Ludhiana, May 10
Most of the times students after getting their degrees have to make endless rounds of offices to find suitable employment, but with the competition becoming stiffer, it is nearly impossible to get a good job. Keeping the rising unemployment in view, the University Grants Commission (UGC) has devised vocational courses for students to get them jobs after they finish their education.
Vocational courses will be offered to students along with their degree courses. Both classes will run simultaneously, thus helping students complete two courses at the same time. Through these job-oriented courses, students will find meaningful employment.
Under the directions of the UGC, Panjab University, Chandigarh, has decided to offer courses that will help students get jobs as soon as they finish their college education. Interestingly, the colleges have decided on which courses to start by keeping in mind their utility and viability. Panjab University will make syllabi of these courses and give a grant of Rs 5 lakh to colleges to help them start these courses.
Principals of various city colleges say they have decided to introduce vocational courses from the coming academic session.
The Principal of Ramgarhia College, Ms Harmeet Kaur, said so far vocational courses had been treated as “elective courses”. For the first time, “add-on courses” were being introduced. These would be taught in the afternoon sessions and after the completion of one year of the course, students would get certificate. On the completion of second year of these courses, diploma would be offered, while on the completion of third year, they would be awarded with “advanced diploma”.
Ms Charanjit Manal, Principal of Guru Nanak Girls College, said from July onwards, her college planned to begin courses in cosmetology, apparel manufacturing and interior designing, and home decoration.
Dr Madanjit Kaur Sahota, Principal of Master Tara Singh Memorial College for Women, said they would offer vocational courses like hospital waste disposal management. The city had over 1,000 small and big hospitals. The course was comparatively new and was in great demand. Ms Patti Sahota, an MP of British Columbia, Canada, had visited the college sometime ago and Dr Sahota in consultation with her, thought of starting some useful vocational courses. The college had been given the green signal to start dress designing and childcare courses from the coming academic session, she added.
Boys colleges are also not far behind. Dr S.M. Sharma, Principal Arya College for Boys, said they had been little late in requesting the PU for starting new courses. However, they were hopeful that new courses would be started this session onwards. He said he had requested the PU to grant permission to start six new courses both for girls’ wing of the college and the boys college. The courses are economics of insurance, fashion designing, early childhood care and bio-technology.
Dr Budhiraja of Kamla Lohtia is happy that they have got the nod to start courses in Functional English, bank management and advertising sales management from this session.
The principals are unanimous in their opinion that these vocational courses will equip students to face life by helping them get employment.
