As part of creating opportunities for students, the colleges of Kolhan University in Jamshedpur are gearing up to start the classes for National University Students Skill Development (NUSSD) Programme — a project undertaken by Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) — and supported by Union Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports.
The Graduate School College for Women will be first college in the city to start the programme from February 17. Usha Shukla, principal of the college said that students have been selected.
“We want to create opportunities for students by promoting skill enhancement. They will be in a better position to face the industry. We are ready to begin the classes on Feb 17. We have already finalised the schedule which will be from 3:30 pm to 5:30 pm on weekdays,” said Shukla.
On the other hand the Jamshedpur Co-operative College is still waiting for students to enroll. The college has just 55 students enrolled for the skill development classes.
The project is managed by Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), Mumbai and based on credit marking. The entire course from teaching to awarding the NUSSD certificate is done by TISS. Since October 2012, TISS on the sanction of Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports and office of Advisor to the Prime Minister had been working on this project.
Officials of the Jamshedpur Co-operative College said that the classes will only be started when 100 students will enroll.
Under this scheme, students will get the opportunity to learn new vocational skills through this programme along with their current bachelor’s degree. The purpose is to make these graduates ready for specific skilled employment as well as provide self-employment opportunities.
“Students who do this course will be better placed as this is a job oriented course. They will also be equipped to start their own ventures in small groups,” said a professor of Jamshedpur Co-operative College.
Expressing similar opinions Soma Das, a student of Jamshedpur Women’s College, said, “These are the times when wrong planning can spoil your career. We should know the details and the scope of the course we plan to join. I am of the opinion that traditional courses like BA and MA do not help in getting jobs while professional and technical courses provide a lot of avenues”.