BHUBANESWAR: Despite measures to popularise skill courses in the state, industrial training institutes (ITIs), especially private ones, continue to struggle to overcome large-scale vacancies. Close to 40 per cent ITI seats mostly in private institutes are laying vacant despite the fact that the form fill-up process started for admission of students to these institutes in the 2023-24 academic session started as early as April 1.
As per statistics, admission process was started for a total 83,672 seats in ITIs and ITCs in the 2023-24 academic session in April. However, 51,545 seats have been filled so far leaving the rest 32,000-odd seats vacant in the institutes. The second phase admission process was completed by July second week, after which spot admission process was started.
However, with a large chunk of seats in the institutes, mostly in private ITIs still lying vacant, the government had no option but to extend the deadline multiple times for the spot admission. As per the fresh notice available on SAMS, the last date of fresh registration for spot admission and system-based allotment of trade and admission is August 31, 2023.
An official from a private ITC in Angul said though students are evincing interest to join ITIs, it remains limited to government institutes. Sources said government institutes are witnessing over 90 per cent enrolment, while private ones are struggling because of various factors including higher course fee.
The course fee of government ITIs is less than a quarter or half of what many private institutes charge.
Financial aid to these institutes in the form of rebate for enrolment could encourage more students to enrol in private ITCs, said a faculty of an industrial training institute.