Toyota Kirloskar Motor Hosts Karnataka State Skills Competition 2021

Toyota Kirloskar Motor hosted the 2021 edition of the renowned Karnataka State Skills competition at the company’s premises in Bidadi. Organized under the aegis of Karnataka Skill Development Corporation (KSDC), the competition tests skills of the participants in five essential automotive functions such as - mechatronics, prototype modelling, car painting, automobile technology and auto body repair.

Winners of the competition will represent the state in the India Skills competition, organized by National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC), New Delhi. Further, winners of the India Skills competition will represent India and put their skills to test in the World Skills Competition 2022.

After inaugurating the competition, Mr. Ashwin Gowda, IRS, MD of KSDC said, “Karnataka has a plethora of talented youth and has been espousing skill development initiatives among them. Our aim is to ensure that every participant from the state is well trained and equipped so that there is   good chance to win medals and make the state and country proud. In the automotive sector, we are glad to partner with Toyota, known for skill its development initiatives and transforming youth into world-class technicians.”

Mr. G. Shankara, Vice President, HR and Services, Toyota Kirloskar Motor said, “In line with the company’s commitment towards Skill India, TKM has been constantly engaged in initiatives to address the dynamic industry requirements, which can only be achieved with the right skills. Skill development is therefore close to our heart. We believe that investing in skills and training youth with the best knowledge is the key for developing individuals and the industry’s competency levels. We hire youth from the rural hinterlands of Karnataka and help them develop into world-class skill champions by providing them rigorously training on their body, mind, attitude and equip them to compete at international forums.

As a result of our training, contestants from TKM who represented the country have been able to win one bronze medal (2017) and four medals of excellence (2015, 2017, 2019) in the World Skills competition. By sharing our best practices with the stakeholders, we aim to develop youth as world-class technicians and contribute towards the Skill India Mission”, he added.

About World Skills Competition

Initiated in 1950, the World Skills Competition is the global hub for skills excellence and development through international cooperation and development. It is the global meeting place for government, education, industry, and association leaders to discuss relevant and important issues related to skills management.

In 2019, the competition saw participation from more than 1300 competitors from 75 countries challenging each other in 56 skill sets. India took part in 45 skills winning 1 Gold, 1 Silver, 2 Bronze and 15 Medallions of excellence in the respective categories. The team consisted of 46 talented young minds showcased their best performance since India began to take part in the competition in 2007. The participants were selected through a nationwide screening process under the guidance of the National Skill Development Council (NSDC).

Other Information

Toyota Kirloskar Motor continuously undertakes training initiatives in the field of skill development, some of the key initiatives are:

·         Toyota Technical Training Institute (TTTI) offers a three year rigorous full-time training in Automobile Assembly, Automobile Paint, Automobile Weld and Mechatronics (a combination of mechanical and industrial electronics) TTTI has also been selected as a part of this partnership between Japan and India for the “Manufacturing Skill Transfer Promotion Program’’.

·         Gurukul is a well-equipped learning center at TKM imparts diverse training to employees at all levels which helps them to improve their abilities and thoroughly fulfill their roles. There are three levels of training – Fundamental Skill, Element Work and Standardized Work training. Micro-level training helps the employees to develop skills to manufacture world-class cars. Additionally, all members are periodically trained on Toyota way practices and Toyota Business practices to ensure the learning principles adopted and adapted well for everyone is understanding.

·         Toyota Technical Education Program (T-TEP) provides technical know-how training to ITI students across India along with providing hands on real time experience within Toyota dealerships.