PUNE: Around 300 seats are likely to increase at Industrial Training Institute (ITI) in Aundh, while two new courses will also be introduced under Skill Strengthening for Industrial Values Enhancement (STRIVE) at the institute.

ITI Aundh has recently received Rs 2.5 crore from the World Bank to be utilised in the next five years. With the help of this fund, the institute has decided to start two new programmes, ‘auto body preparing’ and ‘auto body paint’. 

Anticipating an increase in the number of enrollments for the new academic year, it will also increase the divisions in five existing courses, which are surveyor, motor mechanic, diesel mechanic, instrument mechanic, electronic mechanic and draftsmen mechanic.

Moreover, ITI Aundh will make efforts in improving the number of female enrollment ratio in the college under the STRIVE initiative. 

This initiative has been undertaken by the Ministry of Skill Development, in collaboration with the World Bank and has been implemented in government and private ITIs in the country. The total cost for implementation of the initiative across the country is Rs 2,200 crore. Forty per cent of the sanctioned fund, which is Rs one crore, will be given in the first year to the institute.

ITI Aundh Principal Prakash Saigaonkar said that this amount will be used in introducing the two new courses and developing the infrastructure to equip the courses.

“20 ITIs will receive the funds under this project. The institute’s management committee, comprising experts from industries, was formed to bring forth and execute the project. The funds will be used according to the guidelines provided by this committee. Further, the focus will be on imparting quality based skill education to students,” said Saigaonkar.