Govt ITIs to offer courses with industrial ‘internship’

CHENNAI: Now students seeking polytechnic programmes at state-run colleges in Tamil Nadu could pursue sandwich courses, a study that includes periods of working in the industry.

Higher Education Minister K Ponmudi said the Directorate of Technical Education has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with a company to start the course this year itself.

Claiming that thousands of students would be benefited from the government’s move to introduce sandwich diploma courses in the state-run polytechnic colleges, he said, “these courses will have a total of seven semesters.”

Accordingly, during the fourth semester, the students will go directly to the company and have practical experience to continue their courses. “Fourth semester would have one and the final and seventh semester will have additional practical sessions so that they would get immediate job opportunities,” he added.

The Minister also said that the company, which had signed an agreement with regard to conducting sandwich courses in polytechnic colleges, also agreed to provide scholarships for female students. He said the selected students will get a total exemption of fees and other charges to pursue the course.

He claimed that so far, more than one lakh applications have been received from the female students studying in government schools who will be covered under the Moovalur Ramamirtham Ammaiyar Higher Education Assurance Scheme. All girls from Classes 6-12 will be paid Rs 1,000 a month directly into their bank accounts till completion of their undergraduate degree, diploma, and ITI courses.