Last week, 103 students passed out from the Toyota Technical Training Institute (TTTI) in Bidadi near Bengaluru, at the 14th convocation of the institute. Since it started in 2007, the TTTI has picked up almost 950 schoolchildren from Karnataka and beyond, trained them in making cars and parts, and placed them in the industry.
Vikram Gulati, country head & senior vice-president, Toyota Kirloskar Motor (TKM), told FE that this year’s passing-out batch included 62 TTTI regular students and 41 Toyota Kaushalya students from rural Karnataka.
What does the TTTI offer?
The TTTI, located within the TKM Bidadi plant, has a three-year programme that focuses on holistic development of students — knowledge, skills, physical fitness and attitude. The curriculum comprises of basic subjects, recreational activities, and training on automobile assembly, automobile paint, automobile weld and mechatronics. In addition, students are given practical training by applying Toyota Production System (TPS) to various manufacturing processes at the TKM plant.
Toyota Kaushalya: It aims to enhance the employment potential of the youth by combining theoretical learning with on-the-job training.
What about fees?
TTTI students don’t have to pay any fees. They are chosen from amongst underprivileged families, usually from nearby areas, and must have successfully passed 10th standard exam with 50% marks, especially in maths and science. For final admission, they have to pass a written test. Gulati said funds for the TTTI come from TKM.
What do students study?
They study the usual ITI curriculum during three years, plus some “best practices from Japan,” Gulati said. They also learn English, Hindi and try to become better in their local language.
The training is intense. There are two semesters of six months each, and students are allowed to go home one week per semester. Because both boarding and lodging are free of cost for three years, there are measures, such as background checks, to make sure only the eligible get in.
At the end of training, students earn the National Apprenticeship Certificate that is accepted for government jobs, and also valued globally. In addition, they earn a Toyota certificate and a Japan-India Institute for Manufacturing (JIM) certificate.
What is JIM?
In 2017, the Japanese ministry of economy, trade and industry (METI) announced that four JIMs will be opened in India. Now operational, these are Maruti Suzuki JIM (Ganpat Vidyanagar, Mehsana, Gujarat); Daikin Japanese Institute of Manufacturing Excellence (Neemrana, Rajasthan); Yamaha Motor NTTF Training Center (Chennai, Tamil Nadu); and the TTTI, already in operation since 2007, was also selected as a JIM.
What about placements?
While TKM absorbs most students — its car sales are rising, and it needs more human capital — it also invites its suppliers and other associates to the campus. Over the years, roughly half students stay back with Toyota and others join the company’s suppliers and other manufacturers.
Gulati said a key factor contributing to the TTTI’s success is the consistently high employment rate of students, who have secured good jobs not only within Karnataka and India, but also overseas.
Do only boys study here?
Mechanics has traditionally been a domain dominated by males, but now the TTTI has started taking girl students as well, and is building a hostel for them.
