The unprecedented outbreak of COVID-19 has impacted the skilling industry in a way no one could have ever imagined. The challenge now is to continue the skilling process despite the adversities. The entire skilling ecosystem is coming out with innovative ways to handle the crisis.
Edujobs Academy, a skilling partner of National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC), has put together a few innovative ways to continue the skilling process at their Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Kendra (PMKK) training centres. PMKK is an initiative of the Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship (MSDE).
Amid the COVID-19 outbreak and further Lockdown 25000 + skill training institutes are shut down all over the country. The pace of the skill Industry is now at pause for an uncertain period of time. The students of Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Kendra, Debra have decided not to stop and fight Corona Skillfully by contributing from their part.
Keeping in mind the interest of students , the faculty members of the training centre have started online classes for more than 600 unemployed job aspirants who are undergoing training in this centre and have assessments in the coming months of April and May. Everyday 16 Faculty members are providing online training to all of them for two hours per day . Faculty members have got all the students to install ZOOM App in their Smartphones. The trainers are taking online classes through virtual classrooms. The students who cannot afford smartphones are connected by audio classes. Their trainers are assigning them home works also.
On this occasion, Mr Gourab Roy , Lead, Edujobs Academy says, “ the students have to miss the classes due to nationwide lockdown. Our students belong to villages from several parts of Paschim Medinipur. With this decision of online training, the students will continue to learn with the help of the faculty members. The students are also happy that they are getting to learn as usual, otherwise they would have wasted their time sitting at home” .
At the present period of Lockdown most of our students have returned home except for those working in Essential Services are still at work. One of the ex-students of GDA course Sushanta Bhunia who is a resident of Srirampur Village of Paschim Medinipur is currently working in Jehangir Hospital Pune . He says, “ in the present situation we are working without any breaks , standing at present moment I am working continuously 36 hours in a stretch , many people are coming for tests everyday and already 3 positive corona patients are in this hospital”.
Dolon Midya, another ex student from USG 6 batch who belongs from Dantan Village, Paschim Medinipur is currently working as security incharge in Emami Corporation in Kolkata . She says, “ we are having high alert to locate if we get information of someone with recent foreign visit in the campus , and have to keep eyes open that more than 2-3 people are gathering in a place or not or people maintain distance with each other or not, she further expresses her concern that despite of several warnings people are not maintaining hygiene and regulations .”
Before the lockdown, the Sewing Machine students of the training centre have worked really hard to prepare 1000 masks which were distributed among the local BPL families who cannot afford a mask. The raw materials were parcelled by Edujobs authorities from Kolkata which were fabricated into masks in the centre’s sewing course practical lab under the supervision of Trainers. The SMO (Sewing Machine Operator) course training faculty member Dipika Manna says “ The students were overwhelmed to contribute their time and effort for a noble cause many students have even worked till late evening to get it done on time”.
Edujobs Academy training centre has been operational since the last two and half years. More than 2500 students have passed out and more than 1200 alumni have successful careers and are working in different companies across India.
