Big push to train 30K youth for jobs

Tirupati: Giving a big push to training of local youth for employability, Japanese Ambassador to India Kenji Hiramatsu on Friday inaugurated the 'Japan-India Institute for Manufacturing' (JIM), a residential skill training centre in Sri City. This is the first such advanced training facility to be set up in Andhra Pradesh and also the very first one by multiple Japanese firms for training local youth.

JIM was initiated in 2016 as a collaborative programme following an MoU between the governments of Japan and India to create a pool of skilled manpower for manufacturing units in India. This partnership aims at imparting training to 30,000 Indian youth in manufacturing and soft skills.

Eight JIMs are already functioning in Gujarat, Maharashtra and Karnataka states. Speaking on the occasion, Hiramatsu said that Japan is an active partner in India's growth, and stated that Sri City is the second largest township for Japanese companies in India. He said that setting up of JIM would go a long way in fulfilling the trained personnel required for the Japanese firms and expressed confidence that students will make use of the training provided and transform themselves as skilled technicians in manufacturing.

Sri City managing director Ravindra Sannareddy thanked the Japanese authorities for preferring Sri City to set up the JIM. "Besides the core technical skills, the students will be groomed in Japanese manufacturing practices and processes and successful completion of the course would transform them 'industry ready'," he observed.

Expressing confidence that Sri City-JIM will serve as a model for technical training and skill development, he said he was happy Sri City is a partner in this training which would certainly help the youth in securing gainful employment. Yoshio Nishida, Director, Kobelco Group, which is the lead company in managing JIM briefed about the unique features of Sri City-JIM.

Hisashi Kanda of Association for Overseas Technical Cooperation and Sustainable Partnerships (AOTS) said that the Sri City-JIM trains youth for the manufacturing sectors and thus contribute to the mission of 'Skill India' and 'Make in India'.

While Sri City supports in recruitment of trainees, providing hostel, classroom, food etc., and manufacturing experts from the Sri City based Japanese companies, will ensure that manufacturing expertise is effectively transferred to the students (trainees) by giving hands-on training at the respective workshops, for four days in a week and the remaining two days they will have classroom teaching. Located at the Sri City Trade Centre (on the expressway), the JIM is equipped with a modern classroom and latest teaching aids.

The year-long training at companies will enable the students to get hands-on experience in manufacturing and bridge the gap between theory and actual industry requirement. Training in safety, English language and computer will enhance the skills of the students and equip them with all-round skills and capabilities.

Others present are Consul General of Japan in Chennai Kojiro Uchiyama, JIM-Sri City President Sugimoto Yuji, First Secretary of Embassy of Japan in India Yoshito Miyazaki, JETRO Director General Tatsushi Tamoto and government officials of various departments.