TATA, JOB CRUNCH!

3,000 apprentice jobs at Nano plant in Sanand for students who clear class XII

By Yogesh Avasthi
Posted On Wednesday, May 26, 2010 (http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/index.aspx?Page=article§name=News%20-%20Latest§id=2&contentid=2010052620100526042645886405b1934)
Students in the city seeking to gain work experience before joining college can now hitch a lift from the People’s Car. Tata Motors has “rolled out” an opportunity for class XII pass-outs to work at its Nano plant in Sanand as trainees. The company is expected to start manufacturing Nanos from the Sanand unit next month and it is looking for more than 3,000 trainees and 1,000 fresh recruits.

For trainees, it has narrowed down its search to Ahmedabad, Gandhinagar, Sanand and adjoining areas. All those who took HSC science and commerce examinations this year or cleared them with at least 40 per cent marks in 2009 will be eligible for the three-year training programme. However, the ride to the 1,100-acre Nano plant won’t be an easy one.

Students will have to pass series of tests, including written, practical and psychometric. The 60-mark written test will be conducted at select schools in the city and other places from June 6 to 24. Recently, company representatives met the state school commissioner and district education officer to work out a plan for exam centres.

The idea of roping in HSC pass-outs from science and commerce streams is to create industry-specific trained manpower. “By roping in class XII pass-outs, Tata Motors is creating a pool of talent to serve its and industry’s future staff needs,” an industry expert said.

Candidates who clear all tests and interview rounds will be given a “vocational training” at the Sanand unit for three weeks. They will be taught basic concepts of automobile engineering and introduced to common practices of the industry.

After this, they will undergo formal training. Interestingly, special sessions will be conducted to teach students how to drive cars. Fork lift driving, painting, welding and assembling are also among the skills they will pick up.

In the first year of the apprenticeship, candidates will be given Rs 4,000 per month. In the second and third year, they will be paid Rs 4,500 and Rs 5,000, respectively. At the end of the three-year programme, Tata Motors may add promising candidates to its payroll.

The company has been looking for trainees and fresh recruits for the past six months. According to an estimate, it needs more than 1,000 fresh recruits for the Sanand plant.It has reportedly carried out recruitment drives at LD Engineering, Nirma University, ITIs and other leading institutes and varsities in the state.

Last year, in fact, it interviewed candidates at MS University in Vadodara and KJ Polytechnic College in Bharuch. When Ratan Tata announced his plans to shift the Nano plant from Singur to Sanand in 2008, he had said that the unit would create 10,000 direct and indirect jobs.