In a remarkable collaboration, Tata Motors, the leading automobile company in India, has forged a partnership with Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya (JNV) to offer valuable knowledge, practical automotive skills, and industrial exposure to secondary and senior secondary students. This initiative is a crucial component of the vocational courses envisioned in the ‘National Education Policy 2020‘. The program, which was launched in 2022, is currently available at 25 JNVs located across Gujarat, Maharashtra, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, and Uttarakhand. The training has already benefited 2,500 students, and it is anticipated that 5,000 students will be covered this year.
Under this unique venture, Tata Motors is leveraging its extensive expertise in the automobile domain to provide Automotive Courses (404 & 804) for vocational skilling to JNV students. These courses are specifically tailored for students in grades 9 to 12, adhering to the curriculum and lab setup designed in accordance with the guidelines set by the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), with inputs from the Tata Motors team. The primary objective of this program is to equip students with practical automotive skills and industry exposure, all within the confines of their own school premises.
To facilitate this initiative, Tata Motors has established dedicated ‘Automotive Skill Lab’ infrastructure at 25 JNV schools and conducted training programs for instructors responsible for teaching these vocational subjects. The training sessions took place at the Tata Motors plant in Jamshedpur. Once the students complete their schooling, armed with vocational automotive skills, they have the option to pursue a fully funded Diploma in Mechatronics offered by Tata Motors. During this phase, students gain on-the-job training at TML manufacturing facilities and receive a stipend from the company. Following the successful completion of the program, students can either explore opportunities within the automotive industry or pursue a B.Tech degree in engineering, thus embarking on a promising career path.
Vinod Kulkarni, CSR Head at Tata Motors, expressed his commitment to enriching the lives of the country’s youth, emphasizing the significance of upskilling as a means to achieve this objective. He expressed his delight in collaborating with Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas to enhance the employability of students from underserved communities and fuel their career aspirations. The integration of this course with professional education allows students to envision a future in the automotive field. Moreover, this project underscores Tata Motors’ dedication to nurturing talent, empowering youth, and bridging the skills gap in the automotive industry, all within the framework of the ‘Skill India Mission‘. Kulkarni affirmed the company’s satisfaction in enabling the development of an engaged and skilled workforce, thereby creating a future-ready labor pool through its partnership with JNVs.
Vinayak Garg, Commissioner of Navodaya Vidyalaya Sangathan, expressed his delight in partnering with Tata Motors for this pioneering initiative. He highlighted the significance of providing students with holistic education that encompasses both academic and vocational streams, in alignment with the NEP 2020. This collaboration will equip students with the necessary knowledge and skills to excel in their chosen careers or trades, enabling them to keep pace with the current trends in the automotive industry.