KOCHI: For a state with a huge talent pool, skills gap often plays spoilsport in Kerala students getting placed in top companies. That, however, could become a thing of the past as the state government is planning to set up a Skill and Entrepreneurship University. Chances are the university will become a reality this financial year. “We are studying the models being followed by various skill universities in the country,” Industries Minister P Rajeeve told TNIE.
“In the case of the Skill University in Telangana, the institution comes under the industries department. We are yet to make a decision in this regard.”
He said the university is being planned in the Public Private Participation (PPP) model.
“It may have a governing board comprising leading industrialists and technocrats. They are the ones who know what the industries need,” the minister said.
As to who will lead the governing body, and where the university will come up, the decision is yet to be arrived at. In Telangana, the institution is headed by the chief minister, he pointed out. “We are studying the skill universities in Gujarat, Maharashtra and some other states,” Rajeeve said. According to the university concept, companies will formulate course modules.
“Each industry needs skills of its own. So, it is apt that the courses be developed by them as per their requirement. Once the students get trained in these skills, provisions will also be there for them to be placed with these companies,” the minister said. And it is just not skills the institution will develop.
“Entrepreneurship will also be promoted at the university. Once students have the requisite skills, they can easily start a venture of their own and provide employment to others,” Rajeeve said. Welcoming the development, Group of Technology Companies (GTech) secretary Sreekumar V said, “This is the need of the hour.
It is something that we have been demanding for a long time. We want students to acquire hands-on training. Many agencies are conducting courses. However, those are just classroom training. That’s not what the industries want. They want proof of work. Something which shows them that their prospective employee has learnt the skill and has it too.”