Placement cell offers hope to special children.......Animesh Bisoee  Jamshedpur

 

YOUNGSTERS WITH intellectual impairment can now rub shoulders with those from the mainstream in various work places.

School of Hope, an NGO based here and run under the aegis of the Jamshedpur Society for the Welfare of Mentally Retarded Children, has set up a placement cell for its ‘special' students.

The school, with a current strength of 151 special children having intellectual impairment, cerebral palsy and autism, was prompted to set up the placement cell after several of its students with vocational training, were absorbed in private institutions and received good feedbacks from employers.

The placement unit, to be functional from July, would have a complete profile of the candidates and also provide an opportunity to the employers to see the candidates working in the ‘shelter workshop' of the school to help them gauge their working capabilities.

Shyamali Raju, principal of the school, said the idea of a placement unit that would facilitate employment to deserving candidates in private firms and industries was discussed threadbare by the management committee.

"The committee supported our endeavour to enhance employment opportunities for special children," said Raju.

Incidentally, so far six special children, passing out of the school with vocational training, have been engaged in Jusco, Narbheram Hansraj English School, Andhra Bhakta Ram Mandiram, Bharati Vidyalaya and DBMS Career Academy in different capacities.

The special school offers vocational training in tailoring (stitching, weaving, block printing), candle, diya and rakhi making, paper products and envelope making, stationery production including file making and gardening.

Products made by them are supplied to Tata Steel and its associated companies like Tata Motors, Tata Refractories Ltd, Tubes Division, Tata Power, Jamipol, Tata Pigment, Timken India, Lafarge and Jusco.

Several private schools and institutions have also been taking these products.

"We would provide details of only those children who show dexterity in completing their task in groups for the reason that in factories they would face a similar ambience. Those students who would not be lapped up can still work in the shelter workshop scheme and share profits earned from their products," added Raju.

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