Telangana's Skill Centres Turn Training Into Jobs: 117 From Remote Utnoor Placed

One hundred and seventeen students trained at the Advanced Technology Centre (ATC) in Utnoor, in Adilabad district, have secured jobs in multinational companies, officials said. The placements, they added, show that industry-oriented technical training is beginning to translate into employment for young people in Telangana.

The result is significant because Utnoor lies in a remote part of the State, where access to industry-linked technical education and job opportunities has traditionally been limited. Officials said the placements demonstrated what can be achieved by equipping youth with skills relevant to Industry 4.0 — the wave of automation, data and artificial intelligence now reshaping manufacturing — and to an emerging, AI-driven job market.

The State government has set up 65 ATCs in collaboration with Tata Technologies, upgrading existing Industrial Training Institutes with modern equipment and courses in CNC machining, robotics, automation and electric vehicle technology. According to officials, more than 11,000 students have undergone training at these centres so far, and over 4,000 have found employment. Of the nearly 4,000 ATC students who have taken part in campus placement drives, about 61 per cent secured jobs.

The largest single drive so far was a job mela held at Kodad on September 19, where 725 ATC students were placed. In the same week, close to 700 students secured jobs through campus drives conducted by Tata Technologies in Warangal and Hyderabad. A further 350 students were placed at a job mela organised at the Shantinagar ATC in Hyderabad, and 80 students were placed at a job mela in Kodangal on September 22.

Among the companies that have recruited ATC students are Apple, ITC, Larsen & Toubro, Bharat Dynamics, Eicher, Apollo, Tata Motors and Schneider Electric. Officials described the employment packages offered as attractive, though the report does not specify the salary levels or the roles involved.

Two batches that completed the one-year programme have already passed out, while another batch has finished the two-year programme. The batches admitted this year have recorded close to 100 per cent occupancy in almost all the ATCs.

The government has planned another 54 centres, which are currently under construction. Once completed, Telangana will have nearly 119 ATCs, covering all Assembly constituencies, with the total investment estimated at about ₹4,000 crore.

The ATC initiative was conceived against the backdrop of a growing mismatch between formal educational qualifications and what industry requires. With the rapid expansion of artificial intelligence and automation changing the nature of conventional jobs, officials and industry experts have stressed the need for greater emphasis on practical, employment-oriented skills.

The foundation stone for the ATC project was laid in June 2024, and all 65 centres were made operational within 15 months. The centres were inaugurated in September 2025.

The government is also exploring overseas employment opportunities for youth trained in Industry 4.0 technologies, anticipating growing demand for technically skilled workers in countries such as Japan, South Korea and Germany.

The figures in this report were provided by the State government and ATC officials. It is not yet independently known how many of those placed have retained their jobs, what the wages are, or how the centres will be funded and staffed once the expanded network is complete — questions that will shape whether the model delivers over the long term.