PARTNERSHIP WITH INDUSTRY AND COMMERCE
 

10.01. Unlike the other streams of higher education, the education of technicians is primarily governed by the needs of industry and commerce. Moreover, the very nature of technician training and the limitations of institutions with regard to training facilities, require that industry and commerce should assume the responsibility for giving a part of the training for which they are best equipped. For these reasons, technician education needs to be regarded as a venture in partnership between educational institutions on the one hand and industry and commerce on the other. In this process, both have common interests and concerns to share. The problems facing technicians, the problem of industrial productivity, the gap between educational objectives and industrial requirements and the challenge of rapid advances in science and technology are all but a few examples of such common interests. In the reorganisation of polytechnic education, the Committee would stress the need for both of them to come closer,

10.02. At present, the partnership of industry in technician education is mostly confined to participation in higher level policy making by way of the association- of a few experts from industry in the All India Council for Technical Education and its Regional Committees, and in the bodies at the State level concerned with technician education policy. At the unit level barring a few instances of the collaboration of industry in running sandwich courses, or in offering training facilities for students, there is little evidence of partnership. This, however, is not surprising because, at the unit level, there is in fact very little opportunity or incentive for establishing close partnership.

The individual polytechnics have very little authority or control over the planning and organisation of technician education and therefore the question of their forging links with local industries hardly arises.

10.03. The Committee is convinced that the collaboration of industry in the education of technicians will be real and effective only if it exists at all levels of the Polytechnic education system from the national to the unit level. At the national regional and state levels the partnership should be made more effective than, hitherto. It is at the unit level however that there is the greatest need for the most active collaboration. The association of industry with the proposed State Councils of Technical Awards and with the autonomous polytechnics in framing and changing polytechnic courses will form a very important aspect of the collaboration. Conditions must moreover, be created which favour the establishment of close collaboration in other aspects, particularly in the implementation of the programmes of education and training. The specific areas and aspects of partnership as implied in the Committee's recommendations for the reorganisation and improvement of polytechnic education are briefly considered below.

10.1. Cooperation of Industry and Commerce in the Educational Process.

10.11. Industry and commerce, being the largest consumers of the products of Polytechnics have the responsibility to specify the nature and quality of the products to be turned out from polytechnics. This calls for closer collaboration and cooperation of industry and commerce in the planning and development of educational programmes and the provision of facilities for training.

10.12. It has already been emphasised that training is an essential part of technician education. Executive training cannot be achieved without the active and whole hearted participation of industry. It will therefore be necessary for industrial establishments to determine the 'availability of proper training facilities with reference to the number of training places, types of facilities and training personnel. It is also necessary for them to determine whether they will be able to offer appropriate facilities for running sandwich courses. Once this point is made clear, the polytechnics should work out the educational and training programmes with the assistance of industry. Similarly in the case of diversified and special courses industry should take the initiative to collaborate with the polytechnics in identifying the areas and fields in which courses are needed and in designing the appropriate courses. Industry should also assist polytechnics in the planning, implementation and supervision of training programmes for students after they have completed their institutional education.

10.2. Industrial Training for Teachers

10.21. It has been stressed earlier that polytechnic teachers should be familiar with the working, practices and trends of industry and be able to give an industrial orientation to teaching. This is a matter on which both the polytechnics and industry should be vitally concerned. it is therefore recommended that industries should extend their fullest cooperation in providing the much needed industrial experience to polytechnic teachers either by short-term or long-term training or through other arrangements.

10.3. Research and Development

10.31. One of the areas of fruitful collaboration between industry and polytechnics is in the area of research, design and development. The Committee recommends that industries in the neighbourhood of polytechnics must be encouraged to refer their re- search. development and production problems to the polytechnics. Industries may also support other research or development projects undertaken by polytechnics.

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10.4. Industrial Orientation to Teaching

10.41. The above measures will enable teachers to perceive actual industrial and field problems and suitably use them for class room or laboratory work Close contact of teachers with industry will moreover help in planning project work based on the actual problems and practice in industry and commerce. In addition, the Committee recommends that experts from industry should be invited to discuss some typical problems of the shop floor and explain through. special lectures and seminars how they are solved. Such lectures and seminars are among the best ways of integrating industrial experience and polytechnic education, and can contribute greatly to motivate students towards a practical way of thinking.

10.5. Manpowers Forecasting and Planning

10.51. The Committee has recommended earlier that special units should be set up in the Directorates or Departments in charge of Technical Education for the estimation of future technician demand, specialitywise, on the basis of analysis of occupations. Industrial collaboration is essential in such an activity; it is therefore recommended that industry and commerce and their federations should be fully involved in the work of these units. In this respect, cooperation with the Industrial Liaison Boards, wherever these are established. will be fruitful.