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Programmes
SKILLS
DEVELOPMENT PROJECT
Vocational
Training
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Vocational education for youth to better their employment prospects
One
of the biggest problem faced in the area where we work, rather
in the whole of Pakistan is unemployment, particularly in the
youth population. To address this problem we have initiated
a programme of vocational training as just formal education
does not address this problem. Skill development as preparation
for livelihood is a very important aspect of our programmes.
Imparting skills and career counselling to youth, to enhance
their employment prospects has been undertaken as follows:
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Computer operators: Society for Participatory Well Being in
collaboration with another vocational education organisation arranged
free training of 100 deserving youth in basic computer operator's
course. The students were selected through the co-operation of
various NGO's, clubs, and individuals that referred deserving
unemployed youth for training in various vocations.
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Cosmetology: Sixty four girls from very poor families have
been trained and certified in cosmetology in collaboration with
a leading beauty saloon. They are now all employed at beauty saloons.
This too is an ongoing programme and every year an average of
15 girls are trained in this skill. Girls trained four years ago
have been assisted to work in a profit sharing salon.
- Training
teachers: The girls of the Goth who have passed their matriculation
exam and want to become teachers are trained in this skill. We
have an on going teacher's training programme, which consists
of hands on teacher training in the kindergarten class of the
village school conducted by volunteer early childhood educators.
Workshops are also conducted to train the teachers in various
teaching skills. The girls are also sent to a renowned private
school of the city for further training as required.
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Community health volunteers: Intermediate passed girls from
the community are trained as community health volunteers CHV.
After the completion of their training they are now employed at
the health centre of the Goth. This too is an ongoing programme
and as girls are trained they get employment at near by Goths.
156 Youth have been trained under this programme and are now employed
at various offices, beauty salons, and health clinic.
This
year 47 youth are in the process of acquiring vocational training
of one-year diploma courses after completing their schooling
in the following vocations.
1.
Primary School Certificate of Training (Young Women from the
Rural Area are being trained)
2. Certificate in Office Administration (Young women from
poor homes are being trained to meet the demand in the employment
market)
3. Carpentry
4. Plumbing
5. Machine Tool Technology Compute Operations
6. Electrician
7. Welding
8. Refrigeration and Air-conditioning.
Future Programme for 2004
A
vocational education and training institute for women will be
set up with the assistance of two local foundations. The main
objective of the institute will be to provide training in accordance
with the demands of the employment market. Initially training
in Office Administration and Information Technology will commence
from January 2004. This institute will cater to those girls
who are not so smart to pursue college and at the same time
cannot afford exorbitant tuitions charged by the commercial
vocational training centres operating in the city.
All
the above-mentioned vocational training programmes are geared
towards enhancing employment prospects. Hence apart from the
teaching of the technical skills at technical centres arrangements
are made to impart training in core skills like communications,
personal and interpersonal skills, numeracy, problem solving
skills, needed to perform well as an employee in any trade
or profession. The society's priority is to engage persons
from the community wherever possible, and in pursuance of
this policy it has engaged the trained girls and women for
teaching in the community schools. Girls trained as vaccinators
in the health care centre, and a girl in office administration,
as an office assistant in its office.
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