Mercedes-Benz India teaches ’em young

In an effort to strengthen the development of advanced technical skill-sets amongst the youth who want to pursue a career in the automotive service industry, Mercedes-Benz India yesterday inaugurated an ‘Advanced Auto Body Repair Training Centre’ in association with Don Bosco ITI, Chinchwad.

The Training Centre is aimed at equipping youngsters with advanced technical skill-sets, enabling them to pursue a successful career in the highly competitive automotive service sector. The facility will also give a significant boost to the demand of highly skilled and technically adept manpower, which can play a crucial role in bringing service excellence to the service sector of the automotive industry.

The centre was jointly inaugurated by Roland Folger, managing director, Mercedes-Benz India, and Father Godfrey D’souza, Salesian Provincial, Mumbai, in the presence of Santosh Iyer, vice-president, Aftersales & Retail Training, Mercedes-Benz India, and Father Corils Gonsalves, director, Don Bosco Private ITI in Chinchwad.

L-R: Santosh Iyer, VP (Aftersales & Retail Training), Mercedes-Benz India; Fr. Godfrey D’souza, Salesian Provincial, Mumbai; Roland Folger, MD and CEO, Mercedes-Benz India; Ms Gabriel Boner, acting Consul General German Embassy, Mumbai; and Fr. Corlis Gonsalves, director, Don Bosco Private ITI, Chinchwad
 

The selected candidates will get an opportunity to hone their technical skill sets with the help of the latest equipment including a Mercedes-Benz C-Class provided by the company. This one-of-its-kind course identifies itself with the vision of Skill India which aims at utilising the youth demographics and create skilled workers at this Training Centre. Mercedes-Benz India has spent a total of Rs 2.65 crore on the project. 

Inaugurating the Training Centre, Roland Folger, MD and CEO, Mercedes-Benz India, said: “India is rich in its manpower, but opportunities and facilities that train and gainfully employ them are few. On the other hand, growth in the automotive industry, changing technology, a burgeoning economy, a larger disposable income and lowering the first-hand lifecycle of cars have triggered a huge demand for skilled technicians and that of upskilling in the sector. Mercedes-Benz has been the pioneers in providing employment to talented young heads over a decade now, by introducing them to the Advanced Diploma in Automotive Mechatronics course by collaborating with various reputed technical institutions. We have been conducting these programmes with very high levels of success, and the overwhelming response from the aspiring students has inspired us to expand our skill sharing initiatives further. The inauguration of the Advanced Body Repair Training Centre in Don Bosco is yet another commitment from Mercedes-Benz to develop highly skilled manpower for the industry, thus contributing to the vision of Skill India.” 

He added, “The partnership with Mercedes-Benz and Don Bosco through this Advanced Auto Body Parts Training Centre will remain an important milestone towards modernisation, practical relevance and flexibility of vocational education and training in Maharashtra. The unique aspect of this collaboration will be the continuous engagement of Mercedes-Benz India colleagues in the planning of the syllabus on modern automotive technology, supply of Mercedes-Benz cars for training purposes, training of lecturers and also supply of advanced technical tools and equipment for the students. The Advanced Auto Body Repair course will focus on automotive crash repair and automotive body structure-related repair activities, ensuring a well-trained and highly skilled manpower supply in these crucial areas of servicing.

“This skill development programme will only strengthen the automotive service industry, where service excellence is increasingly becoming crucial to a brand’s long-term success in India. Mercedes-Benz and its dealerships across the country can absorb these young talent heads directly via campus recruitment.”

Speaking on the occasion, Fr. Corils Gonsalves, director, Don Bosco Private ITI, said, “We applaud Mercedes-Benz India for undertaking this noble initiative of supporting us in establishing this Advanced Auto Body Repair Training Centre. This initiative will help many young aspirants in times to come, who may not have a sound financial background, to build a career in the automotive industry. "  

Mercedes-Benz India has donated a C-Class to the Advanced Auto Body Repair Training Centre at Chinchwad, Pune for the purpose of real-world studies
 

How the Advanced Auto Body Repair course stacks up

The one-year course, with 21 students per batch, which will be taught at Don Bosco, Chinchwad in Pune, is as per ITI standards.

The course contents are based on the ITI trade of Auto Body Repair Technician (12 months) and add-on advanced level training on Mercedes-Benz cars and equipment (1 month). The successful candidates will be awarded an ITI trade certificate along with a joint Advanced Training certificate issued by Don Bosco and Mercedes-Benz India. Trainers are trained at Mercedes-Benz India, Cellete training facility Coimbatore and also at select Mercedes-Benz dealerships. 

Don Bosco Private ITI in Chinchwad is a benchmark in private ITIs, offering short-term and long-term courses in Vocational Education and Training (VET) and for professions such as welders, fitters, motor vehicle mechanic, electrician, refrigeration & air conditioning and mechanical draftsmen.