To empower girls economically, 6 vocational training centres and one vocational training institute run in the three blocks of the project areas. The vocational training institute, called Swavalamban (self-dependent or self-sufficient), provides skills in 8 trades: stitching and cutting, beautician course, paintings, soft toy making, embroidery, knitting, computer training, and spoken English training.
To develop technical interest in girls rather than reinforce gender roles, two new trades — repairing of mobiles and electronic goods — were also introduced.
Training Outcomes
- First phase: 161 girls received training and qualified.
- Second phase: 123 girls enrolled across trades — 81 in cutting and embroidery, 19 in beautician course and mehndi art, 12 in basic computer application, 6 in mobile repairing, and 5 in repair of electronic goods.
The other 5 vocational training centres run in 5 project villages with community support, where trainers are paid by the girls receiving training. 122 girls have been receiving training in cutting, stitching, painting, embroidery, and glass painting.
Advanced Training
36-day fashion designing training: Seeing the demand, 31 girls of village Rahimpur received advanced fashion designing training with support from the Rural Self Employment Training Institute (RSETI), a branch of Union Bank of India. As a result, the girls became able to prepare clothes with new patterns and designs, saving money and seeking larger work opportunities.
Beauty clinic training: RSETI organized a 36-day beauty clinic training for rural girls so they may be self-dependent — started on 11 June 2011 with 30 girls.