CHENNAI: A section of candidates holding the Craft Instructor Training Scheme (CITS) qualification has urged the state government to revise the Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission (TNPSC) notification for recruiting 125 junior training officers (JTOs) in government industrial training institutes (ITIs). They alleged that the notification does not fully follow the recruitment guidelines issued by the union government’s Directorate General of Training (DGT).
TNPSC recently invited applications for the Combined Technical Services Examination (Diploma/ITI Level), which includes 125 JTO posts in 29 trades. The notification states that candidates with the required degree, diploma or ITI qualification in the relevant trade are eligible to apply.
Candidates say that DGT issued an office memorandum on June 30, 2023, making the National Craft Instructor Certificate (NCIC) under CITS an essential qualification for recruiting vocational instructors in ITIs.
However, Department of Employment and Training officials said the DGT communication was only a guideline and not mandatory. They said CITS was not made compulsory at the recruitment stage because the department wanted to ensure sufficient eligible candidates were available for appointment.
According to DGT guidelines, if CITS-qualified candidates are unavailable, others may be appointed but must complete the CITS course within three years.