Skill training centre for disabled students to open at Central Polytechnic College in Chennai

CHENNAI: To enable persons with disability to find employment in technical jobs, the process of establishing a new skill training centre for the welfare of differently abled students has taken shape at Central Polytechnic College at Taramani in Chennai.

The State-owned college provides high quality diploma certificate level technical engineering and need based- skill-oriented programmes through full–time, part-time and continuing education, and partnerships with industries, business, higher learning educational institutions and local bodies for mutual development.

The centre will introduce courses for students with different kinds of disabilities such as speech and hearing impairments, dwarfism, hunchback, and others with various partial locomotive disorders. However, blind candidates and persons with autism are not eligible to join the course.

A senior official from the Higher Education Department said: “The training centre constructed for Rs 50 lakh will provide technical skills, communication skills, soldering skills, repairing skills, wireman control panel electronics training and wiring harness assembly operators training.”

A tender has already been floated to invite private parties to supply electronic and electrical equipment for the courses. The National Training and Technical Teachers' Training (NTTF) will also be knowledge and training partner for the skill courses. “The equipment for the courses will be supplied by March. Skill courses, which were designed by experts based on the latest industrial needs, are expected to start from mid-April this year,” he added.

Disabled students who have completed Class 8 with National Trade Certificate (NTC) or Class 10 completed, are eligible to join the course. “There will be 30-40 students in each course. After successfully completing the courses, they will receive a Course Completion certificate, and also be placed in companies,” stated the official.