Vadodra: The faculty of Technology and Engineering of the MS University has been chosen as a centre to condust the Headstart Programme being conducted under the aegis of NASSCOM. The faculty will be one among the three chosen in the country for the pilot project of the programme.

Facutly sources said that the programme was being conducted at two other colleges in the country. The programme is being conducted in collaboration with Neilsoft. A memorandum of understanding was signed on it in 2006.

Faculty is on among the three chosen in the country for the pilot project where students will be imparted practical training in industry.

The programme will be offered to 90 students of the faculty. The facutly will choose 30 students each from the mechanical, electrical and civil branches for the programme, said faculty dean Bhuvan Parekh. The students will have to undergo written test and a personal interview to get selected for the programme.

NASSCOM plans to implement the programme in 300 institutes after the functional success of the pilot project. As a part of the project students will be imparted practical training in industry. They will be familiarised with aspects like industrial environment, time management and quality management.

ustry experts and academicians, includes industry interactions as will as 45 summer training for first-year students at Neilsoft, to expose them to the real-life applications of the theory studies in college.

"This exposure to live projects gives students a different perspective to what they study in college, as they see the ordinary line drawings and problems they solve in class come alive in an industrial set-up," said Sahasrabuddhe.

Among other aims will be improving the design and problem solving skills of the students, strengthening fundamental concepts, developing a better understanding of projects management, team work and so on. "The programme includes modules on entrepreneurship, business communication and language skills, time management, and so on," said Sahasrabuddhe.

"If this three-year pilot is found to be successful, it can be rolled out on a national level through the support of NASSCOM and possibly other companies, as it will benefit the industry as a whole," said Neilsoft Corporate Communications head Sudakshina Sinha Banerjee.