We have heard of MBA programmes for working professionals but in a path-breaking initiative, the Gujarat Technical Education Department is set to launch engineering courses specifically designed for working professionals in the 2024-25 academic year.
This initiative, approved by the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), will see 720 seats across two degree and five diploma engineering colleges opening up.
At least 570 seats are for diploma courses and 150 for degree courses. Ahmedabad’s prestigious LD College of Engineering is offering 30 seats each in mechanical, civil, and electrical engineering. Similarly, Vishwakarma Government Engineering College (VGEC) will provide 15 seats each in electrical and IT engineering, along with 30 in mechanical engineering.
The city’s Government Polytechnic College and RC Technical Institute have each been allocated 30 seats in civil, mechanical, and electrical engineering courses.
Additionally, several other polytechnic colleges across Gujarat, including AV Parekh Technical Institute in Rajkot, Government Polytechnic Colleges in Jamnagar and Valsad, Shri KJ Polytechnic in Bharuch, and DR S&SS Gandhi College of Engineering and Technology in Surat, are participating in this initiative.
Banchhanidhi Pani, Commissioner of Technical Education said, the colleges were chosen based on AICTE criteria, which include an 80% average intake over the last three years and location in aspirational districts to best serve the working professional class.
He said, “We have also decided courses for each college keeping in mind industries nearby. Working professionals will have to be part of the admission process through the Admission Committee for Professional Courses (ACPC) and Admission Committee for Professional Diploma Courses (ACPDC). Working professionals will be assigned the nearest college to ensure maximum participation in the academics. They will require one-year job experience to take up the course.”
Rajul Gajjar, Vice Chancellor of Gujarat Technological University (GTU) said, “We have prepared online content using different measures for the working professionals to take the theory lessons. The colleges can decide the time as per the regional suitability of theory classes and practical classes at the colleges. They are allowed to have college faculty or appoint professors of practice to teach these courses to working professionals.”
The admission process for these courses, managed by ACPC and ACPDC, will commence for the 2024-25 academic year. This initiative marks a significant step in aligning education with the growing needs of working professionals in Gujarat, setting a precedent for other states to follow.
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