MEPZ-GTTI skill development centre signs tripartite pact at IGCC meet

chennai: a major step toward strengthening the country's advanced manufacturing talent pool was taken on tuesday with the signing of a tripartite memorandum of understanding (mou) to operationalise the mepz-gedee technical training institute (gtti) manufacturing skill development centre.the agreement was signed at the 59th annual regional meet of the indo-german chamber of commerce (igcc) here by the mepz special economic zone (sez), gtti and a consortium of companies represented by igcc.the signing took place in the presence of germany's consul general in chennai michael hasper, igcc director general jan noether, and andhra pradesh msme minister kondapalli srinivas, among other industry and government representatives.the upcoming centre, for which mepz has allocated a 30,000 sq. ft. facility, will house workshops, cnc laboratories, simulation units and training bays. it aims to create a structured skilling pathway to produce specialists in advanced machining and engineering.inthe first phase, the centre will offer short-term, industry-focused courses in cnc machining, lathe and milling operations, cnc programming, ansys simulation and cam using mastercam. the second phase will introduce long-duration programmes geared toward high-precision manufacturing and international certification standards.mepz sez development commissioner alex paul menon said the centre would help bridge the growing demand for high-precision engineering talent. “through this partnership, we are preparing tamil nadu's youth not only for advanced roles at home but for careers recognised worldwide,” he said.gtti director g.d. rajkumar said the collaboration strengthens the institute's efforts to deliver training aligned with german vocational education (vet) standards. germany's consul general hasper said the initiative reflects the shared commitment of both countries to industrial and technical advancement.the centre will also facilitate placements, internships, trainer development and accreditation through bodies such as tnsdc and ncvet. igcc member companies will support the integration of german vocational pedagogy to create globally benchmarked manufacturing talent.