Khaki uniform for ITI boy students will be replaced soon as per their desire, Minister for Labour Welfare and Employment S.T. Chellapandian said on Wednesday.
The change follows representations made by students. Along with two sets of uniforms each, the ITI students will also receive footwear within the next three months. Those enrolled in computer science programme will be given laptops. Chief Minister Jayalalithaa was keen on extending the benefits of schemes for students of government schools to the 23,000 students in Industrial Training Institutes as well, the Minister said at a function organised here to distribute free bicycles and enhanced monthly incentive for students of the Government Industrial Training Institutes in Tiruverumbur and Pullambadi.
These students received bicycle as freebie for the first time. The incentive will be paid with arrears, with effect from August 2012, he said, and urged the students to excel in their studies with an assurance that remunerative jobs awaited them. Top-notch industries in the manufacturing sector were inclined to recruit ITI passed students over those with engineering qualification.
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In the interest of the ITI students, the State Government has set apart Rs. 75 crore for skill development, aligned to Chief Minister’s Vision 2023. As per the Government’s understanding with 12 industrial establishments, 1.2 lakh new jobs will be created this year. Over the last 20 months, 1.5 lakh jobs were generated through industries.
More trades will be introduced, the Minister said, exuding confidence that the students will enable Tamil Nadu to hold on to the first position in academic performance of Industrial Training Institutes, more so since the present government could prevail upon the Centre to set question papers in Tamil as well. Mr. Chellapandian promised to visit all the Industrial Training Institutes in order to ascertain adequacy of sanitation facilities for students.
The Minister handed over bicycles to 744 students, and monthly incentives to the value of Rs. 22.5 lakh to 1,226 students in the presence of the District Collector Jayashree Muralidharan, principal of Government ITI, Tiruverumbur, John Bosco, MLA R. Manoharan and other MLAs.
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Presiding over, the Collector said employment scope was quite bright for ITI students owing to the hands-on training they were exposed to. Bicycles for girl students will create self-confidence accruing from their independent mobility. As in China, economic growth should be propelled by the manufacturing sector, Ms. Jayashree emphasised.