VOCATIONAL TRAINING CENTER: Economic and Social empowerment of the Poor
Project Summary:
Objective:
To bring forth economic and social empowerment for the unemployed youths and youths working in deprived conditions in the focus areas of Jeeva Jyothi by providing them with the right skill sets to seek better employment opportunities.
Future Goals:
To provide the locals in the area with a self-administered center providing them with the skill sets required to seeking employment and thus improving the financial and employment conditions for all members of the community.
Project Area:
Northern Chennai, India – Perambur and its adjoining areas where Jeeva Jyothi has been actively involved with its various upliftment activities.
Direct Beneficiaries:
Street, Dropout and Runaway Children above 16 years
Youth and children above 16 years in the tribal community
Unemployed youth and youth working in deprived conditions in the target area
Unemployed women and women seeking self-employment
Specific Measurable Goals/Milestones:
Provide vocational training for 275 members in the target group over a period of 1 year
Provide self-aid income generation programs to 1200 members from the project area
Provide employment and self-employment opportunity and guidance to all the members
Create social awareness and awareness about employment requirements, marketing strategies, Quality Control to improve the chances of employment.
Fund Requested:
Land Procurement for building the Center(2400 Sqft. area)Rs. 8,00,000.00
Cost for the building for the Center(1500 Sqft. Area)Rs.10,00,000.00
Training cost for participants in the vocational training centerRs. 12,07,500.00
for 1 year
Total Project CostRs. 30,07,500.00
The Local Monitoring Committee of Jeeva Jyothi will mobilize a Local Contribution of 10% of the Project Cost.
VOCATIONAL TRAINING CENTER: Economic and Social empowerment of the Poor
1. Background
With the rapid growth in the urban population, there is a decline in the area infrastructure and employment opportunities. And without a secure employment, the youth in the project areas of Jeeva Jyothi (Northern Chennai) work as unskilled labours in informal sectors as construction workers, domestic workers, rag pickers, etc. Their working conditions are unspeakable of with little or no self-respect and long hours that they spend for their meager salaries take its toll on most of these people. They have a high mortality rate and very poor living conditions. Most of these people live either on the streets or in habitations less suited to strays. Without any proper hygiene or health facilities the area is a store house for all kinds of diseases.
Most of these work forces have entered the scenario as child labours, either to help their parents or as street children. Worst is the case of the existing children who have virtually no opportunity to learn any vocational skills and are doomed to their existence in streets. A few lucky ones might eventually end up as unskilled labours, rag pickers or even beggars.
Jeeva Jyothi (JJ) has been actively working for the past 7 years with these communities in the Northern region of Chennai trying to bring about better living conditions for these people and to provide education to their children. But more often JJ is faced with problems of not being able to find a respectable job for these people due to their lack of right skills. This has prompted JJ numerous times to impart vocational training programmes and Income generation programmes as and when required with the help of its funding associates and also the local public. These programmes brought about additional income to these families and a bond has been formed with them, which has led to the success of JJ in providing education for most of the children in the area. But JJ is concerned about the growing children and youth in the area and its main focus is to provide them with the right skill sets to help them get a respectable employment.
With this in mind Jeeva Jyothi proposes to build a center that will cater to the skill development needs of the people in this section of the society. JJ has already established 10 contact centers in the area apart from covering the 5 slums around the region. There are more than 1750 youths above 16 years in the working areas of Jeeva Jyothi, unemployed or working under hazardous or humiliating circumstances.
1.1 Root Cause
The problem is complex and multi-faceted. The current poverty and desperation stem from root causes of severe lack of education and skills. The situation has worsened due to the rapid urban growth. The end result is a life of uncertain income, instability, exploitation, inadequate shelter, and extremely harsh work conditions. For the very young, it means a childhood spent in labour, or at best, bouncing in and out of school depending on the daily income needs.
2. Jeeva Jyothi Intervention – Providing Opportunities
For the last 8 years Jeeva Jyothi has been working to promote, protect, and advance the rights and lives of indigent section people, adult, youth and children, in North Chennai. JJ has its main focus on children and has been working towards eliminating Child Labour and providing education facilities to the children in its project areas. Though there has been an increasing success, JJ has found that the basic requirement of these sections cannot be met unless they are equipped with a skill set to face the increasing requirement of the society outside.
With this in mind, JJ had earlier introduced training programs to a few selected audiences among the community to enhance their skills for better employment opportunities or self-employment. With the amazing success that JJ has seen, JJ wishes this to be extended to take forward the ideas that has been learned and implemented, on to a larger audience.
Conclusion: After the various survey and study conducted in the community, JJ has found that the high unemployment rate in the section is mainly due the lack of right skills for employment among the people.
‘Udayam’ – A vision for the future
The youth of today are the men of tomorrow.
Jeeva Jyothi’s intervention programs in the area have always been for the future development of mindsets. JJ believes that these programs, which reflect in the children of today, are the definite solutions available for a brighter future of the lower sections of the society.
JJ will target the youth, both male and female, above 16 years of age. JJ will select around 275 youth in the area for the vocational training and 1200 other participants for other Income Generation Programmes. Preference will be given to street children, tribal youths and woman in the area. The selected members will then be given training on vocations that are suitable to them. Skilled persons in the specified areas will impart training.
Proposed Programmes at the center
Major activities at the center will include –
- Career guidance – The selected youth from the area will be introduced to various employments opportunities available and given guidance on choosing their occupation.
- Vocational training – The guided youth will then be given training on skills that will suit them.
The training at the centers will be:
- Computer Education
- Screen Printing
- Hand Made Paper Products Making
- Tailoring, Embroidery and Needle work
- 4 wheeler Driving
- Automobile (2 wheeler) Mechanism
- Stenography
- Cosmetology
- Income generation programmes – small scale employment programs in the making the following:
- Candles
- Incense sticks
- Pickles
- Appalams (Fries/Snacks)
- Soaps, Detergents and Floor Cleaners
- Gardening
- Special Training Programs – Apart from the above programs, the participants will be giving training and awareness classes on the following:
- Social Awareness
- Self-employment education
- Finance Management
- Quality Control
- Marketing
- Personality Development
‘Udayam’ – the Vocational Training Center
After its years of study and research with the people in the target area, Jeeva Jyothi believes that the equipping the people with the right skill sets is the only long term solution to the problems faced by the urban poor in the area. Through its many activities, JJ has found that the lack of right direction and skill sets lead to these people working as unskilled labours or anti social elements in the area.
To overcome these issues, Jeeva Jyothi proposes to establish ‘Udayam’, a vocational training center in the area that will identify the skills of the people and impart training on areas that will improve their employment rates.
The Program is split it to 3 different phases:
Phase 1: Land Procurement for the Project
Phase 2: Building for the Center
Phase 3: Training Programmes
Phase 1: Land Procurement
A land space of 2400 sq ft. has been identified at Perambur, North Chennai, adjacent to the HQ of Jeeva Jyothi. JJ can closely monitor the activities at the unit and bring forth improvements to the programs when required.
Cost of the 2400 sq ft landRs.8,00,000.00
Local contribution (10%)Rs. 80,000.00
Total Grand requested for the phaseRs.7,20,000.00
Phase 2: Building for the Center
The building cost for the center is again a one time cost similar to the phase 1 of the project. The proposed building for Vocational Training will have 1500 sq ft area and will consist of training places for the various training programmes proposed along with proper hygiene facilities.
Cost for building the training centerRs.10,00,000.00
(1500 Sq ft. Building space)
Local contribution (10%)Rs. 1,00,000.00
Total Grand requested for the phaseRs.9,00,000.00
Phase 3: Training Programmes
Jeeva Jyothi has earlier programs conducted vocational training programs in its project areas with the help from local authorities and outside training centers. The success of these programs has motivated JJ to start a center dedicated to skills development of the people in the area in a larger scale. Through this JJ wishes to train those deprived section of the society who get very little opportunity to gain the required skill sets to get proper employment.
In this Phase, a total of 275 youths will be given vocational training and an additional 1200 people will attend in Income Generation Programs held by the center for a period of 1 year.
These training programmes will be a continuous process and the staff at Jeeva Jyothi will take efforts to ensure that the training programmes continue even after the initial 1 year period. Special care will be taken by the staff to sustain the interest of the programme in the people of the area and also to mobilize funds for self-running of the project after the initial 1 year period. The Local Monitoring Committee formed by Jeeva Jyothi in its various centers will be given special training to mobilize funds for smooth and continuous running of the project.
The training programs in this phase consists of
- Career Guidance
- Vocational Training programmes
- Self-Aid or Income Generation Programmes Training
- Development Programmes
Career Guidance
The 1750 youth in the selected areas will be counseled and introduced to various employment opportunities. A total of 275 candidates will be selected from this target group for a period of 1 year to impart vocational training in the area suited to them. Guidance will be given to this group to select the right training programs that would fetch them with more employment opportunities.
An additional 1200 adults will be selected from the area to undergo self aid programmes that will help generate additional income for the family. Special care will be taken to ensure that these Income generation programmes are implemented and that it actually raises the economic status of the family of selected members. Additional counseling and guidance will be given to individuals attending the programme to ensure success of the project.
Vocational Training Programmes
The following skill enhancement programmes will be conducted at the center to provide better employment opportunities to the street children, tribal youths and women and youth in the project areas of Jeeva Jyothi:
- Computer Education and Training
- Screen Printing and Hand Made Paper Products
- Tailoring, Embroidery and Needle work
- 4 wheeler Driving
- Automobile (2 wheeler) Mechanism
- Stenography
- Cosmetology
Role & Responsibilities of Center In-Charge
Jeeva Jyothi will appoint a Center In-charge to co-ordinate the various programmes conducted at the center. The person will be responsible for allotting the right staff for the programmes. He/She will also be responsible for conducting and coordinating the other training activities apart from the vocational training programmes. The staff will also counsel the people in the area wanting to attend the programme. He/She will be responsible for creating awareness about the center among the targeted people in the area.
He/She will also keep a check on the various indicators and evaluations of the participants attending the training programme. He/She will co-ordinate with the other staff at Jeeva Jyothi and the Local Monitoring Committee (LMC) members to find placements opportunities for the participants at the Center.
Indicators
Specific indicators will be made effective for all the 275 people selected to undergo the vocational training programme. The attendance of the participants will be monitored and evaluations done regularly for each training programme. Jeeva Jyothi will also issue Certifications for all the participants taking up the program. All persons attending any training programmes will also be given special guidance and counseling for the making the programmes more effective.
Training Specifications
1. Computer Education and Training
Training will be given to 40 qualified candidates selected from the project areas of Jeeva Jyothi. Training will be given in batches of 5 participants in a batch. Every member attending the programme will be issued a certificate from Jeeva Jyothi.
The course will be intended to fetch jobs for the candidates in the following areas: Desktop Publishing, Data Entry, Graphic designing and Computer Operator jobs.
Duration of the Training6 Months
Total Number of Persons attending the training program40 (Male & Female)
Educational Qualification of Participant+2 and above
Instructors2 Nos.
Topics covered in the training: Computer Basics, Database, DTP Tools – Word Processor, Worksheet and printing tools, Graphic tools.
2. Screen Printing and Hand Made Paper (HMP) Products
Training on Screen Printing and HMP conversion items will be given to 80 candidates with a minimum qualification of 10th Std. from the target area. The participants will be taught by professionals in the trade and will focus on giving them job opportunities in the area of Screen printing and paper products manufacturing. Jeeva Jyothi will also provide assistance to aspiring candidates willing to take up job works or wanting to be self-employed in these areas. Efforts will be taken to induct as many female candidates in the area for the training.
The center will also undertake to market the products manufactured by the participants and will provide a travel allowance of Rs.750 per month to the candidates undergoing the training.
Duration of the Training3 Months
Total Number of Persons attending the training program80 (Male & Female)
Educational Qualification of Participant10th and above
Instructors1 No
Topics covered in the training: Screen printing and making Hand made paper conversion items.
3. Tailoring, Embroidery and Needlework
Jeeva Jyothi will select 30 female from its project areas to undergo training in tailoring and embroidery. The selected candidates will be trained for a period of 6 months after which they will be qualified to take up stitching and embroidery jobs in export units and local tailoring units. Jeeva Jyothi will also assist the candidates in taking up job work and self-employment.
Duration of the Training6 Months
Total Number of Persons attending the training program40 (Female)
Instructors1 No
Topics covered in the training: Stitching using regular and Motor run machines, Embroidery and needlework.
4. Driving (4 Wheeler and Auto)
Jeeva Jyothi in association with local driving schools will provide 4 wheeler and 3 wheeler auto rickshaw driving lessons to 35 selected candidates from the target area. The candidates taking the training will be provided with driving license and taxi badge. For the street children and homeless youths wanting to take up the training, Jeeva Jyothi will provide them with proof of address and other documents required to avail the driving license. Jeeva Jyothi will also provide assistance in job placements for these candidates.
The training intends to include 15 female candidates from the area for the 4 wheeler and 3 wheeler auto driving classes.