Attempts are being made to respond to the requirements of the industry, said B. Jothi Nirmalasamy, Commissioner of Employment and Training.
Responding to the findings of the study conducted by the J-PAL on the perceived mismatch between industry’s requirements and the curriculum of the Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs), she says Tamil Nadu is only following what has been prescribed by the Central authorities — National Council of Vocational Training (NCVT) and the Directorate General of Training (DGT) – with regard to the syllabus, text books and examinations. “While designing the curriculum, the Central authorities do consult us with regard to requirements of local industry,” Ms. Nirmalasamy says.
There are 88 government-run ITIs with 35,000 students. Most of the institutes are covered under the NCVT syllabus and the State government has been gradually bringing every ITI under the Central system. “While passing out of courses, the students are given certificates with the emblem of Government of India which, they think, provides them greater opportunities for employment, even in foreign countries,” she explains.
In his response to the survey, M. Ponnuswami, president of the Tamil Nadu State Council of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), acknowledges the need for a structured skill development programme for segments of the industry such as textiles, automobiles, leather and construction. “Take the case of garments. Our present level of productivity is barely half of what is there in China, Vietnam or Sri Lanka,” he points out.
Right salary
He concedes that skilled, trained workers need to be paid more. He also expresses concern over, what he calls, the increasing trend among the youth of Tamil Nadu for causal employment instead of long-term jobs.
K. E. Raghunathan, national president of the All India Manufacturers’ Organisation (AIMO), a body with 80% of representatives from small and medium enterprises, says that the biggest problem with regard to the ITIs is that the institutes are not doing job placements in the right way, he says, giving his example of getting no response from several ITIs even after being approached by him for candidates for the posts of plumbers and electricians.
