Skill revolution: State to make industry internships compulsory for engineering, diploma engg students

 

 

Maharashtra’s industrial policy aims to boost student employability by fostering closer ties between industries and educational institutions, promoting skill development, and encouraging investments in key sectors. Government will be aggressive in pushing industries for making youngsters’ industry internship mandatory. The policy is likely to focus on creating a skilled workforce through active industry-institute collaboration, curriculum development, and practical training programmes. Recently, Director of Technical Education Dr Vinod Mohitkar issued letter naming the committee under the chairmanship of Dr Prakash Khodke. Dr Khodke is retired Principal of Government Engineering College and Central Project Advisor.

 

The committee has Director of Board of Apprenticeship Training (Western Region) Dr Pramod Jumle, Industry Joint Director Punam Darade, Principal of Government Polytechnic Awsari Dr Vithal Bandal as other members and Chief Executive Officer of DTE Dr Anil Nandgaonkar as the Member Secretary. The committee was constituted on the instructions of Additional Chief Secretary of Higher and Technical Education B Gopala Reddy. As per the New Education Policy 2020, an industry internship of one session has been recommended for the students doing engineering and diploma engineering. Government has decided to prepare a policy for providing industry internship in industries which are fetching various benefits under special schemes. The committee is expected to draft an industry internship policy related to new industry policy. “Pushing for aggressive industry internship will increase the per centage of students becoming employable. Our youth workforce will be qualitative and competent. With this initiative our industries will get readymade workforce. We want to retain number one position in industry sector and this move will further boost it,” pointed out Chief Minister Fadnavis. For the last 20 years, colleges in Maharashtra are following internship mechanism where colleges, on their own level, are sending their students to industries. But it was being done without any aggressive structure.

 

Now in last 10 years, Government kept creating industry-based courses. But it has one loophole. The mechanism lacked intensity and professionalism. According to highly placed sources, now the expert committee has recommended that the internship should be made mandatory for the institutions as well as for industry. It will be made compulsory on industry to train the students. Industries will get all benefits of all the schemes applicable provided they should train the youth force sent to them as per the need. Government intended to create employable youngsters who can be used by the industries as readymade products. The committee has made it clear as to how the internship would be conducted, in what way the selection of students be held to be sent to industries etc. It has also pointed out that industries’ seriousness about training the youngsters too would be checked. The industries are expected to do tie-ups with educational institutions, promoting skill development, and encouraging investments in key sectors. The policy focuses on increasing skill development programmes to ensure a highly employable and talented workforce.