TTTI, started in August 2007, is a residential institute which works towards the training of bright boys from schools across Karnataka.

Speaking to Deccan Herald, Principal Somanath said, “The industry is looking for a person who is flexible, focused and who can withstand a tough working environment”. He added that the training at the institute equipped students to face the challenges of the modern world.

The institute offers a three-year programme in four trades with an annual intake of 16 students each. The trade includes automobile welding, automobile assembly, automobile painting and plant maintenance (mechatronics). The programme is offered to financially poor students from rural Karnataka with the objective of making them employable.

The training centre consists of four workshops-cum-classrooms, an auditorium, four classrooms, a library and a computer room.  The students are provided accommodation in the dormitory on a twin-sharing basis.  The centre also has sports facilities consisting of a 400-metre running track, a gymnasium, a cricket ground, a football ground, a basket ball court and a facility for indoor games.

Admissions to the programme open in July and the students have to undergo three tests. The written test is based on the SSLC syllabus and includes questions from mathematics, science and English.  There is an aptitude test along with it and the question paper is provided both in English and Kannada.

The students are tested for their stamina and endurance for the nature of work expected from them.  They are also tested for basic skills (eg. motor stalls/ skill, eye-hand coordination, etc.) The candidates are interviewed with at least one parent. Selected candidates are then put through a medical test before their admission is confirmed.

TTTI does not charge any fee for the programme.  The students are given a stipend during the training (Rs.1800 per month during the first year to Rs. 2200 per month during the third year).  A student also receives an additional fellowship Rs.7000 per year if he secures more than 70% marks (Rs.9000 per year if he gets more than 80% marks) and displays the right attitude. The dormitory accommodation and the food bill are partially subsidised. Currently, a student pays around Rs. 1500 per month for these two facilities.
TTTI has developed a curriculum based on its understanding of industry expectations on three dimensions i.e. skills, knowledge, and body and mind (attitude).  Of these, skills account for 41 per cent of the total time allocated for training, followed by body and mind training (33 per cent) and knowledge (26 per cent).

A typical day for students starts at 6.00 am with yoga and fitness drills.  The training sessions are from 9.00 am to 4.00 pm. Students spend their evenings on more physical activities and studies. Evening activities include sports, one-day in a week is for gardening by rotation (which means every day 16 students get their turn to do gardening activities). Till date students have planted more than 100 fruit bearing trees apart from undertaking planting of about 1000 saplings every year on World Environment Day.

Formal academic activities are planned on the basis of a five-day week. Students go home during the semester-end vacation.

The general and industrial knowledge training is spread over three years. Industrial knowledge courses consist of well-established ones like engineering drawing, workshop calculations, production technology, electrical and electronics, hydraulic and pneumatic systems, PLC, machine design and trade theory.  

Other courses like social studies, world history and industrial management and at a more basic level, science, mathematics and home science are included in the curriculum.
Off-the-job and on-the-job training is conducted in the workshop at TTTI as well as on the shop floor of TKMPL.

The first batch was out in July 2010 and are currently working on the Etios platform. Based on their academic performance as well as the performance in the company’s recruitment process, they can be offered jobs at TKMPL. For the first one year, they will draw a trainee’s stipend of Rs. 9000 per month. Subsequently, when they are confirmed based on their performance during the training period, they may earn emoluments in the order of Rs. 13,500 per month.

When to apply:

- Within 10 days from the date of announcement of SSLC result

Who can apply:

- Only  rural and financially poor students from Karnataka (preferably from government schools)
- Those who are below 18 years of age
- Those who have obtained a minimum of 50% in Science, Mathematics and an overall percentage of 50 in the SSLC examination

Who is not eligible:

- Those above 18 years of age
- Those who have already completed ITI/Diploma
- Those who are financially sound  
    Applications can be got by sending a self-addressed stamped (Rs 5) envelop to the Principal, Toyota Technical Training Institute, No 1 Bidadi Industrial area, Bidadi, Ramnagar District  - 562 109.  They can also be downloaded from www.toyotabharat.com