Develop students’ skills to suit industry needs: Rajeeve

New initiative links tech education institutions with industrial sector

Minister for Law, Industries, and Coir P. Rajeeve has stressed the need to reorient skill development programmes to meet the growing need of new generation industries. He also called for fostering industry-academic linkages to enhance employability among youngsters.

He was speaking while inaugurating Dexo Industry – Academia Connect, a joint initiative of the Kerala State Industrial Development Corporation (KSIDC), APJ Abdul Kalam Technological University (KTU), and KSIDC-funded startup INCAETEK to connect technical education institutions with the industrial sector, here on Friday.

“Many in Kerala who score high marks are found lacking in skills required for the industry. There are over 10 skill development institutions in the government sector alone, but skill development based on interaction with the industrial sector has not been happening in the State,” Mr. Rajeeve said.

Constant interaction

Skill training centres ought to focus on plugging the skills gap through constant interaction with the industry, he said. The Minister launched ‘dsynXPO’, the web platform for the endeavour.

KSIDC managing director M.G. Rajamanickam emphasised the need to plug the supply-demand gap that existed in the State despite it being considered a powerhouse in terms of human resources.

KTU Vice Chancellor M.S. Rajasree attributed the existing skills gap to the absence of a common platform for stakeholders in the industry and technical education. Digital University Kerala Vice Chancellor Saji Gopinath also urged technical institutions to equip students with skills that matched the changing times.

The initiative by INCAETEK, touted to be the first-of-its-kind in the country to focus on design engineering, brought together young engineers, engineering products and start-ups. INCAETEK functions as a skill knowledge provider of the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) for skilling engineering students. It is also the skill and career partner of the Automotive Skill Development Council, a press release said.