ICT Academy trains diploma and ITI students in Coimbatore

K.S. Sundararaman (second right), Chairman of Confederation of Indian Industry-Coimbatore Zone, presenting the 'Student Innovator Award 2013' to Kamaraj College of Engineering and Technology, Virudhunagar, at 'ICTACT Bridge 2013' organised by the ICT Academy on Wednesday. Photo: M. Periasamy.

The ICT Academy of Tamil Nadu is imparting skill development programmes to students of polytechnics and Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs).

M. Sivakumar, Chief Executive Officer of the academy, told presspersons here on Wednesday that the academy was working with the Tamil Nadu Skill Development Mission to train students. Tamil Nadu required manpower for sectors such as hospitality and fast moving consumer goods. It was training students in government arts and science colleges in IT and ITES. The academy was also tying up with corporate companies. This helped the companies reach out to more students and also take new technology concepts to students. Since basic computer course was mandatory in ITIs, the academy was certifying the students in these courses, he said.

K. Purushothaman, senior director (Tamil Nadu and Kerala) of NASSCOM, said that the academy was able to take to students technology concepts that were not part of the curriculum. The NASSCOM was trying out as a pilot programme training of students in sector-specific IT skills.

Speaking at the inaugural of ICTACT Bridge here on Wednesday, Sarv Saravanan, vice-president and managing director of India Centre of Excellence, EMC Corporation, said that sectors such as healthcare and education offered scope for innovation. Technology could be used to find new solutions to day-to-day problems in these sectors.

K. S. Sundararaman, Chairman of Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) – Coimbatore, said competitiveness of students should be built so that they qualified to meet the needs of the industry. Technology was an enabler in the education sector and it empowered the teachers.

Joydeep Roy, Chief Executive Officer of L & T Financial Services, said that the financial sector used technology – Information Technology and IT enabled services – for delivery of services. The underlining technologies had not changed though there were new concepts. There were several new opportunities now for technology and innovation. Security and fear of security, convenience, choice and cost were some of the challenges today with regard to new technologies.

The ICTACT Student Innovator Award was given to three teams. Over 390 projects of final year students were nominated for the award from 160 colleges. Of these, 11 finalists were short-listed and three were given the awards.