Institute to Industry
Supporting the vision of ‘Skilled India’ and employment generation, we, at Zydus Cadila have started a programme called Institute to Industry. As a global pharmaceutical provider with state-of-the art manufacturing plants in India we are constantly in need of a skilled and trained workforce. There is a vast gap today between formal education and the practical applications of this, required on the job. This often means that a person has to unlearn and relearn skills once he or she is on the job. It requires considerable amount of time and resources to help a person gain the “employability” factor.
To bridge this gap and help the youth of today become more employable, we at Zydus Cadila have been partnering with various academic institutions in Gujarat to promote skill and application based learning amongst life sciences and pharmacy graduates.
This opens the gates to advanced learning with high practical knowledge that is required on the job. It also makes candidates more ready for the work environment as they are exposed to regulatory requirements, quality protocols, technical understanding, high cost equipment, data management – all through professionals and subject experts who are highly proficient. We also impart training on additional curriculum in the final year of the students to make it more contemporary.
For undergraduates who are yet to complete their studies, to be able to gain these precision job oriented skills and an offer of employment with a global healthcare company is a big morale booster. It is also a step towards making the youth more employable in today’s challenging and highly competitive workplace.
While Institute to Industry was all about partnering with academic institutions, we also approached the Government of Gujarat for a skill development programme for the rural youth.
I-KVK
We designed and launched a first-of-its-kind initiative introduced in the pharma industry called i-KVK (Industrial Kaushalya Vardhan Kendra). An MoU was signed by the Zydus group with the Government of Gujarat in 2014 and in a short span of two years i-KVK now has over 10 courses across pharma technical areas, preparing a skilled workforce for the industry.
The uniqueness of this course is that it nurtures a skilled workforce that bridges pharma and engineering, to meet quality compliance and regulatory requirements. The course curriculum has been developed in-house by our pharma experts and has been approved by the Gujarat Council of Vocational Training (GCVT).
A simulation centre has also been created for pharma technicians to train these students on machines and impart various technical and behavioural trainings to groom them as professionals. To motivate these young aspirants, in addition to the exposure and learning, they also receive a stipend, regular rewards for quick learning and punctuality, basic facilities like subsidised food, free transportation, etc.
Industrial Kaushalya Vardhan Kendra (i-KVK) has opened up newer avenues for youth in the rural towns. The need for a trained workforce has been mounting, with pharma exports from India steadily growing each year. The pharmaceutical manufacturing process is a highly technical one where several Good Manufacturing Practices and Standard Operating Procedures need to be followed to ensure quality as per global benchmarks.
A thriving economy, robust manufacturing sector, opportunities for job creation and engaging careers for the youth of India – as we forge ahead with this vision for transforming India, it would be inspiring to carry the thoughts of our Hon’ble Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi who said, “The more we give importance to skill development, the more competent will be our youth.”
Pankaj Patel, President, FICCI (2017) and Chairman &
Managing Director, Zydus Cadila writes this piece for FICCI publication “Economy of Jobs”.
