CHENNAI: The symbiosis is now complete. From college students going for industrial training, now the universities are visiting firms to offer degrees to employees.
If everything goes as per the plan, 200 female employees of Tata Electronics Private Limited in Hosur will start studying BSc Manufacturing Science, an exclusive degree programme for employees by Bharathiar University, in their own factory from July. These young women who joined the workforce after completing Class XII from underdeveloped areas will get the regular degree by studying in their free ti me and with no cost.
Around sixty female employees with diplomas will start studying the BE Manufacturing Engineering at the same factory from 2022-23. Anna University has applied for permission with AICTE to start the degree programme.
The higher education department had announced in the assembly that the degree programme in engineering under Work Integrated Learning (WIL) for industrial personnel will be introduced to provide them higher educational opportunities. BSc Manufacturing Science programme carries 140 credits with a period of three years under semester system.
"This is the first ever WIL programme for the company employees to be offered in the country," said P Kaliraj, vicechancellor of Bharathiar University. The univer sity signed the MoU with the Tata Electronics Private Limited and will send faculty members to the company facility to take classes. The company will bear the cost.
"Quality manpower to work in the area of manufacturing is very limited. The curriculum is designed with the focus on teaching fundamentals, principles of electronics, imparting application and effective use of vari- ous tools. The degree will help them to get higher qualifications and get high paying jobs while they are still working," he added.
The candidates are employed in entry level jobs such as CNC lathe, operation, quality service an d chemist technicians. The university is also conducting bridge courses for these employees to prepare them for academic programmes.
Anna University will offer BE manufacturing engineering for the employees with diploma qualification. "We have applied to AICTE to start the degree programme at the plant. We will depute faculty members to take classes at the plant. For the lab courses, the students also visit engineering colleges," Anna University vicechancellor R Velraj told TOI.
Mando Automotive Private India Limited in Sriperumbudur also approached Anna University with a si milar proposal to enable their employees with diplomas to get degrees under WIL programme. "The university is considering the proposal. We expect many more such proposals once we start the degree course," he added.
