Vijayawada: The Andhra Pradesh State Council of Higher Education (APSCE) is proposing cluster-based approach to promote the higher education and to generate employment in different districts basing on the availability of resources and potential for growth of different industries, said Prof K Madhu Murthy, chairman of the APSCHE. He said the APSCHE has understood that there is some gap between the education and needs of the industry.
He said APSCHE is working with the state government to promote education offering different courses in different areas to fulfil the requirements of skilled manpower for the industries while facilitating the youth to be gainfully employed and also meeting the local needs of the MSME industries.
He said Andhra Pradesh state has potential to produce a wide variety of products with available natural resources and talented entrepreneurs. He said every district has its own significance with the state government developing specific sectors of industry and education can supplement the growth of these major manufacturing or service sector hub.
He said the universities are ready to design higher education curriculum revised to meet the requirements of specific industry/sector, either small, medium or large, making education more purposeful for the economic and social wellbeing of the society.
Prof Madhu Murthy speaking to The Hans India explained how the APSCHE is planning to revise academic curriculum and work with the industry heads, entrepreneurs, the chamber of commerce and industry and with the department of industries.
He said, as part of Swarna Andhra the state government has identified various clusters for development of specific sectors at Visakhapatnam has vast potential to grow as IT, Medtech and pharmaceutical hub, Anantapur for automobile, electronics and Amaravati as Knowledge hub with Quantum Valley and Tirupati for IT industry, similarly earmarking aquaculture, agriculture, tourism, ports and logistics, circular economy based opportunities, where some districts are well known for different types of produce and where scope exists to generate jobs by imparting quality of education locally.
Prof Murthy said as per the curriculum the APSCHE Internship Programme is mandatory for the students as part of the government’s mission to skill and empower students through experiential learning so as to boost student employability and industry exposure. Internships in association with AICTE, UGC, NASSCOM and other industries are offered either by paying stipend or free (unpaid) to offer high-value certification where students can choose their preferred internship domain. Interns will complete training modules either physical or online or hybrid mode, work on real-time projects, and receive certificates.
Prof Murthy said AP Industrial and Infrastructure Development corporation of India (APIIC) is developing industrial clusters based on the parameters like demand and the availability of the products in the surrounding areas of the cluster locations by availing Government of India grants.
He said the APSCHE is inviting the industry heads to discuss with the academicians, the department of industries and other stake holders to chalk out a strategy to follow industrial cluster based approach in education so that the youth are future ready and improve employment situation while meeting the needs of the industry and the society.
General complaint from the industrial sector in the state is that the students, who completed technical education don’t have practical knowledge and basic skills to perform their day-to-day duties. He said the education curriculum should be changed as the students be educated and trained ready to work.
Prof Madhu Murthy said the APSCHE is inviting the industry heads to come up with suggestions and guidance what kind of trained students and manpower they needed that will contribute to the development of industry as well as state economy. Industrial and Problem Oriented Research of Universities in collaboration with industry would further help all the stakeholders. He said the government recently conducted a meeting to discuss how to fulfill the needs of the industry and generate employment in the state. He felt there is a need to convene stake holders meeting of industries, government departments, academicians and educational institutions regularly to chalk out a strategy how to go ahead to teach and train students who can fulfill the needs of the industry and to grow as professionals.
He underlined the need to introduce advanced courses like Artificial Intelligence, cyber security, sensors, semiconductors, etc. which have great prospects in India and abroad.
He said the APSCHE is giving priority to design thinking, which will help the students deal with the problem and internship for all students and involvement in community programmes.
He said the AP government has signed MoUs with TCS, L&T, IBM to set up Ratan Tata Innovation Hub and proposes to give boost for Quantum research and innovation. He hoped that AP will become manufacturing hub in the country with cluster-based industrial growth and will generate employment locally by imparting professional skills to meet the requirements of the industry within a very short period.
