A faculty development programme for teachers of Industrial Training Institutes (ITI) was initiated by Entrepreneurship Development Institute (EDI) at St. Joseph’s College on Friday. The mandate of the participants is to contribute towards developing skilled workforce with an entrepreneurial bent of mind, R. Jayaraman, member secretary, Centre for Entrepreneurship Development (Tamil Nadu), said, inaugurating the fortnight-long programme supported by Department of Science and Technology, New Delhi, and Tamil Nadu Skill Development Mission, Chennai.
This is the third of the eight such programmes in Tamil Nadu in the calendar year. The programme was completed in Madurai and Tirunelveli last month. The FDP will prepare ITI teachers to create the skilled workforce for placement and self-employment, Mr. Jayaraman said, adding that the National Skill Development Mission envisages training 50 crore youth by 2020.
Under the aegis of Tamil Nadu Skill Development Mission, 25 ITI teachers in each region will be trained through the FDPs implemented through EDI and CED. Skilled artisans will be given guidance to become self employed through setting up service centres. The Director of Employment and Training has already instructed Industrial Training Institutes to integrate entrepreneurship into the curriculum.
Offering felicitations, P. Suresh Kumar, former deputy director of employment, said the entrepreneurial culture could be nurtured well in educational institutions through the right kind of encouragement.
College principal Rev. Fr. A. Albert Muthumalai and programme coordinator F.R. Alexander Pravin spoke about the activities undertaken in the college to promote entrepreneurship. College Rector Rev. Fr. S. John Britto presided over the inaugural session.
For the next two weeks, the participants will receive inputs on role of support agencies, including banks and district industries centre, role of DST in promoting entrepreneurship, curriculum development for promoting entrepreneurship, business opportunity identification, techniques of market survey, method of preparing business plan, venture capital, environmental pollution control, working capital assessment, creativity and problem solving, importance of IPR, patent registrations in SSI, and effective business communication.
