Date:01/08/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/08/01/stories/2008080150350200.htm

Other States - Puducherry

Imparting skills to secure their livlihood

Staff Reporter

Students of SADAY undergoing training

— Photo: T. Singaravelou

MAKING THEM EMPLOYABLE: Students of SADAY special school undergoing training at the Vocational Rehabilitation Centre at Nonankuppam.

PUDUCHERRY: Sixteen-year-old Kumaran (name changed) is busy learning how to repair a motorbike. In nine months from now, he will be fully trained in two-wheeler mechanism, with a good job at hand. Kumaran is one of the five students from SADAY-School for Special Needs who is undergoing vocational training at the Vocational Rehabilitation Centre for Handicapped of the Ministry of Labour and Employment, Government of India at Nonankuppam.

In fact, this was the first batch of students from SADAY to undergo vocational training at the centre. The training had commenced in June, Founder and Director of SADAY M. Sugathan said.

“The five boys, all aged from 16 to 25 years, are being trained in two-wheeler mechanism at the centre. On completion of the training, the centre will issue certificates to the students and also obtain placements for them,” he said. Interestingly, the five boys had participated in national level volleyball and basketball tournaments for the special children from the school.

“These students cannot take up jobs which require reasoning. They can do jobs such as lift operators, packing things, or jobs which are repetitive in nature. In our experience, we have seen the children being very sincere in their work. It is better if we send them outside for training” Dr. Sugathan said.

The Vocational Rehabilitation Centre was training persons with disabilities in tailoring, computers, typing, electronic repairs and two-wheeler mechanism. It had also held job melas recently. “The National Financial Corporation is ready to give loans for special person for jobs with an interest rate of three per cent,” he said. At SADAY, vocational training begins by the age of 12 in simple things such as dusting, folding clothes, assembling toys to making washing and bathing soaps, soap powder, colouring pots, greeting cards and screen printing, he added.