Tata Power Skill Development Institute imparts employment-oriented trainings to over 69700 individuals

Mumbai: Often there’s a gap between the knowledge imparted in an engineering college and the skills expected by the industry. Most engineering and polytechnics or even ITIs equip their students in theoretical knowledge without the student developing employable skills on live equipment and instruments. With the motive of bridging this gap between education and employability, as well as providing ready professionals to the power and allied sectors, Tata Power’s Skill Development Institute (TPSDI) has trained over 69700 individuals with an emphasis on hands-on training sessions.

TPSDI started with providing skilling programs for the blue-collared workforce and underprivileged sections of the society in India in 2015. Over the years it has rapidly expanded its training offerings and today has trained over 3400 engineering students across its five training centers. TPSDI today also trains engineers and workforces from other corporate entities and has simultaneously, expanded to offer training in higher skills internationally in countries such as Ethiopia and Liberia. A few of these programs by TPSDI are:

· Successfully delivered two sessions of ‘Train-the-trainer’ program on Distribution Substation – Operation & Maintenance, Safety and Isolating Equipment for Ethiopian Electric Utility (EEU) at Adis Ababa funded by USAID-USEA in Ethiopia

· Won the International Order for Utility Training Consultant for Implementation of Training at Liberia Electricity Corporation and providing on-the-job training to benefit over 900 employees at the Liberia Electricity Corporation (LEC) along with TPDDL in March this year

· Trained over 450 Senior Executives across 20 batches from MSETCL (Maharashtra State Electricity Transmission Co. Ltd). These programs were pertaining various areas of EHV Transmission including Operation, Maintenance, Testing, Cables, Regulations etc

· Conducted Electrical Safety programs for employees Tata Group’s retail companies such as Trent, Tanishq, Starbazaar and CROMA and Titan. This was followed by TRENT scheduling five more batches for their employees at Delhi, Mumbai, Pune, Kolkata and Bengaluru.

· Hosted a five-day specialized training in OPGW- Installation and Maintenance for a power utility client of KEC International based in Afghanistan at TPSDI-Shahad

· Imparted employment-oriented trainings to students sponsored by the Tata Steel Foundation and WREL at TPSDI-Shahad, TPSDI-Jojobera and Radhanesda, Gujarat respectively under its CSR initiative

· Facilitated a special training on Mechanical drives & components for fans, blowers and compressors for technicians of Ashapura Perfoclay Ltd. in Mundra

· Launched special courses such as employability skills, interview readiness, and research methodology for non-technical colleges, a first by any power utility. The course garnered excellent feedback from students

“We have always believed that in order to succeed, professionals need to boost their employability by developing skills demanded in the industry. Reaching the milestone of 69000 trained candidates last year within just four years of our inception is a testament of our easy-to-access market-driven and employment-oriented training programs that have changed so many lives. We look forward to reach more such milestones and will ensure a substantial set of skilled workforce for the Indian power sector,” said Mr. Jayvadan Mistry, Chief, TPSDI.

Started with an enrolment of 208 trainees, this not-for-profit integrated technical training institute by Tata Power has crossed the mark of 69,000 trainees last year and trained over 22,858 individuals in FY20 across five training hubs in India – Shahad – Mumbai; Trombay – Mumbai in Maharashtra Mundra – Kutch, in Gujarat, Maithon – Dhanbad, and Jojobera – Jamshedpur in Jharkhand. At present, TPSDI offers over 160 courses across Electrical, Mechanical, Instrumentation, Renewables, Safety, Allied sectors, etc.

The institute also consciously works towards providing greater access to its courses to the unemployed youth, women, members of disadvantaged sections of the society including those in the below-poverty-line (BPL) category as part of its Affirmative Action Policy offering them opportunities to enhance their livelihood.