Note: This article is based on the inputs from Mr. Rajarshi Mukherjee, Principal Lead – Tata STRIVE.
Last year, while thousands of ITIs in the country were facing the challenge of filling the vacancies amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, the government ITIs in Odisha reported filling more than 96% of the seats!
A total of 11 ITIs (Industrial Training Institutes), including seven government and 4 private ITIs from Odisha found a place among the 100 top ITIs of the country in the list drawn up by the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) in 2020.
“I am a proud ITIian!” says an enthusiastic student from a government ITI in Odisha. From not aspiring to be part of one to proudly flaunting the tag, something has profoundly triggered this change among the ITI students like him.
The state of Odisha turned the tables around in just a span of four years and frog-leaped to being one among the top states in skill development and training in the country. In partnership with Odisha Skill Development Authority (OSDA) and other stakeholders, Tata STRIVE has been instrumental in helping government ITIs in Odisha achieve this milepost.
Today, the campuses of Odisha ITIs not only sport a new look but have become a brewing hub for innovation and entrepreneurship. And the students of these institutes are proudly carrying the tag of “ITIian” as a badge of honor!
How did this transformation unfurl in Odisha ITIs?
Advances in technology, expansion of markets, and emerging ways of production are changing the way we work. These changes necessitate the infrastructure at ITIs to keep pace and the trainers to keep their knowledge current.
The idea and the need to transform the government ITIs in Odisha started when the Chief Minister of Odisha, Mr. Naveen Patnaik set up the Odisha Skill Development Authority (OSDA) with Mr. Subroto Bagchi as the chairman.
Mr. Subroto Bagchi, Chairman, OSDA along with a highly supportive government ecosystem, began by making note of various steps that could be taken to transform the skill development ecosystem in the state. And the first intervention began with the ITIs. Soon, it was realised that there were several challenges in these institutes, right from finding the efficiently trained trainers, modernising uninspiring infrastructure, and most importantly the lack of employability skills/ life skills among the students of ITIs. This is where Tata STRIVE intervened with their expertise in the subject and strived to enhance the existing ‘Employability Skills’ programme.
Ms. Susmita Bagchi, Author, and Philanthropist; Tata Trust, OSDA, DTET-Directorate of Technical Education & Training; and corporates like Mindtree Foundation and Kalinga Mining Corporation came together, invested in the project, and together achieved the results that we get to see today.
Importance of life skills for employability among ITI student
Rajarshi Mukherjee
“Even though majority of industries hire a huge number of workforce from the ITIs, they often complain about the quality of manpower. The issue here is not just about the domain skills but also the mindset with which the students join the workforce. Their commitment to the work and workplace, quality in the work they take up, among others”, explains Mr. Rajarshi Mukherjee, Principal Lead – Tata STRIVE while talking about what makes youth employable.
To make youth employable, training in employability skills becomes uncompromisable. By enhancing students’ employability skills, one can not only improve their placement opportunities but also help them throughout their career in whichever field they chose. Along with these, training in life skills/ employability skills boosts students’ self-confidence, self-esteem, enabling them to set goals for their career trajectory.
Modern industries are looking for skilled people with a sustainable mindset, the ones who can manage time and always resort to safety measures while on the job. Over a period of time, with training in life skills, concepts of importance such as quality consciousness, building a sustainability mindset, and design thinking skills, thus get imbibed by the students.
Role of Tata STRIVE in transforming ITIs in Odisha
Tata STRIVE integrated its tried and tested soft skills modules, part of its Youth Development Modules (YDM), into the existing 110 hour-long employability skills curriculum as defined by NCVT. It also introduced additional hours for youth development modules in semesters 3 and 4 to make students job-ready.
Tata STRIVE changed the prevailing theoretical approach to delivery with a more activity-oriented approach that is far more engaging and impactful. The Youth Development Modules aim to cultivate and nurture behavioural components such as attitudes, emotions, values, and motivations through activity-based learning.
Through the immersive and interactive sessions, combined with behavioural change techniques have helped in greatly impacting the employability skills of the ITI students.
This project was launched in pilot mode in 10 government ITIs in Odisha. After successful implementation and fruitful results, this has been extended to cover all the government ITIs in the state.
This could be achieved by deploying Tata STRIVE’s “change leaders” (faculty) in ITIs across Odisha. They not only looked after training the students in life skills but also worked closely with the principals and the ITI faculty in bridging skill training gaps, building capacities, and inculcating activity-based learning among the students and trainers. Currently, more than 85 change leaders are working on the ground.
It was during the COVID-19 induced lockdown when Tata STRIVE’s change leaders continued to train the learners through digital/blended mode of learning making them one of the firsts to adopt the technology quickly and seamlessly.
Tata STRIVE also reached out to the industries like Tata Motors and Tata Steel, to take in efficiently skilled and trained ITI students as apprentices. This gave extraordinary opportunities for the ITI students, adding to their aspirational value.
Though the programme initially faced difficulties in implementation due to resistance to change among some of the students and faculty, Tata STRIVE could successfully intervene and bring in the much-needed change in the entire value chain of skilling. This unique and first-of-its-kind skilling programme flourished as a result of the coming together of the government and the industry. The unique partnership model that includes individuals, government, industry, and the private sector-led to the successful transformation of ITIs in Odisha.
