“By completing this course [Plumber General], I hope to help change my family and society’s mentality about girls. I have the capacity to voice my views and make things happen.”
– Amrita PMKVY Plumbing Graduate – Female participant
In November 2018, Ammachi Labs, Research Center within Amrita Vishwa Vidyappetham, was selected by the Government of India to be an implementing agency of the Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana – Special Initiative project.
The PMKVY Special initiative is a national project designed to provide quality skill development to youth between 18-35 years from remote and rural areas, who are often sidelined from formal training and struggle to access viable employment opportunities. The program includes a specific focus on young women, by reserving 50% of all seats for female trainees. It enables them to gain vocational and life skills, including in sectors traditionally reserved for men. The first results of the program have been extremely encouraging, as women’s participation actually exceeded the objectives initially set up by the Government.
The Amrita PMKVY Special Project was officially launched on 13 January 2019 in Janla, Odisha, by the then Minister of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Shri Dharmendra Pradhan.
– On this occasion, the form Minister quoted;
“It is a matter of great pride for Odisha to get this centre which will help impart vocational training to students who were unemployable due to lack of any skill sets or degrees. The Amrita PMKVY Special Project shows great promise to help train and empower India’s youth in the skills they need to succeed.”
Sri. Dharmendra Pradhanji, on the occasion of the Amrita PMKVY Center launch in Janla, Odisha, 13 January 2019.
Regarding the purpose and target audience of the Amrita PMKVY Centers, Director of Ammachi Labs and UNESCO Chair Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment,
– Dr. Rao R. Bhavani said that:
Amrita PMKVY centers will enable socially marginalized and economically disadvantaged youth, including women, to access skill development that will be free of cost. The methodology that we adopt in providing skill development not only improves accessibility but also raises the standard and quality of vocational education. It incorporates a unique approach with a focus on soft-skills, entrepreneurship, and financial digital literacy training. After completing the course, our trainees gain the technical skills required for employment and receive life skills that transform them into more socially responsible citizens. It will empower women and promote gender equality. Our inclusive approach can actually bring about a great change for them and in the whole of society.
Between January and March 2019, Ammachi Labs launched its first Amrita PMKVY training Centre’s starting in Odisha, Kerala and Tamil Nadu followed by Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh. Amrita PMKVY operates as a “Hub and Spoke” deployment model, to reach maximum participants in remote villages.
Beyond the requirement to train, certify, and place youth in employment, Amrita-PMKVY holds the goal of personal empowerment and transformation of each student trained. Towards this objective, Amrita’s technology-enhanced curriculum integrates life enrichment education (LEE) into every course. Our value and technology-based approach enables the high quality of vocational training offered through the Amrita vocational training model to be standardized, scaled, and replicated across geographies.
Through Amrita’s integrated computerized vocational and LEE curriculum, students receive the requisite theoretical knowledge and practical vocational training prescribed by the respective National Occupational Standards and National Skills Qualification Frameworks. Additionally, the integrated curriculum is designed to enrich the students’ personal development and to inspire and demonstrate the value of community service.
Courses offered within Amrita PMKVY Training Centers:
The courses offered at Amrita PMKVY centers consist of the following:
Between January and March 2019, Ammachi Labs launched its first Amrita PMKVY training Centre’s starting in Odisha, Kerala and Tamil Nadu followed by Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh. Amrita PMKVY operates as a “Hub and Spoke” deployment model, to reach maximum participants in remote villages.
Breakdown of Courses Across Amrita PMKVY Centers and Locations.
| State | District | Village | Courses |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kerala | Wayanad | Meppadi | Plumbing General, Self-Employed Tailor, General Duty Assistant |
| Kollam | Paripally | Automotive Service Technician – 2 & 3 Wheeler Repair, Tailoring | |
| Tamil Nadu | Coimbatore | Ettimadai | Plumbing General, Domestic Data Entry Operator, Automotive Service Technician – 2 & 3 Wheeler Repair |
| Odisha | Khurda – Hub | Janla Post | Plumbing General, Domestic Data Entry Operator, Automotive Service Technician – 2 & 3 Wheeler Repair |
| Khurda – Spoke | Mendhasal | General Duty Assistant, Self-Employed Tailor | |
| Chhattisgarh | Kondagaon – Hub | Kondagaon | Domestic Data Entry Operator, Self-Employed Tailor |
| Kondagaon – Spoke | Malgaon | Automotive Service Technician – 2 & 3 Wheeler Repair, General Duty Assistant | |
| Jharkhand | Ranchi – Hub | Jonha | Domestic Data Entry Operator, General Duty Assistant |
| Ranchi – Spoke | Devgain | Automotive Service Technician – 2 & 3 Wheeler Repair, Plumbing General, Self-Employed Tailor |
Our objective for the first year of implementation was to provide training and certification to 1000 youth in one of the aforementioned trades.
By December 2020:
The first outcomes of the program in terms of women’s participation and empowerment actually exceeded the objective set up by the Government, aiming for the participation of at least 50% women.
The first outcomes showed that women’s participation was much higher than 50%, exceeding 65%:
Not only the number of women participating in the training was high, but women also took leadership roles in areas traditionally reserved for men, such as plumbing and automotive repair. Some of them even started their own business already.
My parents are supportive because we are assured to get a job after the course. My plan is to become a good technician and then open my own workshop with my brother who is also in the course.
– Amrita PMKVY Automotive Technician Graduate – Female participant
Following the completion of their course, a group of students from the Self-Employed Tailoring course at Amrita’s PMKVY Training Center in Wayanad, Kerala decided to go into business together and started a Self-Help Group (SHG) called, Siya Amrita Garments, under the guidance of their course facilitator and the center manager. This group decided to make quality nighties and sell them in the neighboring villages. As they were novice seamstresses aiming to supply high-quality nighties, each member was trained to master a particular section of the nightgown. Those who could not make it to the center during the day would collect cut pieces from their course facilitator for the week, stitch at a time convenient to them and return the completed piece by the end of the week for final assembly. The product would then be inspected for any possible defects, ironed, packaged, and sorted into lots of the 20s. This would soon be picked up by the students who would take the nighties for a one-month credit period to sell in their vicinity. They have now also started bulk sales to shops with full down payment on delivery. The group reports that they are doing well in the market as their quality is high and they are managing to sell a little under the on-going current market prices.
Primary school children rallied around the villages with slogans advocating the education of .girls and promoting their health. Taking this one step further, Rajasthan primary schools in Shyamoli and Harirampura selected two girls to play the role of principal for a day, taking charge of the school’s office activities.
Amrita SeRVe has been promoting the education and health of girls through the Swastha Kanya Saakshar Kanya, ‘Healthy Girl, Educated Girl’, campaign since 2017. The program brings about awareness in rural India on the issues affecting young girls and the need to provide complete education and appropriate healthcare for them.
