The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Vocational training books ready

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Jan 17, 2007
ePaper

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Vocational training books ready

Staff Reporter

Call to equip labour force with skill in new areas such as IT and ITES

CHENNAI : Nearly 40,000 books covering 16 streams of vocational training have been readied by the Commissionerate of Employment and Training for the 760 industrial schools in the State.

The books, mostly in Tamil, cover streams such as welding, automobile, electrical, refrigeration and air conditioning, cutting and tailoring, plumbing and needlework and embroidery. Those in English are for streams such as fashion design, computer, hotel management, catering and food production, and food and beverage service. According to professor Ranga Rao, founder of State Industrial Schools Association, the price ranges from Rs. 45 to Rs. 55.

At the release function recently, P. Sivakami, Special Commissioner and Commissioner of Employment and Training, said that it was for the first time that basic teaching materials were prepared for the schools.

The schools, with their 58 long-term and 53 short-term courses, have been providing training in skilled labour to the less educated, said Ms. Sivakami.

However, in the globalised economy, the onus was on the industrial schools to equip the labour force with more skill and training in new areas such as IT and ITES.

"There is demand for persons with training in computer programs such as C+++ and Oracle," explained the Commissioner. Now that a uniform syllabus and teaching materials were in place, she urged the schools to incorporate new courses as well as improve the infrastructure.

Officials and industry heads, who had evaluated some of the books, presented their views at the meeting. All of them hailed the Government's initiative while pointing out the need to improve the graphics section, explain technical terms better and the importance of annual revision of the syllabus. They also suggested inclusion of new sections, particularly on soft skills.

The institutes can procure the books from the office of Joint Director, Apprentice Training, Commissionerate of Employment and Training, Guindy, or from State Industrial Schools Association, 6, Camp Road, Selaiyur.

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