Job skills for school dropouts in TN

Updated on: Thursday, November 19, 2009

Chennai:After the successful implementation of ILO funded pilot project,to make school dropouts employable, the directorate of technical education plans to implement the model in rest of TN

Tthe ILO( International Labour Organisation) under its Norway Programme had granted Rs 28.82 lakh for launching the project on social dialogue and youth employment under which students who had dropped out after class VIII in Kancheepuram district were empowered with vocational skills.

The ILO in collaboration with the DoTE's state project coordinating unit tied up with five polytechnic colleges in and around Kancheepuram to train 280 selected school dropouts in seven vocational skills welding, electrical wiring, fitting, tailoring and embroidery, data entry operation, two and three-wheeler mechanics and air-conditioning technology. All beneficiaries are selected by the respective polytechnic colleges locally.

In addition to funding the course fee, the project, coordinated by ILO national project manager Marcus Anand, offered a monthly stipend of Rs 500 to each student for the six-month duration of the training programme and also released Rs 2.88 lakh for the DoTE's state project coordinating unit whose staff were facilitating the process.

'A unique feature of this training is that the Employers' Federation of Southern India secretary T M Jawaharlal has ensured that all the trainees are absorbed by companies operating in the relevant field. Voltas is already providing in-plant training to 17 candidates who are pursuing the AC technician course. Also, the curriculum has been designed by the industry according to their needs. For instance, TVS Delphi has framed the curriculum for welding and fitting courses,' commissioner for technical education V K Jeyakodi said on Wednesday.

Since this is a pilot programme, the ILO funding would cease in December when the first batch students pass out after completing the courses. 'We realise that this is a model scheme for empowering school dropouts which could be continued to cover more beneficiaries. We will initiate talks with the ILO on the possibility of extending this industry-institute linkage to other districts as well by renewing our Memorandum of Understanding with the ILO,' Jeyakodi added.

Job skills for school dropouts in TN

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