CHANDIGARH: After making Punjab No. 1 in school education, the Bhagwant Mann Government has now turned its focus to technical education, with a major push to transform Government Polytechnics and ITIs into industry-aligned, innovation-driven and employment-oriented institutions.
Addressing the gathering, Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains said the conclave was part of a larger overhaul underway in Punjab’s Government Polytechnics and ITIs, aimed at ending the disconnect between academic qualifications and actual employable skills. “For decades, our higher and technical education system has been a factory of unemployment, producing degree-holders who can recite theory but cannot hold a tool.
Minister Harjot Singh Bains said, “We have moved from 27th to 3rd in the country, and our goal is to make Punjab number 1 in Technical Education and no student should leave our institutions empty-handed.”
Inviting industry leaders to witness and become part of this transformation, he said the partnership between industry and educational institutions would be critical to building a skilled workforce capable of powering Punjab’s industrial growth.
Building on this transformation in school education, the Education Minister said, “The Bhagwant Mann Government is now extending the same reform-oriented approach to technical education to create globally competitive institutions and a future-ready workforce. A full-semester internship has been made compulsory for diploma students, while 40-plus hours of annual faculty training has been mandated.”
Minister Harjot Singh Bains said state-of-the-art Innovation Labs at five Government Polytechnics at Khunimajra, Bathinda, Ferozepur, Badbar and Talwara were inaugurated on Thursday. These industry-grade spaces will provide students with opportunities for hands-on learning, prototyping and real-world problem-solving.
Additional Chief Secretary, Technical Education and Industrial Training, Vikas Pratap said Punjab’s technical education system was rapidly moving beyond conventional models and adopting technologies and practices relevant to the future.
Vikas Pratap said the Industry-Academia Conclave marked the beginning of a continuous partnership between the State’s technical education institutions and industry, rather than being a one-time consultation. “This conclave is not a one-time dialogue but the start of a continuous partnership. Every suggestion will be acted upon,” he said.
