This joint venture between industry and academia has transformed technical training in the eastern states

Nettur Technical Training Foundation (NTTF) is on a journey to provide skilled human resources to the industry by bridging the industry-academia gap with 60+ years of rich experience in delivering industry-relevant training. The pioneering institution has a huge presence across India.

To know more about the initiatives that are taken and the strategies that are being followed by this premier institution to make the youth industry-ready, Team NSN connected with Mr. Brij Kishore Singh, Zonal Head, Jamshedpur, NTTF.

In this Skill Talk, Mr. Brij Kishore Singh shares the journey of his centre and tells us about the initiatives that are being taken to make the students industry ready. Read on to know more.

Q. Please tell us about the zone you represent and the key programs offered at your centre/zone?

A: I am currently heading NTTF at Tata Steel Technical Institute (TSTI) Burma Mines, which was established in 2014. I am also the zonal head for the Jharkhand and Odisha regions. TSTI is a joint venture of Tata Steel Foundation (TSF) and NTTF. Our centre has a vision to promote the youth from all over India in upgrading their technical skills and competency through holistic approach. We believe working on 3I (Individual, Institute and Industry) and bridge the gaps as far as possible in order to have a win-win situation across all.

Our centre offers two Diploma Programs: 

• Electrical and Electronics Engineering 
• Mechatronics Engineering and Smart Factory

Electrical and Electronics Engineering course is being offered exclusively by our Burma Mines NTTF centre after taking inputs from the industry. Our syllabus for the courses is always industry-aligned, meeting the dynamic needs and making the students “Industry Ready”. 

TSTI is equipped with latest and modern domain-specific labs such as Physics, Automation, Graphics, Digital, Electrical, Electronics, Computer, Renewable energy, Robotics, CNC etc. which adds a new dimension to the training amenities. Focus is also given for spoken English and Technical communication skills to make the trainees express well and perform good in interviews.

Q. How has been the response of the students to the technical courses offered? Does the centre/zone offer any specific courses that address the needs of the regional industry?

A: The response of the students has been really great. At present, the total trainees’ strength in the centre is 263, Yearly intake is 90 with 45 in each discipline and are well-staffed by 23 faculty members. 50% of the total available seats at TSTI are reserved for ST/SC and social-deprived. 

Our courses are industry-oriented. We take inputs from various sources, like Industry experts, recruiters and passed-out students who are working at different locations across the world. We incorporate these inputs in our regular programs after due approval from NTTF academic council. We are also working towards introducing short-term and tailor-made programs for industries and institutes in and around Jamshedpur.

Q. What about placements? How do you manage industry-connect for suitable placements?

A: As we are partnering Tata Steel and delivering industry-ready training, our students are well trained to get hired immediately. So, the placement rates are very high in our centre and we have a record of placing all eligible students in the last consecutive years from its 1st batch. Even during this pandemic, 85% of our students are placed which demonstrates the strength of our industry connection as well as the high quality training imparted by NTTF. We are also continuing our teaching and learning programs to all our trainees through online sessions using modern teaching platforms like Microsoft Team, Zoom, Cisco etc. We are trying to complete the theory component and we will take up the practical sessions later once COVID-19 improves.

Q. How do you ensure that the faculty is upskilled and continuously trained to meet the dynamic nature of industry-integrated curriculum?

A: Faculty is the back-bone of any institution. Our centre has well-equipped laboratories, workshops, classrooms and professionally knowledgeable and experienced instructors. Our faculty members are hired and well-trained in close coordination with our partner. We provide training to our trainers with an aim to constantly improve their skills. We also have a Faculty Development Department that curates tailor-made programs for faculty development. We invite “Industry Experts” to understand the needs of the day and accordingly upgrade our faculty competencies through appropriate training of trainer programs. We run these programs very rigorously to make sure that our trainers are updated about the industry requirements. 

Q. Any other points you wish to mention about the centre/zone?

A: There are three major factors to make the training successful in an institution: Learned and experienced faculty members, Zeal to learn and share knowledge and well-equipped infrastructure. We are blessed with all the three factors. We always try to stay aligned to industry requirements, so we have introduced Industry 4.0 and 3D Printing in our courses which makes our trainees to be on par with emerging technologies. We are also working in the domain of green energy with an aim to make our earth a better place to live, and above all, our target is one – make life easy and simple. I am very proud to associate with this great institution – NTTF.

Also read: Technical training that ensures industry-readiness and aspirational career paths https://nationalskillsnetwork.in/technical-training-that-ensures-aspirational-career-paths/