The Directorate General of Training (DGT) division of the Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship, has signed an agreement with Global IT major IBM where the latter will carry out a nationwide Train-the-Trainer in Basic Artificial Intelligence Skills.

As part of the program, ITI trainers will be trained on basic Artificial Intelligence (AI) skills towards using the technology in their day-to-day training activities.

This program aims at enabling the trainers with basic approach, workflow and application of artificial intelligence that they can apply in their training modules.

IBM aims at training 10,000 faculty members from ITIs across the country and the program will be executed over aperiod of one yearwith 14 trainers across 7 locations with over 200 workshops.

Mahendra Nath Pandey,Minister for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, asserted that in the coming times “Many more training programs will be initiated for the trainers.

These will be integral for skilling the youth with modern technological knowledge and skills.

These digital skills will provide an edge to the trainers responsible for imparting academic curriculum to students and help them enter the workforce, as they are aligned to industry 4.0.”

RK Singh, Minister of State, Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship also expressed his views and stated “Programs for training thetrainers that bridge the technological gap between the students and teachers are the need of the hour.These programs will ensure the passing ofindustry relevant skills to students promoting better learning and better retention by the students.”

The program was officially announced during the Kaushalaycharya Samadar celebrations on Teachers’ Day held on5th September 2019, where the Minister felicitated trainers from across the country for their extraordinary contribution to the Skill India Mission.

A total of 53 trainers, including experts who trained the WorldSkills Competition winners, trainers from National Skill Training Institutes (NSTIs), Industrial Training Centres (ITI), Jan Sikshan Sansthans (JSS) and trainers from reputed corporate houses were honoured.

IBM will provide the necessary training at seven centres including six National Skills Training Institutes (NSTI) and one Industrial Training Institute (ITI) in Pune.

The training content will be divided in two parts, where a face-to-face workshop will be supported by online modules to ensure holistic learning and certification for faculty members.

The partners will also collate a detailed calendar for each location to ensure maximum participation for those undertaking the program.

Each participant attending the workshop will go through a pre-assessment to gauge the level of their skills.

The participants will take online courses with technical support from the trainers, enabling continuous learning.

On completion of the program, participants will go through a post assessment, to further gauge their skill set and the level they have achieved. Individuals that complete the course will be awarded certification of participation and will be badged by IBM.