In partnership with the Directorate of Technical Education, Guidance, the nodal agency instrumental in bringing investments into Tamil Nadu, is facilitating a comprehensive curriculum reform for polytechnic education and four engineering colleges in Coimbatore, Karaikudi and Salem.
A meeting with experts will happen next week at the WorkLabs Cell at Guidance Tamil Nadu.
The WorkLabs Cell has been set up to promote, facilitate and expand industry-academia collaboration for new-age industrial sectors, which require highly technical jobs, by providing academic rigour and hands-on training. Since January 2022, the cell has been identifying and forging partnerships with industrial organisations in the State and academic institutions (from the science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) and management disciplines).
Along with the experts nominated by large industries, the team will identify new course structures, curriculum reform and syllabi upgradation wherever required to align with the industrial requirements. They also plan to redesign polytechnic programmes offered in the State to the Choice Based Credit System (CBCS) and National Skills Qualification Framework (NSQF).
Tamil Nadu is home to over 450 polytechnic institutions, with over 1.8 lakh students pursuing technical education under the broad disciplines of civil, mechanical, electrical, electronics and communication, information technology and computer science engineering.
Pooja Kulkarni, managing director and CEO of Guidance, said, “WorkLabs Cell at Guidance has been set up to forge closer industry-academia collaboration and to work with skill development agencies to create an industry-ready skilled workforce. The Cell will also work to strengthen the principles of Naan Mudhalavan Scheme to improve workforce quality and employability.”
Apart from this, the WorkLabs Cell is also coordinating with various skill development agencies and departments like the Tamil Nadu State Council for Higher Education, Department of Employment and Training, Tamil Nadu Skills Development Corporation and educational institutions like Anna University to ensure that an enabling ecosystem is offered for academia and industries to thrive, innovate and create higher order talent.
WorkLabs has also started exploring conversations with international innovation and skills development institutions in Germany, Finland, Singapore, South Korea and Japan to establish their R&D and skills development hubs in Tamil Nadu in partnership with the State government for developing a workforce that meets global standards.
