BHUBANESWAR: In an attempt to improve the standard of training, State Government-run Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) will soon have digital classroom facility.
As per the decision taken by the Skill Development and Technical Education (SDTE) department, 242 digital classrooms will be set up in all 49 Government ITIs and digital contents of different trades provided from this month.
Deputy Director of ITIs in Directorate of Technical Education and Training (DTET) Ajay Panda said initially digital learning facility will be introduced in 12 trades which have maximum enrolment of students. These trades include fitter, welder, plumber, turner and machinist. The digital classrooms will have computers and integrated projectors which can be used by the assistant training officers to impart training to the students.
The Skill Development department has roped in Chennai-based Infoplus Technologies to provide digital contents of different trades to the ITIs. The agency will also impart training to the assistant training officers on use of digital contents.
The digital content will be supplied to ITIs by October 14 after which the training of ITI faculties will start, Panda said. SDTE department officials said apart from improving the standard of training to students, the digital learning facility is expected to help bring down the drop out rate in ITIs. A number of students drop out immediately after joining due to difficulty in learning.
Around 30.6 per cent of the students enrolled in ITIs in 2018-19 academic session dropped out. As many as 15,568 students had taken admission in Government ITIs for the session.
In order to minimise the drop out rate in the current 2019-20 session for which 17,059 students have taken admission, the SDTE department has formed an action plan which includes one-month bridge course in Mathematics, Science and English, interaction with well-known persons, use of digital contents, activity-based learning and timely sanction of financial assistance to students under welfare schemes.