The company, which is currently expanding its steel mill at Toranagal in Bellary district of Karnataka, has set up O P Jindal Centre for Vocational Training (OPJCVT) at Toranagal to offer job-oriented courses to the children of land losers and villagers adjoining the steel mill. The company has so far invested Rs 13 crore to construct a building for the vocational training centre adjacent to its steel mill at Toranagal.
OPJCVT has entered into a tie up with Nettur Technical Training Foundation (NTTF) to offer three programmes in electrical maintenance, mechanical maintenance and certificate programme in computer applications.
S S Gupta, director, OPJCVT, "Our main objective is to impart technical training to the children of the displaced families in our project, so that they can not only become employable in our factories, but also turn entrepreneurs. They will be given a proper technical training for one year and after the completion of the course as per NTTF programme, they can take up any job of their choice."
The Centre is presently offering one year certificate programme in three disciplines to 50 students in the first batch, which has just started. After every three months, the Centre intends to commence the fresh batch of 60 students. The course is open for the children of the land losers at Toranagal and at a later stage, it will be open for students from across the country.
The Centre will offer 100 per cent placement in the manufacturing units of Jindal group such as steel mills at Toranagal in Karnataka, Jharkhand and West Bengal, power plant at Jaisalmer and Ratnagiri, aluminium plant at Vizag.
Gupta says the training will be free for the children of the displaced families, while the students under general quota will be charged Rs 36,000. They will be offered a scholarship of Rs 18,000. In addition to this, OPJCVT will also offer 20 per cent of the course fee as scholarship to students under Scheduled Caste, and Scheduled Tribe category and disabled. Sports persons will be given 5 per cent scholarship.
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The course curriculum is specially designed by NTTF. To begin, with the centre will focus on training the youth for their requirements in steel mill at Toranagal, West Bengal and Jharkhand. The first batch of 50 will be absorbed by the sub-contractors of JSW Steel, who supply manpower for maintenance work at the company's steel mills. Presently, the company is outsourcing these workers.
The centre is also providing tailoring and fashion designing training to rural women of 10 surrounding villages.
In the second phase, the Centre proposes to set up a 300-room hostel for the benefit of outstation students opting to join this vocational course. It also intends to start a separate training course for differently abled (physically challenged) youth at this centre. It has already identified 377 candidates in and around Toranagal. The course will commence in about three months.
Gupta said the company is also looking at setting up a JSW Centre of Excellence to train youth on power plant operation and maintenance. It will be a one-year programme for diploma holders and engineering graduates. This course has been approved by the Central Electricity Authority.
O P Jindal Centre for Vocational Training will also conduct a skill upgradation programme for 100 hours to the existing employees of JSW Steel at all levels. Among the other ambitious programmes of the Centre is to open an engineering college in the next four years.