Students, parents in rural parts sensitised to advantages of ITI education

With seats in excess of 30% remaining vacant in government Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs), the Department of Employment and Training has apparently accelerated its outreach programme to spread awareness among students and parents in rural areas on the advantages of ITI training.

According to officials, the outreach initiative at block-level is meant to dispel the false idea that ITI education is meant for economically and academically backward students.

District Skill Training Officer, Coimbatore, R. Jeyalakshmi said that ITI students not only enjoy the benefits of cash incentives and assistance such as free laptops, but are also on the right track to securing employment.

“Students completing skill-training courses in ITIs will have multiple job offers by the time they complete their courses,” she added.

After completion of ITI courses, students are absorbed as apprentices by manufacturing companies. In most cases, the students are retained with job permanency, she pointed out.

ITI certificate holders can also pursue conventional UG programmes. For this, however, the students should appear for the language exams meant for Class 12, according to the officials.

With this certification, candidates with ITI background gain eligibility to appear for TNPSC exams for which Class 12 is the qualifying criteria.

Parents are also being apprised of the opportunities for ITI students to pursue second year polytechnic courses through the provision of lateral entry.

With the qualification of a polytechnic degree, the candidate has the opportunity to join second year of UG engineering programmes through lateral entry.

The students are also being encouraged to derive utility of the National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme.

As per official data, the number of MSME and other establishments engaging apprentices has risen to 50,178 across the country over the last five years.

Though, as per the provision of the Apprentices Act, 1961, it is not obligatory on the part of the employer to hire apprentices on completion of the training, the on-the-job training makes them industry-ready, giving employers a pool of trained candidates to choose from as per organisational needs.