The Hindu AI Summit 2024: Many youngsters see their future in AI, says TNSDC MD

Youngsters have immense potential to transform any technology into a valuable tool for themselves and the industry they work in; now, academicians, too, are embracing Artificial Intelligence (AI), besides students who see their future in AI, said Innocent Divya, Managing Director, Tamil Nadu Skill Development Corporation (TNSDC), in Chennai on Thursday (November 21, 2024).

Youngsters have immense potential to transform any technology into a valuable tool for themselves and the industry they work in; now, academicians, too, are embracing Artificial Intelligence (AI), besides students who see their future in AI, said Innocent Divya, Managing Director, Tamil Nadu Skill Development Corporation (TNSDC), in Chennai on Thursday (November 21, 2024).

In a fireside chat on ‘Empowering Future Talent: Leveraging AI for Student Upskilling’ with Nagaraj. N., Vice President, Content Analytics and Data, The Hindu Group, as part of The Hindu AI Summit 2024, Ms. Divya spoke about the ‘Naan Mudhalvan Scheme’, Tamil Nadu’s flagship skill development programme, and the key challenges faced by the TNSDC in implementing it.

The scheme focused on bridging the skill gap in curricula, provide industry-relevant training, and offer emerging technology skills to students.

Noting that digital divide and the availability of qualified trainers were the key challenges, Ms. Divya said the TNSDC collaborated with academic institutions and industries to bridge these gaps. Some of the emerging technologies, like electric vehicles technology, did not have standardised textbooks, she said.

To a questioned posed by Mr. Nagaraj on the challenges pertaining to communication skills, Ms. Divya said while it was currently a concern flagged by the industry despite the technical capability of students, the language barrier may soon become a thing of past with AI tools being customised in regional languages too. The TNSDC has prioritised combination of communication skills and soft skills as a two-credit programme in its curriculum to enhance the employability of students.

“We test the skill level of the students in the first semester of college and customise the programme to enhance their competency. Nearly 34,000 learners are trained in tools like prompt engineering and Gen AI in the art and sciences colleges across the State,” she said.

Highlighting the recently-launched AI-powered chatbot named ‘Ilaya’ on the ‘Naan Mudhalvan’ website, she said the TNSDC was gaining insights into the current trends and dynamics of the job market. It would help understand attrition trends and create tailormade programmes to fit in the job aspirations of youngsters. The next step would be to have workplace AI simulation models inbuilt into the curriculum to prepare students for a work environment.