With more than five companies, including Pipavav Shipyard Limited, Alcock Ashdown, Modest Infrastructure Private Limited, Steelcast and the Adani Group, having either begun ship-building operations or in the process of establishing a yard, the industry with an expected turnover of US$ 12 billion five years down the line is likely to employee more than 50,000 skilled and unskilled workers.

A course especially designed to cater to the needs of this industry will not only equip local youth with skills that would help them get jobs in their native place, but it will also provide the industry with manpower from within the locality.

Pipavav Shipyard Limited has adopted ITI-Mahuva (Bhavnagar district) and Rajula (Amreli district) for this purpose. The ship-building industry has been coming up on the coast of Saurashtra from Bhuj to Bhavnagar. And these two centres located on the shore will help both the industry and the locals to grow.

Pipavav got the adoption nod from the state director of employment and training. A green signal from the Central government is awaited, which is expected to take a couple of months.

"The first batch of 30 students for a two-year course will begin after the Central government gives its approval," said Pipavav Shipyard Limited president Debashish Bir.

He added, "The local population is young and hardworking and in need of employment. At the same time, the ship-building industry would require large manpower. The adoption of ITI centres would help balance these two factors."

The state government offers multi-skill courses according to the needs of industries and provides employable skills to students who clear the SSC and HSC through ITI centres across the state. These centres offer courses like production and manufacturing, information technology, chemical, electrical, automobile, apparel, refrigeration and agriculture machinery.

The course designed by Pan IIT is a combination of electrical, mechanical and fabrication training, required for block making and assembling of a vessel.

Along with boys, the industry is looking forward to girls also taking an interest in such training.

The region is thickly populated with a Koli, Kharva and Aahir population, mainly involved in the fishing, labour and transportation industries. "Women are best for carrying out small welding jobs, which is very much a part of the ship-building industry," said Bir, an IITian and member of Pan IIT.