AICTE, CII to brush up students' skills

To increase the employability of graduates from technical fields like engineering and overcome the dearth of skilled professionals, the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) and the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) are developing a new curriculum for technical institutes.

"There is a mismatch between the capabilities of the graduates from the engineering institutes and the requirements of industry. To overcome this, the AICTE, in association with industry, will develop a curriculum that will enhance the skills of these graduates in accordance with industry's needs," D Acharya, chairman, AICTE, told Business Standard.

The council, which plans to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the CII, has proposed two courses""a post-graduate diploma for engineering graduates and an advanced diploma for graduates from polytechnic institutions.

The courses would have a duration of six months to one year during which the graduates would be trained in specific areas. The students would be attached to a company throughout the course.

"We have identified around 20 verticals (specific areas) like highway and construction engineering. The curriculum will be developed in consultation with industry ," said Acharya.