The Punjab Government is seriously mulling changing the curriculum of the technical education institutes in order to ensure better job avenues for the students of these institutes in accordance with the changing trends of the industrial sector at both the National and International level. A new system would soon be put into place for better and innovative practical training of the students. The issue occupied the centre-stage during a meeting the Technical Education and Industrial Training Minister Mr. Charanjit Singh Channi accompanied by the Industries and Commerce Minister Mr. Sunder Sham Arora held with the higher officials of both the departments.During the course of the meeting, Mr. Channi said that 3-6 months training is necessary for the students of the technical education institutes to be prepared for the jobs in keeping with the demands of the emerging trends in the industrial sector. The issue of students being imparted with just 1 months’ practical training was also discussed in a very minute manner. It was also agreed that the period of one month is just not enough for the students to be able to grasp the technical skills for qualifying for jobs in the industrial sector.
Although in some engineering courses, 6 months training is conducted but it also needs to be overhauled. He also said that there is a huge gap between the existing structure of the technical education and the needs of the industrial sector which needs to be filled.It was also decided in the meeting that the senior officials of the technical education, Industries department would soon prepare a draft of the proposed new system which would be forwarded to the Union Government after consultations with the Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh. The issue pertaining to the change in courses of Government Technical Education institutions would be taken up with the Director General Training and that of the Government Polytechnic and Engineering colleges with the All Council of Technical Education.The Technical Education Minister expressed strong hope that teh Union Government would okay the proposal keeping in mind the future of the students.Among others present on the occasion included the Additional Chief Secretary Mrs. Vini Mahajan, Principal Secretary Technical Education Mr. Anurag Verma, Director Mr. Parveen Thind and officers of the technical education as well as the industries & commerce department.