HYDERABAD: Although the state government has announced its plan to upgrade 65 public Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) as Advanced Technology Centres (ATCs), the route to development for most ITIs in the district seems longer.
In June, the government signed a 10-year MoU with Tata Technologies Limited (TTL) to upgrade 65 ITIs as ATCs in the state with a total investment of Rs 2,324.21 crore. Of this total amount, the state contributed Rs 307.96 crore (13.26 %) and Rs 2,016.25 (86.74%) crore was contributed by TTL.
The new course in the ATCs launched by the Department of Employment and Training (DET), under the Ministry of Labour Employment Training & Factories, is set to have six trades with the latest technologies inducted in the coursework. This is to provide hands-on training to the candidates on the world standard technology, against the traditional methods on manual machineries.
These trades include Manufacturing Process Control Automation, Industrial Robotics and Digital Manufacturing, Artisan using advanced tools, Basic designer and Virtual Verifier (Mechanical), Advanced CNC Machining Technician, and Mechanic Electric Vehicle. There will reportedly be 40 seats in each trade, with a total intake of 240 seats in each ITI.
After completing the one-year course, candidates will receive the ITI certification with the specific trade they opted for. It will be the same as the certification given for the already existing ITI courses, by the Directorate General of Training (DGT) of the Centre. However, the implementation of the upgrade plan has several roadblocks before the courses start.
As a part of the MoU signed by the state government with Tata Technologies Limited (TTL), every ITI will have a new ATC attached to it, constructing a new facility with the establishment of new equipment and machinery for the trades.
The construction of ATCs has already begun at the ITIs of the three nodal centres — Mallepally campus, Hyderabad, Nizamabad and Khammam — in the state. However, construction work at many other ITIs is yet to begin.
Additionally, the courses need to be affiliated with the DGT and the letter for the same has been sent to the authority for only the three nodal centres, implying that the new course for the academic year 2024-25 will start only at these three centres and the wait for the remaining 62 ITIs will be longer.
DET deputy director P Narsaiah told TNIE, “The letter of affiliation for three nodal centres has already been sent to the DGT. We expect the approval in a week or so, after which the courses will start at these centres. For other centres, the completion of ATCs might take around six to eight months, hence the courses will be most likely rolled out from the 2025 session onwards.”
The deputy director said that these courses were quintessential as they would provide training on robotic machines, stimulators and other world-class technologies.
So far, three batches of faculty from the state have been trained at the Mallepally ITI for the new courses. In addition, Tata Technologies Limited (TTL) will employ two trainers per ATC in each of the 65 ITIs. The trainers will report to the principals of the respective ITIs. “We have received the machinery and other set-up for the five ATCs for the respective five ITIs in the Mallepally campus — Mallepally ITI, Shantinagar ITI, Vijaynagar ITI, SanathNagar ITI and Khairatabad ITI — where construction work is underway. We are set to start the course soon,” Narsaiah added.