- Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham has been selected as an implementing agency for the Govt. of India’s Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY) Special Project initiative.
- Amrita to open 12 PMKVY training centres across five states in India and will train over 1000 students in the next year.
- The centre at Paripally will train over 90 students
Paripally, Kerala
February 14, 2019
Sri G.S. Jayalal, Hon. MLA, Chathanoor inaugurate a brand new Amrita PMKVY centre at the Amrita Sanksrit Higher Secondary School in Paripally Kerala today. Several dignitaries PWD Panchayat standing committee Chairman Sri V Jayaprakash, Block Panchayath President S Laila, Block Panchayat Member A Sundareshan, Panchayath President Smt P Ambika Kumari, Ward Member Smt Shaila Ashaokadas , PTA President PM Radhakrishnan also attended the function.
Students from underserved communities in remote locations will have access to state of the art skill training in critical, industry-relevant skills at the new centre. Courses include Automotive Service Technician (Two and Three Wheelers), Self Employed Tailor, Under the PMKVY Special Project initiative, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham will open and operate 12 skill training centres across five states: Odisha, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Tamil Nadu, and Kerala. Courses include Automotive Service Technician (Two and Three Wheelers), Self Employed Tailor, General Duty Assistant, Plumber General, Domestic Data Entry Operator.
The project also incorporates a unique blended learning approach with a focus on soft-skills, entrepreneurship, and financial digital literacy training. Assessments, monitoring, certification, and evaluation will also be a part of the program.
The Amrita PMKVY Centre at Paripally will follow a “Hub Deployment Model” to train, certify, place and empower working-age youth between the ages 18 and 35, struggling to access viable economic opportunities. Towards the objective of establishing a culture of gender equality and equal opportunity, Amrita PMKVY will reserve 50% of all seats for economically and socially disempowered women. The project plans to target 1005 students in 6 districts throughout India over three phases. 50% of all seats in all classes are reserved for women, emphasizing a culture of gender equality and equal opportunities.
“Our Amrita PMKVY centres will enable socially marginalized and economically disadvantaged youth to access skill development that will be free of cost. The methodology that we adopt in providing skill development through technology blended teaching and learning not only improve accessibility but also raises the standard and quality of vocational education. After completing the course, our trainees gain the technical skills required for employment, and also receive life skills that transform them into more socially responsible citizens,” says Bhavani Rao, Director of the Amrita PMKVY Project at Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham.
The centre’s integrated training methodology is inspired by Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham’s Chancellor and world-renowned humanitarian, Sri Mata Amritanandamayi Devi’s vision for education: “There are two kinds of education: education for living and education for life. While education for living is essential for success in the academic and economic sense, education for life equips young people with the knowledge, skills, and values needed to lead an ethical, empowering and socially beneficial life.”
It is with this vision that the training centres are founded upon with the promise to touch the lives of India’s youth in a way that equips them with relevant skills for the future. Overall, the Amrita PMKVY Special project shows great promise and strives to fulfil the vision of the Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship, which is to train and empower India’s youth in the skills they need to succeed.
The deployment and pedagogical strategies on the ground also use blended and peer to peer learning techniques that emphasize participatory approaches to identify and address key social issues that plague students from implementing learned skills. The courses and learning technologies are designed with a keen focus on user experience, cultural sensitivity, and scalability thus adding to sustainable development. Assessments, certification, monitoring, and evaluation will be a part of the project as well.
Towards the objective of developing a training model that can be scaled and replicated, a rigorous monitoring and evaluation plan is integrated into the implementation of Amrita PMKVY. Lessons learned, best practices and outcomes of the Amrita PMKVY will be shared to promote knowledge sharing and communities of learning and practice.
Overall, the Amrita PMKVY Special project shows great promise for India’s future and strives to fulfil the mandate of the Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship, which is to train and empower India’s youth in the skills they need to succeed.