Hands-on industrial training for students launched

The Directorate of Technical Education (DOTE) under the Higher Education Department will provide real-time soft skills training to the students with the active collaboration of industries to motivate them for self-employment.

A senior official from the Higher Education Department told DT Next that in the scheme, soft skills training relevant to industries will be imparted to the final year engineering and polytechnic and engineering students studying in government colleges in 15 districts.

He pointed out that at present, there are 30 government and government aided engineering colleges functioning in the state to teach more than 5,000 students and similarly there are 85 state-run polytechnic colleges available with pupil capacity of about 25,000.

“During the first phase about 5,000 students studying in both engineering and polytechnic institutions will be selected and would be given a comprehensive training three months before the final exams,” he said adding the government will be spending Rs 25 lakh per year for the scheme alone.

According to the official, the student will be taken to various industries to study and know about the real time projects and experts from Tamil Nadu Skill Development Corporation will not only give training, but also provide various innovative ideas to the students for self-employment.

Stating that in Chennai alone about 50 organisations, including Electronics Corporation of Tamil Nadu (ELCOT) were identified as training providers, the official said while selecting the candidates for skill training the training provider will give preference to women, rural candidates, SC/ST and differently abled students.

“Training provider will also ensure field visit to the related training area for each batch at least once in a month to have a first-hand knowledge of technology under usage in working environment,” he said adding “a well experienced training coordinator will be nominated by the training provider for co-ordinating the entire training programme.”