Students crying for more industry internships or live projects are in for a better deal in the days to come.
In the offing is a State Private Sector Advisory Group (S-PSAG), with representatives from both industry and educational institutions, which could well save the day.
The Technical Education department has recently suggested the names of 10 industry representatives on the group and the list has been sent to the government. It will soon be approved and a Government Order issued to make it operational. The group will ensure better coordination between educational institutions and the private sector.
Some of the suggested representatives include a Civil Engineer from Hyderabad Metro Rail, an Electrical Engineer from APCPDCL and others from top companies like Infotech and Tata Teleservices apart from policy makers in the government and industry body the Confederation of Indian Industry.
“The group is being formed as part of the Technical Education Quality Improvement Programme (TEQIP),” said Ajay Jain, Commissioner, Technical Education.
The flurry of complaints that the Industry has been unresponsive on student needs like internships or live projects and that educational institutions have been guilty of not adopting an industry-friendly curriculum will be tackled effectively, Mr. Jain said.
“[We] hope the group will address our concerns and students benefit [from the venture],” said Rajeshwar Reddy, chairman of the Consortium of Engineering Colleges Managements Association (CECMA), who has been critical of the Industry feigning ignorance to students’ needs.
Coordination woes
The lack of coordination was also highlighted in the recent conference on “Industry Institute Connect”, organised by the AP branch of CII.
To plug the gap, the S-PSAG will attempt to identify issues and difficulties at the early stage that potentially restrict promotion of the partnerships and slow down implementation, Mr. Jain said. The National Advisory Group will come into picture if the issues recognised are beyond the S-SAG’s control.
