Hyderabad: Labour, Employment and Mines Minister Dr. G. Vivek Venkatswamy on Thursday announced that the Telangana government would establish 53 new Advanced Technology Centres (ATCs) across the state at a cost of ₹2,000 crore. The initiative will expand access to advanced technical education and skill training.
The Minister made the announcement after laying the foundation stone for a new Advanced Technology Centre at Rangareddygudem in Rajapur mandal of Mahabubnagar district.
Vivek Venkatswamy said the government had given top priority to skill development and employment generation. Meanwhile, the State had upgraded ITIs facing closure into 65 Advanced Technology Centres with an investment of about ₹2,200 crore.
Advanced Technology Centres record strong admissions
According to the Minister, the newly established Advanced Technology Centres had recorded a 90 per cent admission rate. He attributed the response to industry-oriented courses and growing demand for skill-based education.
Furthermore, he stressed that students should acquire technical skills along with academic qualifications. He said those skills were essential to improve employability and secure quality jobs in a competitive global economy.
Vivek Venkatswamy said the Telangana Overseas Manpower Company Limited (TOMCOM) programme had received an encouraging response from young people across the state. In addition, he said the government had allocated ₹90 crore in the Budget for internationally recognised skill training and overseas employment opportunities.
Moreover, Telangana had emerged as a national model for transforming conventional ITIs into Technology Centres, he said. The Union government had appreciated the initiative. Further, a committee comprising representatives from several states had been formed to study Telangana’s model, and Vivek Venkatswamy said he was leading the panel.
Finally, Jadcherla MLA Anirudh Reddy and other public representatives attended the programme.