"Industry Education Partnership Cell (IEPC)"

GENESIS OF IEPC

In India, it is observed that both Industry and Academics are moving on parallel tracks, thereby failing to meet each other’s needs as well as needs of growing economy. As a result, today when Indian Economy is moving towards high growth trajectory, there is an urgent need for an active and fruitful interaction between Industry & Education. To initiate the process for better Industry-Institute networking in Maharashtra, the President of Maharashtra Economic Development Council (MEDC) mooted the idea of forming a PERMANENT CELL called, “Industry-Education Partnership Cell (IEPC)”, within MEDC. Maharashtra State Board of Technical Education (MSBTE) has decided to extend their active support & full co-operation to Industry-Education Partnership Cell. As a result, both MEDC and MSBTE have jointly launched IEPC, which has been receiving overwhelming response from Industry, Technical Institutions and Engineering Colleges.

VISION

The Cell aims at making tomorrow’s standard students “employable” in the modern economy. It will inculcate in the youth, the spirit of entrepreneurship and foster the value of “Work is Worship”.

MISSION

To fulfill this VISION, the Mission of IEPC is:

• Seamless transfer of faculty between Industry and Educational Institutions
• Visit / Training of students to the Industry, to gain useful experience.
• Up-gradation of Syllabi of Educational Institutions in accordance with Industry requirements
• Collaborative Research and Development (R&D) possibilities in product & process development and innovation

GOALS / OBJECTIVES of the Cell:

1. Co-ordination of Training programmes for teaching faculty in industry, on a regular basis.
2. Building of a comprehensive Data Bank of persons from industry, willing and able to contribute their time and knowledge to educational institutions on a committed and sustained basis.
3. Inviting Industry Experts to interact with the students.
4. Arranging students’ visits to Industries (including short - term training of students in Industry).
5. Facilitating necessary changes in curriculum to suit the modern day needs and demand of the business and industry. Also, helping educational institutions in developing some new market-oriented courses.
6. The Cell would also look into the possibilities of Industry Institute partnership in Research & Development Activities and Consultancy work.

First Phase of IEPC Activities: Faculty Training in Industry

Industries often complain about the Quality of Students coming out of technical Institutions. It is observed that the Faculty in various Technical Institutions lack exposure to Industry. The teachers are not aware of the latest practices in industry and as a result, even their students are not aware of requirements of industry. Hence, the Industries have to spend a lot of time and money to train the fresh graduates in the practical applications.

The IEPC has realized the gravity of this situation, as a result in its first phase is trying to provide Industrial exposure to about 1000 desiring faculty members of Technical Institutions from all over Maharashtra. IEPC believes that such an initiative would also help the Industry in long run as they get better quality students in future.

The first batch of training of Faculty in Industry is starting from 7th February 2005 to 10th February 2005 at Siemens Ltd. at Kalwa & Nasik Plant with a batch of 25 trainees.

Companies, which have already agreed to support this initiative, are:

Siemens Ltd, Mahindra & Mahindra, Godrej, Larsen & Tubero, Patel Extrusion, German Remedies, Gujarat Ambuja, Reliance Infocom, Glaxo, Mahyco, etc.

For more details, please contact:

Industry Education Partnership Cell
Maharashtra Economic Development Council
Y. B. Chavan Centre, Nariman Point,
Mumbai – 400 021
Tel.22818198, 22842202 / 03
Email: sujata@medcindia.org
Fax: 22846394