Home to the largest number of factories in the country, Tamil Nadu is stepping up efforts to skill its workforce by adopting global best practices. The state is going the extra mile by incorporating international methodologies to prepare workers for advanced and high-tech industrial demands.
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G D Rajkumar, director, GTTI, said the syllabus is structured with 30% theory and 70% practical training, focusing on hands-on manufacturing skills. He pointed out that more than 60% of MSMEs require job-ready technicians and supervisors, yet fewer than 5% of young people receive vocational training. Under the state’s Electric Vehicles Policy 2023, automotive companies are eligible for upskilling allowances covering up to 10% of their existing workforce engaged in EV production. Noting that such initiatives could reduce manhours in warehouses by 30–40%, he said this would significantly improve productivity and capacity utilisation.
In phase II, a long-term, deep-domain programme tailored for high-precision manufacturing will be launched, enabling trainees to specialise in sectors facing critical skill shortages globally.
“The programme develops problem-solving and critical-thinking abilities, along with a foundation in shopfloor, machining skills, making students industry-ready from day one,” he said. “Our students are exposed to practical training and problem-solving techniques, which prepare them to face the manufacturing world with confidence, clarity, and capability,” Rajkumar said. The centre aims to bridge the gap between the skills available in the market and those required by industry,” he said. CII Southern Region deputy chairman Ravichandran Purushothaman said India faces a critical challenge. If India is to succeed in manufacturing, automation, and the energy transition, vocational skills must be elevated into aspirational careers, not treated as second choices,” he said. Existing schemes, he said, have failed to bridge this gap. V Arun Roy, secretary, industries, govt of Tamil Nadu, said this is one of several initiatives taken to support the EV sector. “Depending on requirements, we will explore the possibility of replicating this model in other rapidly expanding sectors in the future,” he said. Its managing director, Bana Bihari Nayak, said the curriculum will be on par with global standards.
The facility will offer short-term, industry-aligned programmes in CNC machining, lathe and milling operations, CNC programming, ANSYS simulation, and Mastercam-based CAM. Students train in a simulated shopfloor environment within the institute, equipped with the latest machinery and software used in industry. Tool and die mechanic students undertake real-time projects involving the manufacture and assembly of production tools and moulding of plastic components, which helps them learn machinery planning and costing. Mechatronics technician students design real-time automation systems for continuous process industries as part of their final-year projects, with viva voce exams conducted by industry experts to assess industry readiness, he added. The evaluation of test results follows German assessment standards. Question papers are sourced from Germany, translated into English, and administered by IGCC, Pune. Alex Paul Menon, Zonal Development Commissioner of the MEPZ special economic zone, which covers Tamil Nadu, Andaman, and Puducherry, stated that the manufacturing skill development centre at MEPZ, Tambaram, is a first-of-its-kind facility with deep industry collaboration. “We want to create a very different ecosystem—not just routine training leading to employment. The German model encourages innovation. “While we produce a large number of graduates, the industry continues to struggle to find job-ready technicians. CII’s policy recommendations—including industry-led curriculum design, dual and public-private partnership delivery models, National Skills Qualification Framework (NSQF) alignment, and competency-based assessment—offer a coherent framework for vocational education. By embedding these principles into ITI upgrades, school-based vocational streams, and new dual-system centres, states like Tamil Nadu can create visible and aspirational career pathways for skilled technicians, he added. The Tamil Nadu govt has also placed strong emphasis on upskilling. Transition support is provided through training subsidies for up to six months. Meanwhile, the Tamil Nadu Apex Skill Development Centre for Logistics is designing a curriculum incorporating IoT, automated warehousing, and robotics to upskill workers already employed in the logistics sector.