Additional Skill Acquisition Programme (ASAP),the ambitious project of the state Higher Education Department, launched in schools and colleges in the state to train students with multi-faceted job-oriented skills, is all set to emerge as a job providing platform and would recruit 3,000 trainers within a year.
“Packed with a curriculum and content drawn by the industry, ASAP is gaining momentum at a slow but steady pace in schools and colleges in the state,” said Dr K M Abraham, Principal secretary, Higher Education Department, at a media workshop organised here on Saturday.Students enrolled in the ASAP will gain hands on training in a chosen area of interest/industry through state-of-the-art courses, along with certificates issued by the government.
The programme, announced in the last budget, was set in motion in June this year. “To overcome the dearth of trainers, a plan has been drawn up to recruit 3,000 trainers from graduates and ensure a massive spread to ASAP. Trainers will be given a monthly pay of Rs 10,000. Those undergoing higher studies can also apply and they will be provided with a 28-days intensive training. Only those who get a minimum 60 per cent score in the written test would be absorbed. The training will be imparted in effective communication skills in English language,IT and soft skills through a 180-hour module in the academic year,” he said.
Right now,only 75 trainers are in the rolls of the ASAP, and they were selected from a list of 500 applicants . “Students will get attuned to a skill bouquet along with their normal course curriculum under the ASAP , while also gaining enormous confidence levels and personality grooming . We are not promising jobs but only a basket of fruitful skills .
Not less than 25 courses will be introduced by next year,including one for those inclined to become junior reporters in the print media at the regional level. Discussions are underway with various sectors of the industry,” Dr Abraham said.
ASAP is focussed to see that the undergraduate students from remote areas are roped in to take the full benefits.
“The initiative is expected to peak by 2014-15 with good participation and better results as the industry, whose involvement is paramount in the programme , is looking for young talent trained to meet their specific needs in a big way,” he said.
ASAP has been envisaged on a total outlay of Rs 630 crore and Rs 20 crore was earmarked in the last State budget itself.