Lucknow: Of the 258 state-run Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) in Uttar Pradesh, about 125 will be upgraded into centres of excellence in order to create a workforce with specialised skills.

The ITIs that will be upgraded will be different from the conventional ITIs in respect of curriculum, duration of training, trade testing and certification, officials added.

"The ITIs that will be upgraded into centres of excellence will cater to specialised skill requirement in different sectors of industrial activity," S.S. Ram, state technical education directorate, told IANS.

The ITIs provide technical training to those who have passed Class 10, offering diplomas for one- year and two-year courses.

"The upgraded ITIs will offer specialised training and courses in various sectors, including IT, automobiles and transport. Basically, we aim to train our students in sync with the changing and modern demands of industries," he added.

For promoting technical education and job avenues, the state government has already undertaken an ambitious project of setting up 250 ITIs, covering every block of the state, through public-private partnership (PPP).

To help it in establishing ITIs, the state government has sought suggestions from a British consultancy agency, officials say.

There are a number of PPP models that can be adopted. The government can either provide land free of cost to private players or enter into a financial partnership with private companies, officials said.