New lease of life for 1,032 dropouts

CHENNAI: It was a red-letter day for more than 1,000 school dropouts living below the poverty line as they got new lease of life after being nurtured in three skill-training centers in Chennai on Saturday.The youth in the age group of 18-25 who were presented with certificates by Chennai Mayor Saidai Duraiswamy have been trained under a the Mast-iLEAD project, a joint partnership between America India Foundation and Aide et Action (AEAI).Speaking on the occasion, Duraiswamy hailed the project and said it is key in bringing in social change among marginalised communities beyond caste and community. He also highlighted the importance of Vision 2023 document, which also focuses on bringing in a social revolution in Tamil Nadu.The regional manager of the project K Sivakami said 1,032 dropouts who belonged to slums in Vysarpadi, Saidapet, Tiruvotiyur, Perambur, Mangadu and Minjur were provided three-month  training in several trades ranging from information technology-enabled services, automobile technology, hospitality, customer relations retailing, electrical, diesel mechanisms and tailoring.The training includes three-month classroom teaching and one-month on the job training. Interestingly, all 1,032 youthngsters have got a job. “The aim is to equip youth from marginalised section of society through employability and entrepreneurial skill training for a sustainable living,” she added.