Govt plans 20 additional GTTCs to boost jobs: Min

Mangaluru:The Karnataka govt is planning to establish 20 additional Government Tool Room and Training Centres (GTTCs) across the state to improve employment prospects for graduates, skill development minister Sharanprakash R Patil said on Saturday.

He spoke after inaugurating the new building of the Karnataka German Technical Training Institute (KGTTI) in Mangaluru. The institute functions under the department of skill development, entrepreneurship and livelihood, through the Karnataka German Multi Skill Development Center (KGMDC) Society.

Patil said GTTCs, which offer what he described as a 100% job guarantee for graduates, currently records about 2,500 admissions. With the proposed expansion, annual admissions are expected to rise to around 6,000. He added that the govt aims to further scale up intake to 10,000 in the coming year.

Explaining the focus on GTTCs and similar institutions, the minister said the training provided helps candidates secure jobs not only within India, but also overseas. He noted that graduates from such programmes are in demand in countries such as Germany and Japan, where they are offered engineering designations. “Providing job is our motto while there is an unemployment issue across the country,” he said.

Patil also referred to the state’s Yuvanidhi scheme, stating that there are close to three lakh beneficiaries under the programme. To strengthen placement opportunities, the minister said the govt has conducted mega job fairs in Bengaluru, Mysuru and Kalaburagi, and plans to hold similar events in Mangaluru and Hubballi. According to him, about 1.4 lakh job seekers have participated in the job fairs held so far.

During the event, Patil urged KGTTI officials to introduce long-term courses of three years at their institutions, indicating a push towards deeper, industry-aligned training.

Manjunath Bhandary, MLC, criticised the institute’s officials for not inviting alumni to the inauguration. He said more than 10,000 students have graduated from the institution, but none were present at the launch. Bhandary said involving former students would support relationship-building and could help current trainees access internships and jobs. He also said the institute should have invited heads of industries that employ KGTTI graduates.