Technical Institutes Interaction with Industry: Need of the hour
Dr. Abha Rajoriya
Dr. Dinesh K. Rajoriya
Technical Education forms the spine of development of any nation and Industry is the major consumer of technical institution end product. The real requirement of industry can be explored only through effective interaction with them. Interaction between the industry and institute is now extensively acknowledged. The industry is ought to face Global competition, unemployment & underemployment. A dynamic industry-institute Interaction is always in favour of both. Let us make a list for understanding these benefits,
Industry Institute interaction is beneficial for:
· Bridging the gap between industry-practices and academic learning.
· Use of resources and problem areas from industries as case studies and project works at the institute. It will in turn benefit industries, students and society at large.
· Making available institutes’ infrastructural facilities to the industries and vice versa.
· Creation of Industries Institute Expertise Database.
· Promotion and co-ordination of consultancy services.
· Forecasting the technical manpower requirement and planning for Industry.
· Knowledge update through faculty-exchange.
· Joint R&D activities
· Enhancement in use of testing facilities for industries.
· Short-term courses for manpower development for industries vis-à-vis curriculum update.
Now we must be curious to know that as to how this interaction might take place. So here we can understand some modes of interaction between institute and industries.
Institute to Industry -
a. Student visit to the industry: As a part of their course curriculum
b. Industrial tour of students: This gives them good organizational experiences.
c. Practical Training/Student internship: This gives students good industrial exposures and help them in becoming industry ready.
d. Student Project in Industry: Some students may be encouraged to undertake their final year project in industry partly or fully with a joint supervisor.
e. Teacher Deputation to Industry: Teacher should spend the two months of vacation in the Industry. Teacher must work on a specific project at industry and submit a report to institute on return and deliver a seminar talk.
Industry to Institute-
1. Continuing education of staff: It must be an ongoing activity of any progressive industry. Institutes can help in carrying it out along with sharpening their analytical edge.
2. Assign Consultancy Jobs to Institute: It can help to utilize infrastructure and expertise available in institutes, and needs to be explored.
3. Sponsor R&D Projects to Institutes: Identify some bright students and give them this responsibility, with incentive.
4. Industry sponsored short term course or depute industry staff in institute: Product specific training may be given in final year of course and hence training time may be avoided for some selected students.
5. Resource persons from industry to institute:
a. Adjunct faculty from industry: To provide lectures on latest trends and technologies
b. Expert Lecture from Senior Industry Personnel: For students to understand the know-how of industry and expectations of it from students.
Industry-Institute Joint Efforts
1. Seminars/Symposium/ Awareness Programme for Industry/Institute People may be organized.
2. Training/Awareness Programme for Industry / Institute People may be conducted jointly.
3. Together they can undertake a social cause under Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and students from under its NSS program can be assigned role under CSR initiatives.
Other Strategies
a. Establishing Entrepreneurship Development Cell at the institute level. (AICTE role)
b. Conducting action Research by making intensive interaction with the industry.
Now we will comprehend as to how this interaction would be beneficial for all the stakeholders i.e. students, faculty, industries and institute along with our society and nation as a whole. Let us understand them point to point
To Institute·
Greater resource generation.
Improved quality of faculty.
More relevant curriculum.
Better placement of students.
Better utilization of expertise and facilitated industry.
To Industry
It can have access to the latest technological and management developments.
Industry can keep their workforce updated in terms of skills and knowledge through refresher courses and other training programmes conducted by the institutes.
It is able to get fresh and well trained technical personnel. Industry can get their research-work done through institutions and save cost of R&D.
Reduction in recruiting costs.
Cost effective productivity.
Better communication with higher learning centre.
Collaborative research opportunities.
To Faculty
It brings them a good understanding of the industry environment and problems. Thus it and helps them in building up of useful case studies for improving the quality of teaching.
It provides an ability to identify research projects of industrial importance.
To Students
Gaining real life experiences.
Application of theoretical knowledge.
Enhancement of communication skills (oral and written).
Decision making on career choice.
Paid pre-employment (during studies, project work and training).
Gaining access to sophisticated instrumentation.
Understanding the work culture of industries.
For Society and the Nation as a whole
· Effective harnessing of the resources, talents and experience within the country.
· Greater efforts at self-reliance and indigenousness.
· Greater financial support to institutions and R&D organizations.
· Greater employment of R&D personnel.
· Generating sense of pride in the nations among Indians all over the world by providing excellent research findings.
Reasons behind lack of interface
There are several reason for not attaining the objective of interface between institute and industries. Some of the reasons are listed below that could help to evolve remedies -
§ Course curriculum is not planned as per the need of the industry
§ Technical education imparted to the students is not job oriented.
§ Our examination system emphasises on the reproduction of memorized facts rather than practical work.
§ Insufficient teaching time and learning time because of late admissions and more number of holidays.
§ Laboratories are not updated time to time and hence they do not attract industry to outsource their work to the institute.
§ Faculty members which are really interested in such work do not receive proper recognitions in the institutions and it serves as disincentive.
§ Institutes if work in this direction, it faces rigidity of rules and regulations and hence after some time they stop doing such work.
§ Industrial training is an integral part of syllabus but when students do so in an industry, the in-charge officer do not take pain in assigning and assessing the work of the student. This passive response reduces the interest of the students in this activity.
§ There need to be an alignment in the goals and objectives of education system and that of industrial system.
§ Both the systems have not realized that there is ample scope which is unearthed in the form of interaction and partnership.
§ Government need to give more attention regarding interaction & partnership between the industry and institute
How can the situation be improved? Some Recommendations
The course curriculum should be designed as per the need of the industry and its revision has to be commensurate as emerging technological demand. Adequate lab facility should be available to the institute and its utilization should be ensured. Faculty may be sent to industry for practical training for a short term. Benefits in appointments and promotions may be given to faculties having such collaborations.
Institutes are required to have autonomy both academic and administrative to take decision on such subjects. Also they are required to have infrastructural and secretariat support for carrying out such activities.
A mandatory and credited Industrial training for students can be made for about one month in a year as a part of the curriculum. Sufficient funds for taking up industrial projects should be provided to institutions. Students should be encouraged to undertake the final year projects in Industry partly or fully with a joint supervisor from industry. Industry should give R&D problems to Institute and also provide good training to students assigned to them. They are going to be the important part of industry after completion of the studies.
Experts from the industry should be invited by the Institute regularly to share their practical knowledge with the faculty and students. These experts may help in providing some identified problem of the industry which could be solved involving students. Institute should involve in R&D work and should take projects from established industry for updating its technology. Institute should provide information to industry about the facilities available in Institute, which might be used by the industry for its benefit. Curriculum of various courses be revised regularly.
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