With a focus on capacity building, Tata Motors, the Indian automobile manufacturer, is doing its bit to develop a future-ready workforce equipped with the skills required for electric vehicles (EVs) and other new-age technologies. The company will equip 50 per cent of its workforce with new-age auto tech capabilities within five years.
In a media briefing today, the company revealed that its employees had invested over 3,40,000 hours in specialised training and development.
The training will be delivered in various forms and formats.
The company has curated training modules to address the requisite developmental needs of all — from shopfloor technicians to line engineers, and plant management. These modules deliver relevant technical skills, functional skills, as well as managerial and leadership capabilities. Additionally, each function-specific curriculum of these training modules is complemented by a dedicated programme that unfolds in various stages including self-awareness, digital awareness, sustainability awareness and industry 4.0 awareness.
At the technician level, it has curated a higher education programme designed specifically for shopfloor technicians. The programme will enable them to pursue a ‘Diploma in Engineering’ with a focus on auto electrical and electronics, mechatronics and specialised welding skills. Furthermore, it will equip the staff with necessary qualifications for growth and to meet the evolving demands of the automotive industry.
For Tata Motors’ employees, a certification in Connected, Electric, Shared and Safe (CESS) is available through collaboration with several of its tech partners such as ARAI, Bosch, Mathworks, SAE and Tata Technologies. The employees will be working across various domain expert-level modules on advanced ADAS, battery technology, V2X connectivity, blockchain, cybersecurity, big data analytics, and more.
Furthermore, the company has co-created sponsored programmes with several universities, including BITS Pilani, MIT-ADT University Pune, Institute of Technology Nirma University, Symbiosis International (Deemed Universities), Ganpat University, DY Patil International University, Oxford Polytechnic, ARKA Jain University and Amity University, focusing on providing employees with higher education opportunities including BTech, MTech, and also executive MBA. These specialised programmes will enable the employees to further develop their technical, professional and leadership skills required to excel and optimise the opportunities ahead.
To further ease the learning, the company has also curated functional e-learning and virtual classrooms for all employees.
Strengthening its talent pool, Tata Motors has a flagship full-time ‘Apprenticeship Programme’ that caters to the new generation of talented, adaptable and digitally proficient professionals. This programme places a strong emphasis on cultivating sought-after skills such as mechatronics, IoT, robotics, and AI, providing hands-on training that equips students for promising careers in the automotive sector.
Under this programme, the company offers training to students with ITI or 12th-grade qualifications through an innovative ‘Learn & Earn’ model. Upon successfully completing the programme, apprentices are well-prepared to secure positions within the automotive industry and its supporting ecosystem, facilitating a seamless transition from education to employment.
Currently, more than 13,000 students are actively enrolled in the programme, with over 88 per cent of graduates finding employment opportunities through the company’s channel partners.
Furthermore, the company has also collaborated with Ganpat University in Gujarat to provide skill- enhancement opportunities to its workforce at the Ford India facility in Sanand. The company acquired the facility in January 2023.
The customised training programmes there focus on cutting-edge manufacturing technologies such as Industry 4.0, smart manufacturing, advanced control engineering, and advanced manufacturing systems and processes. The training also covers modern automotive systems such as ADAS, connected cars, CESS and control cystems.
These courses are delivered through a combination of classroom sessions and practical training at different levels, including postgraduate (MTech), praduate (BTech) and diploma programmes. Currently, the company has over 820 active participants engaged in the training since its launch in February 2023.
Speaking about upskilling employees and the comprehensive learning programmes, Sitaram Kandi, vice president – HR, passenger vehicles and electric vehicles, said, “Tata Motors has evolved into a learning organisation with a structured and thoughtful approach to upskilling. Collaborating with tech partners and academic institutions, tailor-made training programmes, a nationwide ‘learn & earn’ apprenticeship programme and a sharp focus on diversity and inclusion, is enabling us to develop and nurture a capable, future-ready workforce that is fit to excel. We are doing this not just for ourselves and our channel partners but also for the Indian auto industry at large along with its enabling ecosystem.”
