Maruti Suzuki’s skilling institute in Mehsana achieves 100% placement for the second year running

The Japan-India Institute for Manufacturing (JIM), Mehsana, Gujarat has secured 100 percent placement for its second successive batch of students. The batch of 308 students have been offered placement in reputed organisations.

A CSR initiative of Maruti Suzuki India, the institute was set up in 2017 in collaboration with Ganpat University Gujarat. In line with the Skill India Mission, JIM makes youth employable through quality industry relevant training. Having set a new benchmark for skill-based training in India, JIM Mehsana has been awarded ISO 29990:2010 certification by TUV-SUD.

The institute offers training in seven courses in the domain of automobile manufacturing, maintenance and service, listed as under: 
- Mechanic Motor Vehicle
- Mechanic Auto Body Painting
- Electrician
- Welder
- Mechanic Diesel Engine
- Mechanic Auto Body Repair
- Fitter

These courses are recognised by the National Council for Vocational Training (NCVT) and the institute is accredited by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI), Japan. Further, the students are trained in soft skills and Japanese shop floor practices in the areas of safety, quality, discipline, punctuality, Kaizen, 3G and 5S to ensure their all-round development. The Institute also offers free hostel facility to students coming from far off areas.

A K Tomer, executive advisor, Corporate Planning, Maruti Suzuki said, “My heartiest congratulations to the students of the batch on securing placement. A skilled workforce is indispensable to the working of an industry. Through JIM, we endeavor to skill students so that they are industry-ready and can start contributing productively as soon as they are placed. This, coupled with training in soft skills & Japanese manufacturing best practices, helps in holistic development of their personality, and enhances efficiency. Once the students are gainfully employed, they can contribute to the development of the industry and the nation.”

The Japan-India Institute for Manufacturing (JIM) is born out of a collaboration between the governments of Japan and India to create a pool of skilled manpower for manufacturing in India. It follows from an  Memorandum of Cooperation signed in 2016 between Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI), Government of Japan and Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE), Government of India, for a ‘Manufacturing Skill Transfer Promotion Programme’ to train 30,000 youths in India over 10 years.

JIM is equipped with industry benchmarked workshops, bridging the gap between the industry and the ITI. Modern learning infrastructure like mini vehicle-assembly line, engine-assembly line, safety lab, virtual welding simulators, spot-welding etc. make the learning more advanced and interactive, thereby making the students industry ready. The trainers at the institute also come with rich industry experience and regular sessions are conducted to keep up with the latest trends. Special sessions for the batch are also held by trainers from Japan.

Industry's growing focus on skilling
Similarly, the National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) also partnered with Honda Motorcycles & Scooter India Pvt Ltd in November 2018 for building  infrastructure related to  skill development by setting training labs, providing equipments and training aid. As per the plans, in the first phase of the collaboration, HMSI will establish or upgrade ten automotive two-wheeler repair labs for running a course on 'Automotive Service Technician (2- or 3-wheeler). The next phase of collaboration may entail scaling up the labs further. Providing vehicles, tools and equipment, HMSI will help in building capacity of NSDC training partners at different locations around the country

While the prolonged slowdown in the automotive industry will continue to lead to job losses, vehicle manufacturers are still looking for those with certain types of skills including data miners, analysts, electric and electronics engineers, claim industry experts. In a disruptive technological era with the industry moving towards electric, connected and artificial intelligence enabled vehicles, the need to continuously upskill will be the need of the hour. 

Also read: How the Japan-India Institute for Manufacturing is helping India Auto Inc prepare for tomorrow today