ANAND Group, a leading manufacturer of world-class auto components and systems, has signed a MoU late last week with Shri Vishwakarma Skill University (SVSU), Haryana to allow its operating engineers to pursue a B. Tech in Mechanical and Smart Manufacturing to support their careers within the industry and beyond.

The programme will help the Group’s working professionals continue higher education through application-based learning under the ‘Earn-while-Learn Dual Education’ model. The three-year course is an All-India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) approved programme and supported by the Government of Haryana. The initiative is titled H.O.P.E or Higher Education for Operating Engineers.

The MoU between ANAND and SVSU was signed in the presence of Mr. Anand Mohan Sharan (IAS), Additional Chief Secretary, Higher Education, Directorate of Technical Education, and Department of Industries and Commerce, Haryana, who called the new programme as “a trend-setting pilot for academia-industry-government collaboration” to help India’s workforce meet the future growth of the country’s expanding manufacturing sector.

At the launch of the programme at the MAHLE ANAND Filter Systems (MAFS) plant in Khandsa, Haryana, Mr. Sharan further said: “Every employee at some stage wants to pursue higher education and this initiative by ANAND Group meets those aspirations.”

Speaking at the function, the Vice Chancellor of SVSU, Dr. Raj Nehru, said: “India must expand its skilling initiatives and strengthen its knowledge base to be rightly perceived as a developed nation,” adding: “This will be the first time that employees, along with accomplishing their daily tasks, will simultaneously be studying for their B. Tech degrees.”

Also speaking on the occasion was ANAND Group President & Co-Chief Operating Officer, Mahendra Goyal, who stated: “H.O.P.E. is an initiative that will empower our existing employees to explore upskilling opportunities while on the job…current employees, who are diploma holders, will be given the opportunity to upgrade their skills and pursue B. Tech through a lateral entry.

We are excited to kickstart the first batch this year at the MAFS plant in Gurugram,” Mr. Goyal added. 

Overall, the programme will expand from the ANAND NCR hub to its western hub in Pune and in the first year itself, nearly 100 OEs could be enrolled for the B. Tech course with SVSU. Both AICTE and ANAND officials say this scheme could expand to include more OEs and to new hubs and also could extend beyond ANAND.              

Speaking at the event, attended by working professionals of the ANAND Group, Member Secretary, AICTE Prof. Rajive Kumar, said: “It is expected that SVSU will start more such programmes in the future…Other universities should cross-learn and look to ANAND Group for upskilling their workforces.”

For his part, ANAND Group’s Senior Vice President & Head of Group Human Resource, Pankaj Sharma, said, “ANAND Group has pioneered the Operating Engineers model in the auto industry. This initiative is a further step towards strengthening our workforce capability. H.O.P.E. will not only enhance the OEs’ skill levels but also improve their employability and create more opportunities in their future.”         

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