Gandhinagar, June 7 (IANS) Gujarat has introduced a range of new-age technical courses in Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) across the state, including programmes in artificial intelligence, electric vehicles, drone technology and renewable energy, as part of efforts to align vocational training with emerging industry requirements and future employment opportunities.

The Labour and Employment Department has launched 11 new courses in government, grant-in-aid and self-financed ITIs, creating 3,312 additional seats for trainees.

The courses have been introduced in 73 ITIs, comprising 67 government institutions, two grant-in-aid institutes and four self-financed institutes.

Among the new programmes are Artificial Intelligence Programming Assistant, Drone Pilot, Solar Technician (Electrical), Information Technology, Mechanic Electric Vehicle, Advanced CNC Machining, Additive Manufacturing Technician (3D Printing), Technician Mechatronics, Computer Aided Manufacturing (CAM) Programmer, IoT Technician (Smart Agriculture), IoT Technician (Smart City) and Smartphone Technician-cum-App Tester.

State Labour, Skill Development and Employment Minister Kunvarji Bavaliya said the courses had been designed to prepare skilled manpower for rapidly expanding sectors.

“These courses have been introduced to prepare skilled manpower for rapidly growing sectors such as renewable energy, electric mobility, automation, smart manufacturing, artificial intelligence and digital technology,” he said.

Minister of State for Labour, Skill Development and Employment, Kantilal Amrutiya, said the initiative was intended to ensure vocational training remained relevant to changing industrial demands.

“The primary objective of introducing these new-age courses in the state’s Industrial Training Institutes is to keep the training system aligned with changing industrial requirements. These courses will create employment opportunities for youth,” he said.

Mechanic, Electric Vehicle and Solar Technician (Electrical) programmes have been introduced on a large scale, while several specialised courses have been launched in selected institutions.

The expansion comes amid expectations of significant job growth in both renewable energy and electric mobility.

An official said Gujarat accounted for 16.5 per cent of India’s total renewable energy capacity and had emerged as a leading state in the sector. The state’s installed renewable energy capacity reached 42.583 gigawatts by December 2025.

According to official figures, Gujarat ranks first in the country in total installed renewable energy capacity and wind power generation, and second in solar energy capacity.

“There is tremendous employment potential in the solar energy sector, and the introduction of the Solar Technician course in ITIs will help create skilled manpower for the industry,” an official said.

The state is also preparing for the growing demand for skilled workers in the electric vehicle sector.

Gujarat recorded 12,729 EV registrations in March this year, compared with 7,252 registrations during the same month last year, representing an increase of 75.5 per cent.

Registrations of pure electric vehicles rose by 111 per cent, increasing from 5,271 units to 11,126 units.

“As the number of electric vehicles increases, demand for trained technicians for their maintenance and repair will also rise. The new EV mechanic-related courses have been designed to meet this growing demand,” a senior official said.

To support practical training, 40 electric vehicles have been supplied to ITIs across the state.

The initiative forms part of broader skill development efforts being undertaken in Gujarat under the leadership of Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel to prepare skilled manpower for emerging sectors and expand employment opportunities for young people.

It also aligns with the ‘Skill India Mission’ launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to enhance employability through vocational training and skill development programmes.

Gujarat currently has 560 ITIs with a combined training capacity of 2,18,736 seats.

This includes 288 government ITIs with 1,77,912 seats, 100 grant-in-aid ITIs with 16,200 seats and 171 self-financed ITIs with 24,624 seats. At present, 138 vocational courses are offered through the state’s industrial training institutes.

–IANS

mys/uk