TN to spend Rs 2,877 crore to transform 71 ITIs

Seventy-one government Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) in Tamil Nadu will be transformed into Technology Centres at a cost of Rs 2,877 crore to train students in robotics, industrial automation, manufacturing process control, and mechanic electric vehicle among other fields to meet the standards of Industry 4.O.

The Department of Employment and Training (DET) and Pune-based Tata Technologies signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the above-mentioned purpose on Tuesday in the presence of Chief Minister M K Stalin.

The decision to upgrade the ITIs into Technology Centres was taken to introduce new skills and modules to keep the education system relevant to current and future technology trends after it was found that students graduating from ITIs lack skills that are required by the industry.

Besides ITI students, the technology centres will also train students from the engineering stream, private ITIs and workers from the Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) who need skill upgradation.

A senior government official said the government will invest Rs 2,877 crore in upgrading the ITIs and equipping them with the necessary apparatus and spare parts to give hands-on training to the students. “We believe training in fields like robotics and advanced manufacturing will help students get placed in some of the best companies. Industrial training is very vital these days,” the official added.

Small Industries Promotion Corporation of Tamil Nadu (SIPCOT) is also building an industrial innovation hub in Hosur, just outside Bengaluru, to train students and workers in Industry 4.0. The facility is ready to open anytime following which companies can use them to train their employees.

The students will be trained in robotics, industrial automation, manufacturing process control, advanced manufacturing, mechanical electric vehicle, internet of things, auto electrical maintenance, advanced machining (mill, and CNC lathe), advanced welding, and advanced painting technology, and advanced plumbing among other courses.

The official said the government wants to upgrade the skills of students in the state to enable them land in better jobs. “Tamil Nadu is emerging as a hub for electric vehicles and other sunrise sectors. If we equip our students in these fields, it will be a win-win situation for us as lakhs of youngsters can get employment,” the official added.

Welcoming the TN government’s move to rope-in private players to impart necessary Employable skill training for students, K E Raghunathan, Convenor of the Consortium of Indian Associations (CIA) asked the administration to be more aggressive in bringing investors and industries from the manufacturing sector into Tamil Nadu at the earliest for creating job opportunities.

“This MoU is a step in the right direction. This should be followed up with the setting up of more industries in the state and only then we can see the fruits of such training in the next few years. While the government has rightly realized the need for employable skill training, it should ensure the employment of those trained by bringing more employers,” Raghunathan told DH.