CHENNAI: The Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) is set to launch a pilot project aimed at promoting skill development among girl students from classes 7 to 9 in Chennai schools. Funded under the Nirbhaya project at a cost of Rs 45 lakh, the project includes three months of training in tailoring, aari work, and embroidery to 26,570 students from 208 select schools across the city.
The programme covers 7,216 students from 71 schools in north Chennai, 5,302 students from 24 schools in the south, and 14,052 students from 113 schools in the central region. The GCC has floated tenders to select the training service providers to implement and monitor the initiative.
With the state approving Rs 425.06 crore under the Nirbhaya fund for the Safe City project with cost-sharing between the centre (60%) and the state (40%), a key component of the project is to empower school-going girls in Chennai, making them self-reliant through skill development.
The programme will be implemented in four phases — baseline assessment to identify current skill levels, programme design and module development, field facilitation and mentoring by trained experts, and end-line assessment with certification upon successful completion. Training will span three months with a buffer period of an additional one month.
A steering committee will be formed comprising officials from GCC’s education department and the training service provider’s project head who will oversee the project’s execution, approve training content, monitor progress, and handle high-level issues.
Last year, GCC Mayor R Priya introduced a six-month sports training programme in boxing, judo, karate, chess, carrom, taekwondo and athletics for schoolgirls, with 50 students from each school receiving training twice a week.
Speaking to TNIE, a corporation schoolteacher said while girls are being empowered through these initiatives, other short-term training programmes can be explored for boys.
skill training
Course duration: 3 months
Content: Tailoring, aari work and embroidery
The programme will be implemented in four phases