesity, high cholesterol and blood pressure levels and Type-II diabetes.

Casting Directors

The film and TV world is moving towards greater professionalism, thanks to younger directors and organised film financing. More production houses have experts who look at casting for films and TV projects for extras, second leads and in some cases even lead roles. Instead of arbitrary decisions regarding the cast, today the process works with auditions, readings and ensuring that the ‘right’ people get a call back. While casting agents play a specialised role in Hollywood and are qualified as such, in India, people have either evolved into this role or have a general degree from a film or media school.

Cultural managers

Corporate support of art and culture is skyrocketing. Being savvy in art, appreciation of music, theatre and/or film is now considered the hallmark of a well-rounded manager. That’s why cultural management is a booming field—and the breed once called “culture vultures” is suddenly in big demand. It could be managers looking after specific cultural events—like organising film festivals, drama or a music show. Or students with art appreciation degrees joining companies or galleries as curators or to advise clients on art investments. Indeed, people with specific interests in art and culture are increasingly finding a role in interfacing between artists, galleries, theatres, companies and organisers of events and shows.