MUMBAI: Swiss multinationals established in India have declared plans to create a centre to provide Swiss-style vocational education to young Indians. The apprentices are awaited to help Swiss companies address the shortage of skilled workers in India the considered Centre of Excellence for Manufacturing was declared at the Swiss Vocational Education Training (VET) day on June 5 in New Delhi as a part of the Year of Swiss Innovation in India.
The centre is expected to be operational by 2017 and will be based in Koregaon Baima near the Indian city of Pane, where over 20 Swiss companies such as ABB and Burckhardt have manufacturing units. The centre will be run as a non-profit organization and financial contributions from Swiss companies will qualify as corporate social responsibility (CSR) which is also mandatory for Indian subsidiaries of foreign companies under the new CSR laws introduced in 2013.
Apprentices will have to undergo a four-year training programmed in disciplines such as polytechnics, mechatronics, welding and design. Each course will have an intake of 24 students every year and will admit students who have passed the tenth grade and have certain level of aptitude in mathematics. The idea of developing VET in India was initiated by the Swiss VET Initiative India (SVETII) in 2008 through the Swiss-Indian Chamber of Commerce and partners such as the Swiss Engineering, Electrical and Metalworking Industry Association, the Swiss Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training (SFIVET), the Federal Office for Professional Education and Technology (OPET) and four Swiss companies in India.
