CIMR was involved in providing vocational training since 1990 for the young adult students. The Three Cs education methodology has included vocational activities in its curriculum. More than that, it is through various activities that the children are taught. Hence every day the students undergo a series of vocational activities irrespective of their age. The classes of Making, Selecting and Combining the shapes classes are preparing the students to do various tasks to develop their employability skills.
The car workshop at the centre has trained the children in car mechanism and driving. The agriculture training centre at Kuttichal that was started in 1996 has trained several young adults in agriculture activities. The panchayat level programmes, in association with Kerala Nirmithi Kendra has trained several children along with their parents in low cost house construction. Children were trained in different activities- to make various craft materials, candle, tailoring etc.
At present CIMR is implementing a project for providing vocational training to the adults with intellectual disabilities. After the completion of the training, eligible candidates will be given placement and others will be engaged in the sheltered workshop that we are planning to start. The students are given training in tailoring, paper recycling and hand made paper units, agriculture, computer data entry and craft making. This training programme is implemented with the financial support from Azim Premji Foundation.
Together with this, another skill training programme for all types of persons with disabilities is implemented using our premises at Kovalam by Association of Persons with Disabilities, based in Bangaluru. In this programme, a training of 45 days is given to the candidates and after that eligible persons are helped to get placement wherever possible.
Hand made paper making is part of the vocational training programme to find employment for the intellectually challenged persons. Used waste paper, water hyacinth, cotton rags etc. are used to make pulp from which hand made papers are made. These papers are used to make paper carry bags, envelopes etc. which can be sold out in the market. Machines for making pulp and other necessary machines are installed and the process is already started to make hand made paper.
Training is given in agriculture activities in our agriculture farm at Kuttichal. Also training is given at CIMR Murinjapalam with an intention to develop a nursery of internal plants.
Training is given in tailoring, computer data entry, art and craft etc. also.
