Punjab News Express/Y.S.Rana
CHANDIGARH: Neeru Devi, Pooja and Seema are a few names to mention who have begun to feel the surge. And the agent that has brought about this change in the lives of them is the Government Polytechnic for Women, Chandigarh. The oldest polytechnic in the region has been offering those in economic distress a ray of hope. Hundreds of youths skilled by the institute free-of-cost under the Community Development Through Polytechnic (CDTP) Scheme of the Ministry of HRD either got employment or started their own business and earning between Rs 8, 000 to Rs 15, 000.
With the aim of equipping youths especially of weaker section with skills and enhance the employability of them. The Polytechnic for Women, Chandigarh has been playing a significant role in responding to the demands of industries of skilled workers and creating avenues for drop-outs. The institute has implemented the scheme –community development through polytechnic—(CDTP) of Ministry of HRD in collaboration with NITTR, Chandigarh, in 2010.
While talking to Daily Post, Dr Surender Pal Chauhan, In Charge of the Scheme said that since implementation of the Scheme, the institute had trained 3562 students, drop-outs and women especially belonging to SC/ST or weaker sections of society in various trades. He further stated that the institute imparted training in six key engineering and non-engineering and added that employment rate had been more or less 70 per cent.
Dr Chauhan also told that a number of skilled youths of this institute have been appointed in government departments. Kamlesh a pass out from this institute has been appointed in Chandigarh Election Department as a data entry operator at a salary of Rs 15, 000 per month. A number of girls those trained by this institute have started their own venture in their respective villages and earning between Rs 6, 000 to Rs 8, 000 per month.
Dr Chouhan said that the institute has set up five skill development Centres for skill development and training programme where a number of aspirants from weaker sections and rural areas were being skilled. There is also a proposal to open such more centres in rural and slum areas of Chandigarh in future, says he. Recently, the institute has started special batch of data entry operation for visually impaired to rehabilitate them so that they may no more on the sidelines of the mainstream of society.
Aims at enhancing the employability of the youth by strengthening their pen and hands, a total of 633 students belonging to SC/ST (52) and OBC (58) have been groomed during the last fiscal in six key engineering and non-engineering trades and job readiness for potential employers for immediate placement, added Dr Chauhan.
The scheme envisages providing non-formal, short term and job-oriented skill development scripted a success story. Even women trained under the Scheme here are working in the production centre of Women Empowerment Centre run by the Chandigarh Administration and earning handsome money.