NEW DELHI: The country's leading car maker Maruti Suzuki India on Tuesday said it has partnered with Savitribai Phule Pune University, Maharashtra, to train the youth in automobile retail.
A customised three-year 'Bachelor of Vocational Studies in Retail Management' course will be offered to students by the university with support from the company, Maruti Suzuki India Ltd (MSIL) said in a statement.
The curriculum will comprise one-year classroom training followed by two-year on-the-job training at Maruti Suzuki authorised dealerships, it added.
Commenting on the partnership, MSIL Executive Vice-President (Training Academy) Manoj Agrawal said one of the key challenges faced by the automobile industry currently is the skill gap and non-availability of trained personnel.
"This association with Savitribai Phule Pune University will help students who aspire for career options in the automobile retail sector," he said adding that the mandatory 24-month on-the-job training will provide in-depth knowledge to students and make them industry-ready.
Savitribai Phule Pune University Vice-Chancellor Nitin Karmalkar said, "This industry integrated programme will provide theoretical as well as practical knowledge to students with regular industry interaction and on-the-job training. The course will allow the students to build a promising career in automobile sales in India."
The curriculum for 'Bachelor of Vocational Studies in Retail Management' has been developed by the two partners with an enhanced focus on value education, work ethics, soft skills, and learning Indian and Japanese work culture, the statement said.
The first batch of 80 students will commence the academic year 2021-22 from August 2021.
The course is based on the concept of 'earn while you learn' where students will receive a stipend during their on-the-job training, it added.
"We are confident that with this specially curated course, we will see an upsurge of skilled professionals in the industry, to provide high-quality customer service," Agrawal said.