The Hindu : Other States / Pondicherry News : Vocational training gives hope to educated unemployed youth

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Feb 14, 2005

Other States

Other States - Pondicherry

Vocational training gives hope to educated unemployed youth

By Rajesh Nair

PONDICHERRY, FEB .13. Clara is 29 and has a postgraduate degree in History from the Annamalai University. She hoped to get a suitable job after her MA, in which she secured 56 per cent but that did not happen.

But that has not dampened her spirits and her educational qualifications have not come in the way of exploring a career which does not necessarily need even schooling.

Her hopes as well as the hopes of about 442 educated unemployed youth here, rests on a vocational training programme by the District Industries Centre (DIC), here.

Though her MA degree did not fetch a suitable job, it came in handy, as she is eligible to draw Rs. 1500 a month during the six-month training programme that started last December.

All graduates and postgraduates are given a monthly stipend of Rs. 1500 and those who have only completed their schooling get Rs. 750 a month. Of the 442 candidates, Clara is the only one who has completed her postgraduation.

Clara who is being trained at a tailoring centre in Vinoba Nagar has learnt the basics of tailoring and embroidery.

She says, "If my marriage does not happen in the near future, I will go for an advance training in tailoring. Then I can start tailoring from my house. I can earn atleast Rs. 100 everyday."

Her colleague at the tailoring centre, Rajalakshmi, does not have an undergraduate degree. Her immediate priority is to find a job in a tailoring unit, after her training. Otherwise, she will take a loan, which the DIC arranges for the trainees under the Prime Ministers Rozgar Yojana, to start her own tailoring centre.

The candidates are also taking embroidery, beautician and jute bag-making classes at about 58 centres. The training centres, mainly run by women, get an assistance of Rs. 350 per candidate and Rs. 100 as compensation for the wastage of raw materials.

There were 895 applicants for the State Government funded programme, started by the DIC last year.

A total of 551 were selected through an interview and 442 had joined, Jayanth Kumar Ray, Director, DIC told The Hindu.

The aim was to enable the educated unemployed youth to get jobs in the garment industry, for which there will be immense scope.

An Entrepreneurship Development Programme (EDP) can be taken up by those interested in starting their own business. The training is to be conducted by the Industries Technical Consultative Organisation of Tamil Nadu. Training for the next batch will start in June and applications will be called for by March-April.

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