Mercedes-Benz India donates C-Class to Barton Hill College in Kerela

•  Successful PPP model: A Public-Private-Partnership (PPP) between Mercedes-Benz India and Barton Hill College, Advance Diploma in Automotive Mechatronics course has met with enthusiastic response since its inception in March 2014
•  Successful track record: Mercedes-Benz India has been successfully running Automotive Mechatronics workshops at the Mercedes-Benz India training center since 2002
•  Key benefit of the course: Comprehensive curriculum for engineering students on sophisticated Mercedes-Benz cars enhancing their skill sets in servicing ultra-modern luxury cars
•  Mercedes-Benz car donated to GECBH: In 2013, Mercedes-Benz had donated one E-Class to strengthen its commitment towards vocational education at the ADAM center
•  Batch strength: 20 students are selected for the course each year based on an entrance test. Eligibility for the course is a Diploma/Degree in Engineering in the Mechanical, Electrical and allied branches
•  Course duration: 1 year course duration with 4 modules – Mechanical, Electronics, Vehicle Systems and Soft Skills
•  Merit scholarships: Mercedes-Benz has also awarded scholarships worth Rs. 1.5 lakh each to two economically weak students and to one woman candidate
•  Advanced Diploma in Automotive Mechatronics has trained 39 students in two batches till date and another 20 students will graduate in February 2017
•  Successful career option: Students are placed in India as well as abroad in reputed OEMs and also in their retail network. The first batch of ADAM course started in March 2014

Pune: The country’s largest luxury car manufacturer, Mercedes-Benz India, today strengthened its commitment of giving back to the society by donating a brand new Mercedes-Benz C-Class for the Advanced Mechatronics course, which it conducts at the Government Engineering College Barton Hill. This commitment is part of the company’s ‘Mercedes for India’ philosophy, which aims at contributing back to the society through various social initiatives. The donated car will be of immense importance as it will be a vital addition to the learning and training process of students at the Government Engineering College, Trivandrum and will ensure continued successful running of the course.

The industry-academic association of Mercedes-Benz India with the Government Engineering College Barton Hill, Trivandrum is a success story and remains a distinct milestone on the path towards modernization of technical education, practical relevance and flexibility of vocational education and training in India. The continuous exchange of knowledge from a global automotive conglomerate like Mercedes-Benz, allows students to learn key competencies which are mandatory to adapt to today’s fast changing industrial requirements and scale-up their employability in the dynamic automobile market in India.

Speaking on the occasion, Roland Folger, Managing Director & CEO, Mercedes-Benz India, commented, “With the advent of technological advancement in our cars, the technical process of servicing these cars has also becoming proportionately more complex and diverse. This calls for the advancement of our training and learning processes to enable Mercedes-Benz to remain ahead of the curve. The Advanced Mechatronics course was designed to create a well-trained workforce with proven expertise in mechanical, electronic and informatics skills as well in other advanced automation technologies. This unique course has grown in its relevance over the years and its popularity even after a decade of its introduction, underlines the resounding success of Advanced Mechatronics and the thought behind introducing it in India. We are confident; the students graduating from the Advanced Diploma in Automotive Mechatronics course will continue to remain in high demand in the automotive industry not only in India, but also overseas, owing to their vast practical knowledge and soft skills.”

“Mercedes-Benz is glad to be associated with Government Engineering College Barton Hill and provide continuous development of the syllabus which pans across modern automobile technology. Donating the latest C-Class along with the supply of technical equipment will enable the students to enhance their learning, hone their technical skills and get acquainted with the latest generation automobile technology used in a modern sophisticated automobile like the new C-Class. We firmly believe our initiative will play a pivotal role in not only heightening service excellence and enhancing ownership experience, but also assist the talented youngsters of today, in finding the right career in the demanding automotive service industry.” Mr. Folger elaborated.

The Advanced Mechatronics course designed by Mercedes-Benz is a first-of-its kind initiative in India designed specifically to address the growing need for skilled resources in Automotive Technology. It is being run by three Government Polytechnics in Pune and Aurangabad since 2006 and 2009 respectively and was later introduced at Government Engineering College Trivandrum (GECBH) since 2013. This programme will provide employability in the areas of Production, Maintenance, Planning, Quality Assurance, Research and Development. The ADAM facility in Government Engineering College Barton Hill has an ultramodern electronics lab, car bay and aggregate training rooms, equipped with Mercedes-Benz training cars, latest engines, gearboxes and e-lab equipment.