SURVEY OF INDUSTRY
4.01. To consider the nature and direction of the reorganisation of polytechnic education to meet the real needs of industry for middle level technicians, it is necessary, among other things, to ascertain the job positions available in industry for diploma holders, the qualities and skills expected of them, the pattern of in-service development and promotion prospects and the need and nature of re-training and updating courses. Moreover, a study of the views and suggestions of Industry on the present diploma courses, and an assessment of the in-plant facilities which could be made available by industry, would be useful in Planning for the education and training of technicians on proper lines.
4.02. The Chairman of the Committee therefore undertook a detailed survey of selected industrial establishments covering a representative sample of the engineering and process industries and the public utilities and services. The Report of the Survey is given in Appendix No. 5. A pilot study was also made by the Technical Teacher Training Institute, Calcutta, aiming at an anlysis of technician jobs in two selected engineering establishments. In this chapter, a brief resume is given of the findings of these studies with special reference to the qualitative needs of technician education and training.
4.1. Pattern of Employment. 4.11. Technician positions in industry are occupied by engineering graduates, diploma holders and engineering practicals* i.e., those who do not have formal technical education qualifications but perform the functions on the basis of their job experience. According to the Survey, the proportion of these groups is as shown in Table 4.1.
TABLE 4.1
Technician positions by educational qualification.
Proportion (in percentage)
Proportion (in percentage)
Industry group
Engg. Diploma Engin-
Gra- Holders eering Total
duates Practicals
1 2 3 4 5
Mechanical Engg. Industry 11 41 48 100
Electrical Engg. Industry 16 38 46 100
Metallurgical (including
Mining) Industry 9 37 54 100
Processing Industry 23 24 53 100
Others 26 29 45 100
Overall proportion 16 36 48 100
* In the Report of the Survey of Industries,the phrase ,"persons with job experience only" is used in place of the term ,'engineering practicals"
4.12. There are wide variations in the pattern of utilisation of diploma holders as technicians within these industry groups, the proportion ranging from 24 per cent in the processing industry to over 60 per cent in the automobile, ship-building, machine tool, and paper industries.
4.13. A sizeable proportion of skilled craftsmen get promoted to technician positions after they gain experience on the shop floor. Sufficient attention has not been given to this group of technicians in the present system of polytechnic education. Polytechnics have the necessary facilities to offer a variety of short-term and part-time educational courses to supplement the technical skills of these craftsmen, especially to equip them for their role in planning, supervising and managing men and materials.
4.14. In terms of functions, technicians are distributed into the three fields of (a) design and production, (b) laboratory testing and analysis and (c) sales, stores and costing, as shown in Table 4.2.
TABLE 4.2
Functional distribution of technicians.
Proportion (in percentage)
Industry group
Design Labora- Sales
& tory Stores Total
Produc- testing etc.
tion &
analysis
1 2 3 4 5
Mechanical Engineering
Industry 74 19 7 100
Electrical Engineering In-
dustry 65 19 16 100
Metallurgical (including
Mining) Industry N.A. N.A. N.A. N.A.
Processing Industry 68 24 8 100
Others N.A. N.A. N.A. N.A.
TOTAL 69 20 11 100
N.A: Not available.
13
The concentration of technicians in the design and production field, especially in the engineering industry, is noteworthy. It is also observed that in the process industries, such as petrochemicals and electronics, a substantial number of technicians, about 30 percent, are engaged in process control and laboratory work. In industries like electrical machinery manufacture and textile machinery manufacture, there is a growing demand for technicians for 'sales and services.
4.2. Requirement of Technical Knowledge and Skills 4.21. Irrespective of the nature of processes or organisations, the main qualities expected of diploma holders for filling up technician positions in industry are: (a) knowledge of basic technology in the chosen field, (b) knowledge of engineering practice in industry, (c) ability to apply technical knowledge to 'practical situations, and (d) personnel qualities and leadership ability. Industries also stress the importance of communication skills for the technicians. 3 4.22. In relation to the qualities identified above, the present diploma courses need reconsideration particularly in the matter of practical orientation. 96 percent of the respondents to the Survey stated that the present diploma holders do not possess the skills necessary performing technician duties. It was noted that the technical knowledge of diploma holders in particular specialities is not of sufficient depth.
4.23. Industry is generally in favour of specialised instruction and training in a number of diversified fields in place of the present generalised courses in broad fields; a suitably broad-based study is however felt to be necessary before any specialised study is under- taken.
4.3. Organisation of Technician Education 4.31. An attempt was made through the Survey to ascertain the views of Industry on the possibility of organising diploma courses on a sandwich pattern. Sixty six percent of the respondents favoured sandwich courses with specialisation. The Engineering Industry in general supports sandwich courses where-ever such courses are feasible this includes eighty one per cent of the respondents from the heavy, engineering industry, seventy seven per cent from the electrical industry and seventy per cent from the electronics industry.
4.32. In regard to process industries, a majority of the respondents were in favour of specialisation without sandwiching; they, however, stressed the need for training the industry after the institutional programme.
4.33. It was also stated by most of the respondents that specialisation should be considered according to the needs of different industries. A view was expressed on behalf of some units in the petrochemical industry and in the electronics industry that sponsorship of students by industry to technician courses would be very desirable.
4.34. A close coordination between industry and education is considered essential in the process of technician education and training. This will be necessary, among other things, for the periodic revision of curricula and development of new courses whereever necessary, for providing facilities to teachers of poly- technics to gain industrial experience, for sponsoring candidates to sandwich courses and for conducting such courses. Most of the respondents to the Survey expressed their willingness to cooperate with polytechnics in all these areas.
4.4. Training of Diploma Students in Industry. 4.41. Consistent with the view that training in industry is an essential component of the education of technicians, many industries have offered facilities for organising such training, subject to certain conditions of financial and organisational commitments. In this context, it is emphasised by Industry that such training should be properly planned and effectively supervised.
4.5. Training of Polytechnic Teachers in Industry 4.51. Respondents from industry emphasise that the teachers in polytechnics should be uptodate in their knowledge of the practices in industry in order to make polytechnic education application-oriented and relevant to the needs of industry. Nearly 80 per cent of the respondents are willing to offer the necessary facilities for the industrial training of teachers subject to certain conditions. These conditions mainly concern (a) the cost to be incurred for the training and (b) the safeguards necessary to maintain technical secrets re- lating to their products, processes and techniques.
4.52. Various suggestions have been made about the duration of the industrial training of teachers. The durations proposed vary from one month to 5 years at a time, the longer duration being generally meant for new entrants to the teaching profession. In the opinion of Industry, such training should be made an essential qualification for recruitment as teachers. There should also be provision for further training of shorter duration from time to time during the tenure of work of teachers.
4.6. Retraining 4.61. The Survey reveals an increasing appreciation by Industry of the need for refresher courses and retraining programmes for technicians working in industry. The factors supporting this need are: (a) technological developments and continuing changes in pro- cesses and products; (b) occupational mobility of technicians; (c) the need to update knowledge for improved performance; (d) the specialised requirements of certain industries; and (e) continuing improvements in management techniques.
4.62. Several industries have suggested special short-term courses for technicians in industrial and production engineering and in the modern concepts and techniques in their subject fields. Some of the subjects indicated in this connection are: (a) operations research; (b) instrumentation; (c) tool design
14
and engineering; (d) production planning; (e) standardization; (f) materials planning and control; (g) quality control; and (h) cost control.
4.63. Some of the above subjects, like quality control and production control, are in the nature of basic requirements for any technician course and should be included in the pre-employment education offered in polytechnics. Wherever Industry identifies specific areas of retraining, polytechnics should devise suitable short-term courses jointly with the industry concerned and conduct such courses either in polytechnics and/ or in industry.
4.7Job Analysis 4.71. The sample job analysis made by the Technicians ETAOIN SHRLUD CMFWYP ETAOINT nical Teacher Training Institute, Calcutta, primarily as a pilot study, broadly supports -the findings of the Survey particularly on the need (a) to specialise by means of diversified technician courses, (b) to develop supervisory and managerial skills, (c) to improve the technician's ability to plan, organise and control shop-floor activities, (d) to develop the ability to communicate effectively with engineers and craftsmen, (e) to ensure a sound knowledge of engineering principles and sciences along with skill in the application of such knowledge to practical problems, and (f) to consider the process of technician education as a co opera effort of polytehnics and industry.
4.72. An overall review of the duties/tasks, know ledge, skills and responsibilities of technicians indicate that polytechnics and industry have complementary roles to assume in the education and training of technicians. Whereas certain knowledge and skills basic to all technicians (irrespective of the industries in which they are likely to find employment) could be imparted institutionally, there are certain other skills and knowledge that can be imparted only through in-plant/ apprenticeship training in industry. These vary from industry to industry. Further, the education and training of technicians, like that of all other professional persons, is a continuing process and does not cease with the first employment; so much so, that the appropriate forms of refresher and retraining courses should be formulated keeping in 'view the changing requirements of jobs for skills and knowledge and the ability and needs of the individual technician. In order to identify these needs, as well as to aid the diversification of educational programmes in polytechnics, it is necessary to undertake job analysis surveys of a wide representative cross-section of industry, commerce and the public utilities.
4.8. The Committee has carefully considered these suggestions. It has also taken into account the suggestions made by industrial associations and professional organisations like the Institution of Engineers (India). In the recommendations which follow, these views and suggestions have, been cooordinated with the factual data on the education and employment of diploma holders so that the present system may be reorganised on proper lines.