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Indian technicians have acquired their skills over years of handling construction equipment. However, the last few decades have seen the introduction of sophisticated equipment with electronic and computerised control systems.

Operator development and training
Svenska Institute of Technology (SIT) was established in 2007 to create professionals out of fresh ITI, Diploma and BE candidates. Developed by Mangesh Vaidya, Chairman and Managing Director, Svenska Technologies Pvt Ltd, an engineering and business management post graduate, SIT has the advantage of gaining from over 30 years of industry experience that Vaidya brings with him. SIT aims to give technically qualified youngsters the proper training, practical exposure and mentoring in order to meet the challenges faced by the ever-evolving industry.

SIT offers its certificate courses in Maintenance and Management Practices of Construction, Mining, Road, Concrete and other infrastructure equipment. It also offers a course for Operator Development and Training to manage and maintain the sophisticated machinery of international brands like Volvo, Komatsu, Hyundai, Caterpillar, JCB, Doosan, Hitachi, Liebherr, etc. This course has been recognised by by the HRDF State Directorate of Craftsman Training, Government of Goa, to manage and maintain sophisticated machinery of international brands.

Infrastructure
Classroom: The institute has air-conditioned classrooms of Government Polytechnic and STPL with LCD projectors and latest audio-visual training aids. Classes are conducted by expert instructors and is supported by the STPL team on specialist training. Students are given sound knowledge on various special tools, measuring instruments, various parts such as bearings, fasteners, seals, filters, lubricants etc, which will build their foundation ans skilled technicians and then build on this foundation by focusing on the latest and most sophisticated engines, hydraulic systems comprising hydraulic pumps, cylinders, hydraulic motors, control valves, hydraulic circuits and electronic control system.

Workshop: There are fully equipped workshop facilities recognised by Volvo India and Goa Technical Board officials with all components available for dismantling assembling and understanding the internal parts.

Field training: Training is provided to attend problems of various machines at sites under supervision of its senior engineers. The institute also offer product specialisation in crushers, screens, concrete batching plants, pumps and transit mixers and traditional products like excavators, loaders, graders and haulers. Hostel facilities: Hostel facilities are available at Goa and guesthouses are at all branch locations during hands-on practical training along with mess facilities. Travelling while in the training period is arranged by SIT.

?We are planning to expand to southern states.?
What motivated your company to set up such an impressive training facility? Is this a pure business proposition or is it a CSR initiative?
The gap of skill sets required and available in India was my primary motivation to start this institute. As an institute, this is a standalone activity and not directly connected with CSR activity. But for Svenska Group, this has been a CSR activity.

How do you search and organise the participants for your training programs?
We have adopted a ground level methodology to select the students. We reached out to around 200 ITIs and conducted seminars to educate the students on how we can bring value to them. Ideally we take the list of ITIs in India and target a few states of Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Bihar and Jharkhand.

In a nutshell, the criteria is Diploma and BE for managing the sites and ITI for primarily on their trade: Diesel mechanics, Electricians, Fitters etc. The minimum qualification criteria for ITI students is 50 per cent passing mark in their respective trade and for Diploma/BE students, it is 60-65 per cent mark.

How do you evaluate the effectiveness of the training provided by you?
We have developed our own strong internal examinations, which we conduct during the course period. Further, our students are subjected to government examinations. We have been accredited by Human Resource Development Facility (HRDF) of Goa aswell as the Central Government. The students go through the examinations of HRDF and they certify the students independently. As far as the effectiveness is concerned, nearly 200-250 students who were passed out are well placed in the industry and around 25 per cent of them are working abroad earning 4-5 times what their counterparts are earning in India.

Where do you see your facility 3-5 years from today? What are your expansion plans?
We are planning to have our franchisee branches for the classroom sessions to be expanded in southern states as well as in parts of Jharkhand, Bihar and Chhattisgarh where mining activity is on a bigger scale and is growing rapidly. We are planning to focus on southern states because here the students seldom come to institutes due to language issue. We also plan to develop the skill set in the north-eastern part where people remain in their home states.

The machines are undergoing massive change in their technology. Where are the people to manage those technologies and machines?
That is where Svenska Institute is coming as a pillar. We are planning an Advisory Board for the institute which should be formed by 2016 with the support of who?s who from the industry.