SkillSonics offers vocational courses designed in partnership with Swiss Vocational and Educational Training (VET) institutions, based on industry demand. It has secured Rs 22.5 crore funding (equity and loan) from the National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) towards accelerating to its target of training and certifying up to a million engineering technicians by 2022.
The apprentices spend only about 65 per cent of the time doing course-work (mostly practical work and projects), leaving the remaining time to be spent on productive work on the shop floor or company-specific training. Candidates benefit through skilling at global skill levels and on the job orientation.
During training, SkillSonics conducts rigorous assessments at regular intervals. At the end of the course, the apprentices take exams for the Indian National Apprenticeship and Swissmem Certification. The dual certification and rigorous assessment of demonstrated skills, teamwork ability and on-floor behavior greatly enhance the employability of these apprentices.
Despite an expected need for 40 million machinists (workers skilled in handling machines) and mechanics in 2020, India produces less than two million skilled, vocationally trained workers every year. This number constitutes only teo per cent of the total students in the age group 15 to 25, as compared to 80 per cent in Europe and 60 per cent in East Asian countries. The shortage of skilled labour both in terms of quantity and quality has reduced productivity and cut into the profitability of Indian enterprises.