Anantapur : The Andhra Pradesh Scheduled Castes Corporation is shortly launching a training programme aimed at according training in job-oriented courses to 1 lakh unemployed scheduled caste youth in the State and for 10,000 jobless youth in the
district.
The corporation is moving heaven and earth to identify 10,000 youth, who have a qualification of eighth class to degree depending upon the courses they chose among 75 odd trades and vocations. The local office is looking for a building to house the training centre where training could be given to 10,000 youth who are free to choose one out of 75 odd trades.
The massive training programme supposed to be launched in 2016-17 year. However, there are only few takers due to a sense of despondency and lack of faith on the outcome of the whole exercise.
This apart the prospective beneficiaries show enthusiasm and excitement if it has something to do with monetary benefit in the form of a loan or grant for setting up self employment ventures. Under the programme, the department would absorb the trained personnel in private companies be it a hotel, small scale industry or call centres, tourism projects, hospitality sector, technical trades and computer data entry operators.
A ZPTC member from Dharmavaram, Ramanjaneyulu, who hails from SC community, is engaged in identification of SC jobless youth from his ward stated that there are few takers for the training programme for several reasons.
One reason being that the jobs that they would be absorbed in the private sector are unreliable, secondly even if one ventured to set up a self employment unit, the whole exercise stops at the bankers as bankers are reluctant to finance self employment schemes due to mounting bad debts and thirdly because the community members and youth who are accustomed to easy money like bank loans, doles from the government in different forms and increasing dependence on government schemes which ensured monetary benefits either directly or indirectly.
While the SC youth are taking all things granted from the government, there are many other OC youth who are willing to grab the benefits if they are extended to them.
Among 2 lakh youth in the said age brackets, the corporation is finding it hard to get takers for the unique state-wide scheme. Vijay Kumar, a SC youth from Talagaspalle village, says that most of the jobs that the government finds for the trained youth are unreliable as the employers run their units according to their own whims and fancies and not governed by rules or labour laws. Many, who are absorbed in similar jobs in the past had to return to their villages in view of meagre salaries and unreliability of their positions.
SC Corporation Executive Director Ramu Naik told that as of now 600 candidates have applied for the training and more are likely to respond. The target for 2016-17 and beyond is 10,000 youth for the district. He however agreed that the response so far is not encouraging but hoped that many would respond in due course of time.
Responding to a query, Naik stated that the entrepreneurship development programmes are yet to take concrete shape. Skill development programmes and free coaching for competitive exams are also part of the several schemes aimed at SC upliftment being implemented for the SC welfare in the district. Some of the courses include BPO voice process, software development, animation, clerical role, SME officer, beautician, spa therapist, hair stylist, child care, cook, physiotherapist, lab technician, welder, fitter, masonry and a host of other vocations.
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